Interaction Design Method - Visual Ethnography

ASSIGNMENT 10 | Visual Ethnography
I 543 Interaction Design Method | Mitchell Spicer, Melissa Tang

CONTENTS
CONTENTS Page
Study Process 1
Subject #1- #5 and Design Directions Respectively 2 - 21
Reflection of Visual Ethnography 22

1
Study Process
In deciding what aspects of Bloomington we wanted to study, we made a list of locations and areas we were
familiar with, or that we found important to the daily lives of Bloomington residents. Upon reviewing our lists,
we found a theme of local business among all of our entries. Bloomington prides itself on how welcoming it is to
start up businesses, many of which are focused on niche markets and/or service to the community.
Five locations were identified that fit the criteria of niche market or community services, Landlocked Music,
Vintage Phoenix Comic Books, Boxcar Books, the Monroe County Public Library, and Bloomington Animal Care
and Control. Once we identified our subject at the location, introduced ourselves, and had permission by all those
involved to conduct the study, we shadowed our subject for 15-20 minutes, taking photographs of them as they
worked. Upon conclusion, we reviewed the images and asked the subject follow-up questions, such as, what do
they find the most rewarding, the most difficult, and questions specific to what we saw them doing during the
shadowing process.
I 543 Interaction Design Method | Visual ethnography | Mitchell Spicer, Melissa Tang

2
Subject #1
Cyrus - Landlocked Music
Cyrus appears to be in his late 20s - early 30s, male, and caucasian. Upon entering the store and starting the
observation process, he was pricing LP records at the store counter and placing them where they belonged on
the sales floor one at a time, moving very quickly, as if he knew exactly where it would go without having to put
much thought into it. He returns to the counter and repeats the process two-three more times when a customer
brings an item to the counter and Cyrus begins the checkout process. As he is checking the customer out, the
phone rings, and cyrus speaks the person on the phone at the same time as working with the person at the
counter. Cyrus states working here has helped him learn a lot about music and he finds the most rewarding part
to be helping a person find what they are looking for, especially if it is something more obscure. The most difficult
being when someone asks him about something he is less familiar with, such as an artist knows nothing about
or about the quality of an album. He also stated that while he feels as if he has a pretty good grasp on where
everything is in the store, there is a lot of grey area as to where items could possibly belong in the store, since it
is organized by genre, due to the fact that many items can fit in more than one genre. When a person comes in
asking for something that could fit in many areas, he has to check all of them to make sure he is not overlooking
the item, saying they do not having something when they actually do.

3
Subject #1
Narrative:
“It can become difficult when it comes to where items go in the store and how it is all organized...we organize the
store by genre...but many items can fit in many genres, so I have to guess sometimes where something belongs.”
When a person enters the store, the may not know what they are looking for, but have an idea of what they want.
It is important for him to make sure that all the items are easy to find and available for patrons to buy when in the
store.

4
Design Direction
Landlocked Music:
Album Case
Cyrus stated that many albums fall under more that one music genre, and therefore it is sometimes difficult
for him to decide where something should go within the store’s organization scheme and be in a place where
the person looking for it can find it. If someone asks him about an album, he then has to look in several places,
possibly overlooking it and losing a sale. He says that many times, there is just too much grey area for an album
to fit in one spot, so he just has to guess and hope the person who is looking to buy the album is able to find it.
This design is meant to help both the shopkeeper
and the patron be able to find and album that
could fall under multiple music genres. For
example, an albums such as Pink Floyd’s Dark
side of the Moon could be classified as both rock
and folk. But typically in a store setting, it can
only be placed in one section, possibly hidden
where a person who thinks it fits under the other
genre. When the patron tells the shopkeeper
what he is looking for, the shopkeeper can
trigger the album case to make noise or vibrate
and be able to locate the album quickly without
risk of overlooking the album or not sure under
what genre the album was placed.

5
Design Direction
Landlocked Music:
Album Rack
As stated in the the rationale of the previous concept, Cyrus has much difficulty when it comes to where albums
fall within the store’s organization, many times he has to guess where something should belong in the store and
hope that if a patron is looking for it, they are able to find it easily.
This album rack is designed so it can recognize the item which is placed on the rack. Each item has a tag placed
on it that is used for classification and to identification. Only albums that fall under the genre the tag describes
can be put in the rack, or the rack itself would
set off an alert to notify the person they
put the album in the wrong space. This rack
enables a person to easily keep items grouped
together and not worry about putting items that
should belong together in the wrong place or
potentially not knowing where something is in
the store. With the tag also serving as a form of
identification, the store can easily keep a record
of where everything is and be able to help a
patron quickly in the event they are not sure
where something should be.

6
Subject #2
Matt - Vintage Phoenix Comic Books
Matt is male, appears to be in his late 30s- early 40s, and caucasian. When entering the store, he was assisting
two customers at the sales counter. When they leave and we spoke to him, he stated that we probably would not
see him doing a whole lot, which he was needing to purchase a new computer for the store. Even when another
patron entered the store, he did not say anything to them and kept working on the computer. He sat there
quietly working until a woman, possibly in her early 20s came in, walked up to the counter, and stated she was
interested in getting information about setting up a subscription through the store. Matt remained cut and dry,
just explained the information on the sheet he gave her, got her information to set up the account, and she was on
her way, leaving the store without looking around -- this while the prior patron had entered the store still had not
said anything. When asked about his experience in the store, Matt said he found being able to work with items
he grew up with the most rewarding and being able to work with the people who came into the store. He said it
was the children who came into the store with their parents that would brighten up his day, as he saw the children
getting to read the same books their parents read when they were kids. Unfortunately though, Matt stated he
gets bored easily in the store and has to find something to do, especially since he is there every day running the
business. He usually stays steady with two to three people in the store at one time and says he looks forward to
free comic book day, the first Saturday in May every year as he will do about two weeks worth of business in one
day. He states that while he is the only employee, he never has issues with keeping up with all the people in the
store, stating people are pretty patient or enter the store knowing exactly where the item they are looking for will
be.

7
Subject #2
Narrative:
“We have a website, but do not sell anything online...I like having the personal contact with people when they
come into the store...I get to help people find what they are looking for, put together their subscriptions, and
introduce them to new items when they are in the store.” The focus of the store is service and catering to the
needs of a patron. These sort of things are lost on an online environment, because then, it becomes a self-served
business and connections to other people are lost.

8
Design Direction
Hi, Comic fan!
Matt stated while we were in the store that he really liked the personal relationships he has been able to form
while working at Vintage Phoenix Comic Books. Either through working with parents or children, or helping
people manage the subscriptions he distributes through the store, he enjoys getting to know people through his
interest and passion.
For this design, which is an add on
for the mobile Facebook app, when
two or more people who both like the
same public comic page in Facebook
both walk into the Vintage Phoenix
Comic Books, their phone will vibrate
at the same time to alert them there
is another person in the store who
also follows the same series. Working
under the guise that Matt described,
this app would help make the store
into more of a community center,
where fans of the same comic book
series can easily meet each other and
discuss their comic book collections
or their stories together. Matt
mentioned that he could get bored
easily in the store when he is there
by himself, this app could turn the
store into more of a meeting place,
where fans can go, not only to get the
newest issue, but also meet people
they know have the same interests as
them.

9
Design Direction
Recommendation Board
Matt stated he really enjoys it when he is able to help patrons find new comic book series or when children
come in getting their first comic books. However, when people come in asking for something new because they
next book they are wanting does not come out for a while, he has a hard time recommending what they would
possibly like or if what they may want is more obscure in nature. He has to ask what they have read already and
what are some of the things they are
looking for. If the patron is unsure
of this, then Matt has to guess, much
like Cyrus over in Landlocked Records
when someone asks him about
something he is unfamiliar with.
For this concept direction, we have an
augmented reality board. If you look
at this board directly, there is nothing
on it, it is just a decoration board with
nothing on it. However, when the
patron opens the app for the comic
book store, they are able to hold their
phone in front of the board and by
using the camera, augmented reality
shows recommend comic books in the
store, based on your shopping history
and personal preference profile, as
well as reader reviews and opinions
other people have written about the
books.

10
Subject #3
Nick - Boxcar Books
Nick is a volunteer at Boxcar Books, saying that he does not work there on a steady schedule, that he goes in off
and on. He is male, appeared to be in his mid-20s, and of Asian descent. Sitting at the counter for quite a while,
with music playing through, what sounded like a low quality speaker, and working at the computer, Nick did not
appear to pay much attention to the patrons in the store, some sitting on the couches near the store counter,
another walking around the store browsing the books available to buy. He seemed very quiet and would rather
keep to himself. Out of the blue, almost randomly, he took a book out of the box, put a sticker on it, walked over
to a shelf and searched where it should belong in the store, stating, “why is it that when I’m putting something
where it belongs, I forget how the alphabet works?” He then returned to the counter and continued working
on the computer. When it came time to ask the follow-up questions, Nick stated the most difficult thing he has
had to deal with is helping keep the store sustainable. Boxcar Books is a non-profit organization that, with their
sister organization Pages for Prisoners, helps send books to prisons for inmates to self-educate themselves and
be able to positively contribute to society upon release. He believed that a lot of people want to think the store
is doing alright since it has been around for 12 years, though they are usually struggling to survive, especially this
past winter when foot traffic declined due to cold. As a result, they must continually plan events to get people to
come into the store and finding new ways of reaching out for donations. Nick stated that his favorite thing to do
every year to help raise funds for the store is the annual Rock-n-Roll Prom. He says he volunteers here because
he knows he is making a positive impact on another person’s life, and because of that, he does not mind having to
work the way he has to in order to keep the store running.

11
Subject #3
Narrative:
“We are constantly having to get word out about our mission and trying to get more people to come to the store...
we are a non-profit business and sometimes struggle to remain profitable...we post signs, but much of what we do
is online and through social media to let people know what events we are holding.” “We must also try to cater to
people as much as possible to keep them coming back to the store, we recently stopped carrying text books and
that has hurt us, but if someone comes in looking for a book, we can order it for them.”

12
Design Direction
Mobile Boxcar Books Text Book Order and Event App:
While shadowing Nick at Boxcar Books, he mentioned the store
has taken a financial hit recently due to the decision to stop
carrying textbooks -- but if a person wanted to order their books
through the store, they could do so. Another thing he mentioned
the store does is put on events to raise money and awareness for
the store’s sister organization Pages for Prisoners.
This app brings those two aspects together. The app is designed
to order any book through the store by entering either the ISBN
number or the barcode, see how much they can buy it for, and
order it, making it available for pickup at the store. This way,
the store can reclaim some of their lost textbook revenue and
encourage more foot traffic into the store. The other feature
of this is an events calendar. Nick stated they usually rely on
Facebook or posters around Bloomington to advertise events
the store is putting on. This app would display all the scheduled
events in one place where the user can see all of them together
and not worry about overlooking it on a post or missing a
Facebook event, therefore making sure everyone who may be
interested in the event and the store’s mission knows what, when,
and where something is happening.

13
Design Direction
Boxcar Books Sustainability Window Display/Mobile App/Facebook App:
When speaking to Nick, he stated the store
has been struggling to survive the past few
months due to decreased patronage -- most
likely due to the extreme cold. He also
states that he believes many people think
the store is in good shape, due to it having
existed for 12 years already, when in fact
the store is struggling to survive month to
month, not being able to add new stock or
feed into the Pages for Prisoners Project.
This design has four parts. Beginning at the
cash register, the money gained from a sale
feeds into a window display, a mobile app,
and a Facebook Newsfeed app. The store
sets how much money it needs to earn that
month in order to sustain itself that month
and at the bottom, like a thermometer,
it shows how much money the store has
been able to collect so far this month. By
publically showing how much money the
store and the sister organization make each month, it can show how much is needed to sustain itself and remain
open and show that, even though they have been open for 12 years, they still need the constant patronage in
order to continue with their mission.

14
Subject #4
D’Arcy - Monroe County Public Library
D’Arcy works in the catalogue department of the Monroe County Public Library, according to her, only once every
two weeks. She appears to be in her mid-60s, female, and caucasian. Sometimes, though, when help is needed
she works in other departments as well, on this day in particular, she was working in the media reserves. She likes
working with books and helping keep the library organized. Her normal job includes seeing lots of books, look at
them, know what these books are talking about, and where they should belong within the library collection. When
she works in departments of the library, she is not familiar with, D’Arcy typically has to answer people’s questions
and help them to find item, and even though she works in the area that says where in the library collection
something should belong, she is not very familiar where everything is on the library floor. When someone asks
for something, she has to sort through and figure out where it should be as well. She likes finds books, helping
people get the items they are looking for, and getting to know the library patrons the most rewarding part of her
job -- though since she does not live in Bloomington, she rarely sees anyone from the library when not working.
Though she works with books and recordings like other retail store, it is different to work in the library and many
times it does become somewhat difficult when enforcing the rules. “Here we have rules... you have to apply the
rules, whether you like it or don’t like it. While retail is more focused on catering to the consumer, they cannot do
that in the library. Fines must be put in place when something is late or damaged, as well as when something has
a long waiting list, people must be patient and wait their turn. The library runs on a tight budget and cannot buy
new items on a whim or let people get by without paying the fees assessed when disobeying the rules.

15
Subject #4
Narrative:
“I do not typically work in this area, so I am not very familiar with it, I typically work in cataloguing.” “My regular
position does not have me working very closely to the library patrons, I enjoy it when I do, but I’m not familiar
enough with where the items are out here to know where to find something quickly...I have to go look for it too,
I’m usually able to find it, but I have to look.”

16
Navigation app in the library:
While D’Arcy states that she works at the library, she is not all
that familiar with the collection floor. She typically works behind
the scenes in the cataloguing department and only works in the
public space when they need her to. This day in particular, she
was placed in the media reserves area, an area that she is not very
familiar with at all. Due to her experience with cataloguing, she
is able to find where items should be, but like a patron, she has to
shuffle through many shelves to find the location of the item she is
needing to find for either herself or for a person that is unable to
find it.
This mobile app uses augmented reality technique. When D’Arcy
is looking for a book/recording in the library, she would be able
to open the app and turn the camera to the floor. She would then
an arrow on the phone’s screen, which leads her to find the book/
recording she is needing to find. The app would then guide her, by
showing which shelf the item is located on and about where within
the stack it should be located. I’m usually able to find it, but I have
to look.”
Design Direction

17
Light in the spine:
As stated in the previous concept, D’Arcy is not used
to working the different areas of the collection floor
and when someone asks for her assistance finding
something, she has to go through the many racks of
books in order to find the item as well, even though
she has an advantage with understanding the various
organization systems libraries use.
The light in the spine helps readers to find the book in
the shelf. When reader want to find certain book, he or
she would be able to call the book through the request
system in the library. Whether it be the librarian or the
patron looking for the item on the shelf, they would
not have to sort through the books looking for call
numbers, they would just need to look for the flashing
light on the shelf in the area the book should be
located.
Design Direction

18
Subject #5
Jason - Bloomington Animal Care and Control
Jason is in his early 20s, caucasian, male, and a volunteer at Bloomington Animal Care and Control. He loves
animals and enjoys working with them, helping them find homes. His job include playing with the animals, finding
potential owners for the animals, communicating with people who want to adopt animals, letting them know
which animal would work best in their lives, since each one is different, making sure all of them are fed, keeping
the kennels clean, among other tasks necessary to keep the animals healthy and the shelter operating as best as
possible. When began the shadowing process, the shelter was holding their weekly Free Feline Friday and he had
to go find the cat a woman had adopted from the cat’s space. He found the cat, named River, but it was sleeping
on a high shelf. He appeared annoyed when he had to get the ladder, but also seemed excited that one of the
animals was getting to go home with their new owner. When getting the cat down, Jason stated, ”some dogs are
very shy, you know sometimes you have to sit there for five minutes for them to get used to you before you put
the leash on. Cats are… in fact, I’m more afraid of cats...they can scratch you a lot more.” We saw this when the
new owner of River was getting her picture taken with the cat, being celebrated as the 437th adoption of 2014
started to get scratched by the cat when the he wanted to be put down. Jason says he likes volunteering at the
animal shelter and finds being able to find the animals good homes the most rewarding. He gets to see a dog or a
cat come in, that is completely lost and has nowhere to go find a companion and a new life. Though many times,
he finds himself becoming too attached to many of the animals in the shelter and becomes sad when they get to
go home, he no longer gets to see them anymore, but knows it is best for them.

19
Subject #5
Narrative:
“I like volunteering here because I get to help the animals find good homes.” For Jason, “it’s also really difficult
when an animal you have gotten kind of close to is adopted, you don’t get to see them anymore.” “I’m actually
kind of scared of cats, when I go to pick one of them up, they scratch and it hurts...I like being around the dogs
more cause they are more playful and don’t hurt me.”

20
Cat Elevator:
When we met Jason, he was getting a cat that had just been
adopted. However, when he got to the room where the cat was
located, it was sleeping on a high shelf unable to be reached. He
had to go get the ladder, and while getting the cat down, he was
scratched, almost lost his balance for as big as the cat was, and
still had to reach in order to get the cat down.
Cats usually like high places, but it is difficult for people to get to
them when they are in these high places. This cat bed elevator
could help Jason adjust the height of the cat bed when one is on it
and he needs to get it down for a person looking to adopt it. If he
would have lost his balance and fell while reaching for the cat, he
could have not have gotten himself hurt, but that cat as well. This
design would allow Jason to get the cat down, either by it jumping
off as soon as the bed’s elevation changes or him being able just
pick it up calmly when it reaches a suitable height.
Design Direction

21
Rescue Update:
Jason stated, while we were shadowing him, the hardest
part of working at the animal shelter is having to say
goodbye to an an animal that has been adopted and he
has grown close to. He knows they are moving on to a
better life in their new home, but wishes he could still see
them and hear how they are doing.
Every animal that is brought into the Bloomington Animal
Care and Control center is fitted with a microchip that
identifies them in the event they are lost or run away. Can
this chip also be used to allow the new owner to update
the shelter how they are doing in their new home? The
design here is just a simple text entry field, that allows
the user to upload pictures as well, that allows the new
owner to journal and let the people who helped take care
of their rescued pet, know how they are doing and feel as
if they are still a part of animal’s life and vice versa. The
entries, when submitted are automatically e-mailed to the
center and the animal identified through the microchip
identification number.
Design Direction

22
Using the visual ethnography method provides designers insights into user behaviors in image form. Though
the use of photography, it is able to create insights by having visual aids -- allowing the researcher to go back
and see exactly how it was when they were conducting the field study. The visual samples contain more
information about the environment than simple field notes, which help us understand more about the context.
As a result, we can revisit field sites after the visit by reviewing the photographs again and again in order to
generate new or more useful design insights based on new items that we see that we may have missed the first
time.
However, there are some disadvantage of visual ethnography. The first person we spoke to to see if they
would be interested in being our subject, he refused, stating that he did not like being photographed. Many
times is not very easy to get permission to take pictures of some people, as they be suspicious of what your
true intentions may be, which is the reason we decided against trying to recruit someone working in a local
restaurant or butcher shop. As researchers using this method, we must remember to be sensitive to the rules
businesses have about photographing in the store and how comfortable people are having their picture taken.
The best thing to do is establish trust first, let them know we are who we say we are and not someone out to
hurt them in the long run by taking photos showing compromising actions or items.
Even though we got permission of all our subjects to photograph them as they were working, we still may
miss some important observations. Many times when a person knows they are being photographed, they act
differently to some extent, either trying to show they do more than they normally do or trying to make sure
everything looks as best as possible for the camera. The visual sample not reveal some parts of the subjects’
lives as they may be trying to hide certain things from being photographed and seen by many people.
Reflection of The Use of Visual Ethnography As A
User Research Approach For Interaction Design:

Interaction Design Method - Visual Ethnography

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