This document provides an overview of ethnography and how it can be applied in various contexts. It discusses ethnography as the study of people in their natural environments through observation and informal interviews. It also outlines important principles for conducting ethnographic research, such as being unassuming, using all five senses to make observations, spending enough time with subjects, and preparing properly with checklists, recording devices, and consent forms. Finally, it notes how ethnography differs from traditional market research by being more holistic, contextual, and empirical in its approach to understanding human behavior.

1. ETHNOGRAPHY
A workshop for students of the Srishti school of
art, design and technology.
Madhusudan Atri

2. The Wi Fi
story

3. The Nokia
example

4. Ethnography is a study of people in their natural environment through
observations and informal (less formal) interviews.

5. The art of ethnography

6. Be unassuming, be objective, bury your ideals and perspective.

7. Making observations is about being curious and using ALL FIVE SENSES.
All observations are relevant.

8. Get familiar with ad-hocs

9. The ethical and unethical

10. Be local, travel local. Be part of the experience.

11. Spend enough time. You are not going to get this opportunity again.
And wear a watch.

12. You.

13. How?
Research methods and tools

14. Day in the life of…
Context
to…

15. Day in the life of…
…Specific
Benefit of
trust and
time

16. Day mapping 6 am
7 am. Wake up, Run
8 am. Breakfast
1 pm. Lunch
10 pm. dinner
4 pm. Walk in the park
8 pm. Spent time with family
6 pm

17. Home Visits
Best signs
of
aspirations

18. Artifacts
Lamp
Curd
Environment of
your subject is
truer than your
GOD subject.
shelf
Shrine
Granary
important
Granary things stored

19. Interviews
Listen and
Snowball.
Don’t try to
fill the void.
Research
guides.

20. Photography

21. Photo Essay

22. Analyse
everything.
Photo analysis

23. Guerilla/rapid ethnography
Quick
methods.

24. Mood boards
Quick
methods

25. Preparing for fieldwork!
Get a check list.
Writing pad,
pen, recorder,
camera(video
too)
Consent forms
Research
guides
Calm yourself

26. Spatial maps
Importance of
Demographic
and macro data.

27. Field location
Demographics
Varied
Distance matters
and not.

28. Respondents
Sample size
Choosing
respondents

29. Local guides
Control
Guide’s
perspective
Outliers

30. How is ethnography different from market research methods?
Holistic, Contextual and empirical
Dwells deeper
What people say is not what people do
Expensive, inconvenient, too much data

31. Ethnography applied in industry
Design – New
product
development,
Interaction and
human factors.
Innovation -
Exploratory.
Advertising -
Ideation.

32. Ethnography applied in industry
Market research and
strategy.
Policy Making.
Understand systems.

33. END