Ethnographic research is important for understanding how people interact and use products and services in a variety of settings. Ethnography is the systematic study of human behavior, beliefs, and values. This course will introduce students to the components of ethnographic research, including observing, participating, writing field notes, conducting interviews, coding, attending to ethics, and presenting findings. Students will read case studies and conduct their own ethnographic projects to see how knowledge of cultural patterns may lend insight into the design of everyday things. In addition to learning how traditional anthropological concepts may be applied to contemporary design, students will also explore emerging areas such as auto-ethnography, online ethnography, and participatory design. By the end of the course, students will have an ability to use ethnographic approaches to create humane and useful things for particular cultural and social contexts.

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