97 Things Every UX Practitioner Should Know

Chapter 79. Be Prepared When Practicing Ethnography

Meena Kothandaraman

Ethnography is the rich description of a holistic context through observation that often focuses on people, their environment, interactions, artifacts, and overall objectives. Ethnographic practice permits the study of a “bigger picture” to gain perspective and clarify learning objectives. Deep observation uncovers nuances that might otherwise be overlooked and should always be paired with a closing interview to ensure that documented data carries no embedded assumptions.

Ethnography is most effective when conducted in person. Founded in the social sciences, ethnographic practice has become a primary method to study the user experience in-context. The open-ended nature of observation requires considerable preparation, beginning with a clear introduction of the study and the learning objectives, and sharing of the engagement arc. The engagement arc defines the research team’s intended interactions with participants. To prepare:

• Communicate the learning objective and interest in conducting ethnography: Convey the session intent to the participant with full transparency and understand the rules of their environment (connect directly with your participant and do not communicate “through” someone). Document special requirements demanded by the environment you are visiting (for example, no shoes in the house, steel-toed ...