EUT 563E - Ethnographic Methods in User-Centered Design

Course Objectives

1. Develop deeper understanding on the concept of user-centered design
2. Introduce a variation of methods in user research
3. Obtain knowledge in basic foundations and practices of ethnographic research
4. Provide competence in using ethnography in design research

Course Description

Introduction: Design as making sense of things. Conceptions of ‘user-centeredness’ and ‘user research’ in design. An overview on user-centered design methods. An overview on the origins, traditions and basic foundations of ethnographic research. Sites, settings and entry. Field relations and ethical considerations. Participant observation and interviewing. Fieldnotes: Documenting and analyzing. Writing and representation. Epistemological discussions. Participatory design. Diary studies and cultural probes. Ethnographic narratives for design. Design anthropology: Towards ethnographies of possibilities.