Early 20th Century Classroom

One of the rooms in the museum documents a typical classroom from the period before WWII. The class has a small kitchen area that includes an oven and a bench for the children to sit and have their lunch. In addition, many of the subjects were taught using tactile aids such as a compass, globe, maps, and a wooden abacus.

Ethnographic research involves the study of people and groups as they go about their everyday lives. The ethnographer participates in daily routines within the context of the research setting, observes what is going on and systematically records his or her experiences and thoughts. Participation based on social and physical proximity is key to this process.

As part of my work at Flow we frequently use ethnographic research methods to gain a deep understanding of the social and working lives of people who use different products and services in different contexts. The findings provide richer insights into service and product design requirements and opportunities for innovation, particularly when designing for global and multi-cultural audiences.

One of the key questions around ethnographic research is how its findings are transformed into design. One example of such a process was presented at a recent UX Brighton: ‘A Journey from Ethnography to Design’. The event included two speakers: Simon Johnson, User Experience Consultant at Flow and Miles Rochford from Nokia. Simon spoke about the ethnographic research and subsequent design that he completed for the Environment Agency. Miles’ presentation focused on using ethnography to design products for emerging markets.
The Environment Agency commissioned Flow to conduct contextual research and subsequently design an interactive map that will provide users with coastal erosion information – a national project that will affect 2.1 million houses on the coast. The key objectives were to establish what an erosion map should look like, how it should work and what sort of information should accompany the map.

Claire Mitchell, Flow’s Principal Consultant on the project and Simon started the project with a research phase that included ethnographic field observations in two coastal settings: Norfolk and Hastings. Simon spent two weeks documenting the lives of coastal communities, interviewing local people and immersing himself in their lives. Additionally, Simon interviewed eight professionals at Flow’s experience labs in London.

Ethnography enabled Simon to apply his empathy and humanistic values to drive the project. It was clear that his findings provided the Environment Agency with a rich understanding of the concerns, information needs and myths that people who live in rural coastal communities might have. Simon described how his research findings confirmed some of EA’s current thinking, provided new insights and defined the subsequent design process and deliverables.

The research that Claire and Simon conducted described how emotive the coastline is, an institution in British history that invokes strong feelings and forms a strong part of a shared heritage. The implications were the need for the Environment Agency to communicate that it cares and to reassure people that action was being taken to protect the coast. It was also clear that people trust locals and distrust central government, erosion maps caused alarm and that a certain amount of local knowledge derived from ignorance and/or myth. An example of a myth was the commonly repeated argument that the government was making money dredging ‘their’ sand.

The design approach focused on a simple website that addresses the needs of both professionals and locals. Claire and Simon decided that the design should answer core questions and myths, stick to plain English, use local materials and represent risks without alarming local people.

Is it Ethnography?

After the presentation the audience participated in a lively debate, which had a particular focus on the true meaning of ethnography. For some designers ethnography was a new concept and their reactions during the Q&A sessions and after the presentations indicated that they found both Simon and Miles’ presentations truly thought provoking. Some felt that rapid ethnography with a specific structure and design agenda was different from “ethnography” and needed a new term associated to it.

Theoretical research has two main aims – the validation of existing knowledge and the acquisition of new knowledge. Flow uses research to acquire and validate specific knowledge, the context in which services and products are used. Flow uses principles and techniques taken from social sciences such as sociology, anthropology and psychology to inform design decisions. Our main aim is to design solutions that work outside of design studios, laboratories and meeting rooms. As a result, we often use appropriate research techniques to focus on specifically targeted contexts and activities. A term that is often used to describe this work is Design Ethnography.

Simon’s presentation

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Many thanks to Danny Hope and former Flow Consultant Harry Brignull for organising the event.

–Ofer Deshe

The natural progression is to move into video diaries. Perhaps due to the success of video sharing websites such as YouTube, we have seen a new generation of pocket video cameras slowly emerging.  Many of these models have no lens caps, complex settings or a plethora of dials. One of they key factors that differentiate these cameras is the simplicity and ease-of-use. For example, the Flip Mino includes built-in software for sharing movies through email or direct uploading to YouTube and MySpace. Furthermore, some models include a built-in USB connector avoiding the need for any wires. These mini cameras are relatively affordable, yet often include high-definition resolutions. 

Pocket video cameras open an option for a new type of ethno-videographic research. Each participant is simply provided with a mini video camera, clear instructions and a structured diary.  The best cameras for this purpose are the Flip Mino HD and the Kodak Zi6. Both have a simple interface, capture high-definition videos and include a built-in USB connector. The Flip is smaller, but the Kodak captures higher quality video.

Kodak Zi6: USB arm flicks out from the side and videos are automatically uploaded

Whilst, cheap video tools could capture a wealth of information it is important to ensure that the approach is useful and appropriate for the type of research questions, the focus of the study and the context. It is also important to acknowledge that analysing video studies is often more laborious than analysing photos and text. 

- Ofer Deshe

References

Pink, S. (2001). Doing visual ethnography. London: Sage Publications.