Processes of Design Sixth lecture: Ethnography 27 October 2003

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Processes of DesignSixth lectureEthnography
27 October 2003

• William Newman

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Evaluation Revisiting the Problem

• We must simulate the end result
• We have particular problems
• Simulating the user
• Simulating the context
• Simulating how the user performs the task
• Ethnography helps us understand these better
• This is my view of the What and How of
  Ethnography.

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What Is Ethnography?

• Fieldwork methods for the study and analysis of
  social settings
• Draws on methods used in studies of primates and
  primitive tribes

• A research activity, increasing our knowledge of
  the social world
• Links with philosophy rather than scientific
  theory.

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How Computer Research discovered Ethnography

• Jeff Rulifsons Office Research Group at Xerox
  PARC
• Recruiting anthropologists to study office
  workers
• Advanced Systems Dept (1978-80) Altos in the
  White House
• Lucy Suchman and Situated Action.

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Work Practice and Technology Research at PARC
1980-2000

• Practical ethnography and design participation
• San Jose Airport studyThe Flight Tracker example

• Orrs study of service techniciansWar stories
  as teaching materials
• The Denver ProjectConnecting service techs by
  radio
• Ethnographic studies continue at PARC (Jack and
  Marilyn Whalen).

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Ethnography in Europe

• Wes Sharrock (Manchester Univ.)
• Lancaster Univ.s Sociology Dept.
• Scandinavian participative design research
  (Susanne Bodker)
• Xerox Cambridge from pure HCI to Sociology and
  Ethnography (Richard Harper)
• The Xerox IMF study.

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Responsibility Modelling

• Why are systems accepted by their users, and
  other rejected?
• Rejection of an air traffic control workstation
• IMF Economic Database failure
• Question What matters most to workers?
• Hypothesis Whatever makes them effective team
  members, and reduces the risk of being fired.
• I.e. meeting their responsibilities
• But is it valid to make predictions based on
  studies of social behaviour?

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Ethnomethodology (EMy)

• A long word about studying small-scale social
  action
• Concerned with everyday socialaction and its
  production of order
• Origins in Conversation Analysis
• Examples
• Gaze and speech interruption
• Patients design of pain cries
• The 10-second free turn in medical consultations.

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EMys limitations

• Looks at fine detail -- influences only the file
  detail (UI) of design
• Invalidity of generalizing about social action
• Generalizing therefore falls on the designer
• EMists dont build on each others work -- they
  prefer to demolish it!
• So theres work to be done.

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Summary Ethnographic study methods

• Direct observation
• Interview
• Video and/or audio recording
• Diary-keeping
• Also participation and action research

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Informing design

• The correct approach
• Ethnographer conducts studies
• Ethnographer relates findings to designers
• Designers come back with questions
• Ethnographer does further studies, etc.
• The field usability testing approach
• Ship the product or prototype
• Find a study site
• Gather data about design faults, report back
• Can we do better?
• The diary study option.

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