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.””
INTRODUCTORY PUBLICATIONS
Wasson, Christina. 2016. Design Anthropology. General Anthropology 23(2):1-11.
Wasson, Christina. 2000. Ethnography in the Field of Design. Human Organization 59(4):377-388.
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