1.
Carol Smith @carologic Midwest UX, October 13, 2018
Gearing Up for Ethnography

2.
Journal of Anthropological Research https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/700263

3.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Ethnography: Go Where They Are
• Learning from people, in their environment
• Be present, limit interactions
• Participants lead

4.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Ethnography in Design/UX
An Evolving Map of Design Practice and Design Research. Written for Interactions magazine by Liz Sanders. Edited by Hugh Dubberly.
Nov 1, 2008 http://www.dubberly.com/articles/an-evolving-map-of-design-practice-and-design-research.html See also book: Convivial
Toolbox: Generative Research for the Front End of Design. January 8, 2013 by Liz Sanders and Pieter Jan Stappers.

5.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Ethnography in Product Design
• Measured in hours-days
• Small, cumulative learning
• Build on over time

6.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Any experience
• Physical experiences and relationships
• Multiple-person interactions
• Large group interactions
• Digital experiences

7.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Across product lifecycle
• Early discovery
• Experimenting/prototyping to learn
• Learning from use – in the field

8.
Clothing

9.
Case Study: Race Track

10.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Pockets
• Breathable travel vest or
many-pocketed clothing
• Hands free
• Easy access
• Protection
http://www.scottevest.com

11.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
What’s in my pockets?
• Pens and notepad
• Recording equipment
• Water, crushable snack
• Wallet (with cash)
Water bottle: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Water_bottle_map_symbol.svg

12.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Additional Bag
• Power cords
• Extension cord
• Batteries
• Snacks
• Rest of my purse
http://www.scottevest.com

13.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Clothing
• You are studying them – not their reaction to you
• Dress for circumstances
• Consider local customs
• Messiness of work
• Business casual

14.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Active Lifestyles
• Keep up!
• Be prepared
for the length of study
• or, a quick walk…

15.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Outdoor Observations - Precipitation

16.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Temperature

17.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
High Quality Personal Protection
Fiberglass – lightweight & not affected by temp
Toe, Ankle
and Dirt Protection

18.
Gear!

19.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Small, portable equipment
• Pack up quickly
• Move around
• Everything on your body
• Avoid bulky bags

20.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Cell phones
• Pros
• Already have it with you
• Easy to carry
• Cons
• Hard to hold and attach
• Proprietary Information
• Risk to your phone

21.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Video Recording equipment
• GoPro and similar
• Wide view
• Waterproof

22.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Video Placement
• Tripod
• Novel attachments
as needed
• On participant

23.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Audio Recording
• Great sound
• Light, easy to hold
• Regular batteries
• SD Cards

24.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Power concerns
• Consider hotel room power limitations
• Extension cord(s)
• Extra backup batteries and/or equipment
• Identify local office

25.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockyvi/6451635085/sizes/m/in/photolist-aQ7jkF/
SomerightsreservedbyRockyVI-http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockyvi/
License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Preparation

26.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Planning is Power
• Who you are meeting?
• Conditions and study design
• Logistics

27.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Time for observations
• Task length
• Repetition
• Frequency
• Location changes

28.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Schedule breaks
• Bio Breaks (food, bathroom, etc.)
• Recharge, change memory cards, etc.
• Location changes
• Rest during highly physical studies
• Be participant’s advocate

29.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Print reference
• Logistics
• Cell phones
• Consent forms
• Screenshots

30.
Someone must have your
itinerary and expect
to hear from you.

31.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Don’t go alone
• Homes
• Non-public places
• In vehicles
• Leave if it gets weird. Just leave.

32.
Moderating
Studies
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Driving_in_the_rain_(5124407306).jpg

33.
In their home…
don’t make yourself at Home

34.
Get close,
without
being gross

35.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Be Above Reproach and Stay Safe
• Give people space
• Work in pairs
• Never be alone with
children!
Photo:U.S.ArmyphotobyPfc.LeeHyokang(IMCOM),July20,2012
https://www.army.mil/article/84007/camp_provides_safety_adventures_to_last_kids_the_summer

36.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Public Spaces
• Everyone
compromised
• Create/find
smaller spaces
• Speak quietly
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justaslice/6254973009/sizes/m/in/photolist-awJnye-cbSp23-bopgBH-9qKgT3-a2QHaG-85eBDv-ddmwdC-
aWZKQp-ddmvTP-awqfuc-eyifAV-8M8tpm-7N1DPb-ciG1K9-dsxcY9-9WAQhy-88ENpV-aDQndx-avV5GZ-8jHtix-aAGD5M-as9pmp-
ebCh5H-c8K8Wj-89kvjU-7TmgvL/
SomerightsreservedbySlicesofLight:http://www.flickr.com/photos/justaslice/
License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

37.
Get Artifacts! (ask nicely)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/camknows/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

38.
Common Issues

39.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Misunderstandings about purpose
• Conversations with managers are enough
• Set up a conference room for “meeting”
• Respond politely

40.
Case Study: Mining
MiningEquipmentatBinghamCanyon,CopperMine,Utah,USAhttps://www.mining-technology.com/projects/bingham/

41.
Ethnography Short Course, UXPA 2018 / @carologic
We become “Representative”
• Critical situations - angry customers
• Help desk vs. research
• Respond to situation

42.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Inherent Challenges
• Location
• Space
• Time
• Conditions
• Policy
• Limited Access
Photo:http://koin.com/2016/07/12/how-to-protect-yourself-from-computer-camera-hackers/

43.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Interruptions
• Typical
• Incessant
• Consider
rescheduling/
cancellation
Photo:

44.
Ethnography Short Course, UXPA 2018 / @carologic
Unexpected from participants
• Not disclosing disabilities ahead of time
• Having to handle an emergent issue
• Being difficult / changing their minds (they can)
Imagevia:http://voont.com/vandals-high-street-

45.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
The Show Must Go On
• Weather
• Loss of power,
or no power
• No Wi-Fi connectivity

46.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Prepare mentally and physically
• Chaos - kids , pets
• Allergic reactions
• Clutter and cleanliness
Photo:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Domestic_shorthaired_cat_face.jpg

47.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Breath …
then
respond
calmly
"Surprise" by Katie Arvidson Follow. Taken on
December 27, 2007
https://www.flickr.com/photos/katielou146/21594335
27/in/photolist-4hPEmx-9nhjgS-sd2s9V-MiRBB-
s73kVU-iRNGQj-63gNpq-7JU38d-X6emHZ-
GQAKjM-4vD6x2-CATpB7-fyV3F-83Et52-sD5nM-
8A3c92-46cRK2-8A6ih1-78phcs-mpDWQ-6XXC3j-
8CJ3hC-4cGvDF-8j2dyT-2McBW-396dfJ-73xgPy-
8EPZZy-6rXeTT-a3MY3w-gx8f9L-7TZnj2-4t23jz-
6PsHCu-S7SmT-T5B3ZY-vQo8C-qZ58PW-5zXVMy-
p7xQ1X-q1CH3-5DHdY8-4eiFff-5ooscu-fB3WGu-
2LG8WD-TkwKM-tYHXr-dHCMMS-7YLDoj

48.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Most common – lack of time
• 2x sessions for analysis
• Prep team expectations
• Risk of not doing
thoroughly

49.
Ethics in Ethnography

50.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Full disclosure - informed consent
• Your responsibility
• Every time
• Ethical and legal
responsibility
• Do no harm
Consent Form (Adult), Usability.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/resources/templates/consent-form-adult.html

51.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Recording sessions
• Even with permission
• Turn off - personal phone call
• Be willing to turn off at any time
• Be aware of local customs

52.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
UXR is not for entertainment
• Never on social media
• EVERYONE with access
• Responsible
• Understands sharing externally is prohibited

53.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Case Study: Hospital
RoundsPhotoby:MalovaGobernador"SINALOAALAVANGUARDIAENATENCIÓNDEENFERMEDADESDELCORAZÓN"Taken
onFebruary16,2015.https://www.flickr.com/photos/malova2010/16638332506/in/photolist-rmgNzQ-dSQwvb-dU63ES-65yBYi-
wmTSHf-N5PEbC-AT9UtW-wWJpLP-EZQUvL-EA418S-QmBXDe-EZS6eC-dRo295-fgRZi8-2iCpad-FkbGVC-7dRyLj-KL1h9t-QfTdxY-
EzzzCo-G3Z46L-43oVKK-cbUvdd-ERFQ27-P8S8mi-JDSABR-xZL8V1-uJh7n6-LhMLGw-6qWa4-rWGUHe-E5MibP-N8jXki-H29g8X-
5woB8x-NjQQrk-L8hAkY-65Ut11-E5MHLR-LhMMMs-7BQwit-HaHuLq-65yGH6-RKiHin-Bwsxh3-DHyRb5-5J2SQV-ETZ6Bt-euTUcV-
u6HzHt

54.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Get Out There!
• Flexible and adapt
• Open to opportunities
• Light and portable
• Never miss an opportunity for food, water, bio-break

55.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Office Hours 2-3pm Schubas Lounge (2nd Floor)
LinkedIn – CarolJSmith
Twitter - @Carologic
Slideshare – carologic

56.
Resources, References, etc.

57.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Ethnography in Agile
• Constant communication between tracks is essential for
success
• These are not just hand-offs Iteration 4
Development
Problem Solving
Learning
Iteration 1 Iteration 2 Iteration 3
Gather user
information for
iterations 2-5
Groundwork
for Design
Implement
designs
Implement high
dev cost low UI
cost features
Gather user info
and plan studies
Implement
designs
Design for
Iteration 3
Design for
Iteration 4
Run usability study
and UXR (4-7)

58.
Activity
______________________________________
Who are you observing? (e.g. SME in soft-goods manufacturing, application admin)
What is the situation? _________________________
(e.g. phone interview, their work at their desk in person, remote usability study, etc.)
Date:
__________________
Time:
__________________
Location:
________________
Note-Taker:
______________
People (P)
Who are you observing? Who else
is involved in the experience?
Objects (O)
What objects do they interact
with? What apps? Phone, etc.?
Environment (E)
Characteristics of the setting,
number/types of interruptions
Messages (M)
What is communicated? How is
it transmitted?
Services (S)
What services are available to
them?
Watch for these types of observations and put additional Questions/Ideas on the back. Content in this document described by Vijay Kumar in his book: 101
Design Methods
Physical
What do they interact with?
Cognitive
How associate meanings? How learn?
Social
Interactions, decision making, scheduling,
work?
Cultural
What are shared norms, habits, values?
Emotional
What emotions are expressed and how?
What are your biggest
takeaways?
What did you learn? What surprised
you?
What is the participants need?
Interview & Observation Notetaking
Form

59.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Remote Work is Possible
• Screen sharing
• Zoom, WebEx,
GoToMeeting,
• Sharing ideas
• Virtual post-its - Mural.ly
• Real-time co-editing
(Google Docs, Box)
• Document cameras
(higher quality)

60.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Observer Rules
Everyone who observes a design session is asked to abide by a set of rules. The purpose of these rules is to
minimize stress for the participants and to maximize the amount of information we get from the study.
•Stay for the entire study
• Distractions are unhelpful and participants may get impression that you’re leaving because they’ve
done something wrong (e.g. walking out in middle of a movie). If you can attend only part
of a study, discuss with facilitator beforehand to determine how to accommodate this.
•Don’t reveal information about the study to the participant
• It is often more useful to explore an area of difficulty in detail rather than try to “get through” all the
topics. The facilitator will track time to cover as many of the important areas as possible.
•Respect participants and the confidentiality of their data
• We have promised the participants that their participation is confidential. This means that we
should not include their names in any reports or other communication such as email, and we
should refrain from discussing them by name outside the test setting.
• Do not make negative comments about people—there is always a risk that a derogatory comment
could be overheard or otherwise make its way back to the user.
Adapted from the book Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder, published by
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Copyright (c) 2003 Elsevier. All rights reserved.

61.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Observer Rules (continued)
• Remain silent and silence phones
• You may notice something so surprising that you are tempted to laugh or exclaim out loud. This is
not unusual. Unfortunately, participants might think you are laughing at them. Keep as quiet as
possible. You will have opportunities to ask questions at the end. You may pass a note to
facilitator.
• Observe only - no questions or support
• If reviewing an interface, it’s likely participants will have problems, and it is normal to feel a
temptation to help. Please don’t. Instead, try to understand why it was that the user got stuck or
went down the wrong path. It’s the facilitator’s role to get users back on track if they get really
stuck. And if the facilitator poses a question during the test, he or she is asking the users, not
you—please don’t answer unless the facilitator specifically directs a question to you.
• Avoid “Design Questions” - Questions that ask the user their opinions about how to design aspects
of the application (such as, “Where would you like to see these navigation buttons?”) can take a lot
of time to answer and produce only limited results. Instead, focus on trying to understand the
problem—we’ll come up with solutions later, outside the test.
• In person, be conscious of your body language
• Most studies are interesting, not every moment will be fascinating. If something is happening that
isn’t of interest to you but may be to others, sit quietly without fidgeting. Take notes to stay alert.
Adapted from the book Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder, published by
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Copyright (c) 2003 Elsevier. All rights reserved.

62.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Ethics Resources
• Treatment of human subjects
• Web-based course
• Gives certificate of completion
http://cme.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/humanparticipant-
protections.asp
• Guidelines for writing informed consent
• http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/info/sheet6.html
• UXPA Code of Conduct
• https://uxpa.org/resources/uxpa-code-professional-conduct

63.
Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Resources
• Bolt, Nate and Tony Tulathimutte. Remote Research. Rosenefeld.
• Krug, Steve. Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability.
• Krug, Steve. Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing
Usability Problems.
• Kumar, Vijay. 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your
Organization. October 9, 2012. Wiley.
• Kuniavsky, Mike. Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research
• Snyder, Carolyn. Paper Prototyping. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
• Rubin, Jeffrey and Dana Chisnell. Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design, and
Conduct Effective Tests.