Shi Yan conducted ethnographic research for a class project on designing smartphones and iPad applications. The research focused on young Chinese students living in America who were interested in learning about red wine but found it difficult due to cultural and language barriers. One friend in particular, named Ran, wanted to learn how to select bottles of red wine, whether or not wines should be decanted, and how to remember information about different wines. An application that could systematically introduce the world of red wine and provide information on demand would help solve Ran's problems in navigating the new category of wine.

1. Shi Yan
Professor Tom Klinkowstein
Design for Smartphones and iPads
February 2, 2016
Step 1: Ethnographic Research
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2. There are many young Chinese coming to America these days studying here. They study here
and they live a life here at the same time.
For the wine part, they used to drink Chinese liquor(báijiǔ) or beer. When they came to
America, they were introduced to a brand new wine world. Red wine is a big category among
this wine world. Because of the cultural background and some linguistic obstacles, it is really
hard for these people get hold of red wine.
My friend Ran(left top) is really interested in
learning things about red wine: how to pick a
bottle from thousands of choices, is decant
really necessary? He is having a harding time
trying to understand and memory these things.
If there is something out there, systematically introduce the red wine world and ready to hand,
that thing would perfectly solve Ran’s problem.
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Wine is one of the most
civilized things in the
world and one of the
most natural things of the
world that has been
brought to the greatest
perfection, and it offers a
greater range for
enjoyment and
appreciation than,
possibly, any other purely
sensory thing.
-Ernest Hemingway