What is Design Anthropology?

“Design anthropology describes the practices of anthropologists who collaborate with designers and team members from other disciplines in order to develop new product ideas. The primary contribution of the anthropologists lies in the ethnographic research they conduct with users, or potential users, of the product being envisioned, in order to learn about the everyday practices, symbolic meanings, and forms of sociality with which a successful new product would need to articulate. Designers and other members of product development teams draw on findings from such research to develop design ideas that fit the lived experience of intended users.”
— Wasson 2016:1


Sample Projects

For sample projects in design anthropology, see my Design Anthropology Class Projects page here


ONLINE COMMUNITY

 

Ethnography Hangout on Slack – sign up here