Virtual Floorspace

6. Researchers add data collection methods as appropriate.

Ethnography is very flexible in terms of data collection. Some ethnographers develop their methodology in the field as events unfold. The primary data collection methods, observation and interviews, may be supplemented by a wide variety of field research techniques. Some additional data collection techniques commonly deployed by design agencies include passive video capture, video participant shadowing, photo elicitation, visual diaries, and concept collages. Research in archives as well as social media web sites can yield supplemental findings that are difficult to capture or observe in the field.

Results from ethnographic studies are often triangulated with quantitative methods, such as surveys or analytics, for corroboration, extension, or quantification purposes.

Copyright 2009, Paul Bryan, Usography Corporation (http://www.usography.com)

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Uncategorized design strategy, e-commerce design strategy, e-retail, ethnography, interview protocol, methodology

5. Maps depict the activity domain, with representation of key actors, sites, artifacts, and behaviors.

When conducting ethnographic studies, Usography researchers sketch out a map or diagram of the observed space, whether it is a store, an airport, or an area of a home. The most significant elements of the environment are represented either literally or conceptually. Flows that represent activities or processes are designated by arrows or other directional visual elements. The map can be a snapshot in time, but more typically interactions and physical paths are timed and represented as a holistic view over time. We usually include a few codes at the bottom of the interaction maps that indicate common types of behaviors or expressed emotions, such as consulting a salesperson (S) or acting frustrated (F).

Copyright 2009, Paul Bryan, Usography Corporation (http://www.usography.com)

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/uxexperts

Uncategorized customer research, design strategy, e-commerce design strategy, ethnography, methodology, participatory design, personas

4. Special attention is paid to environmental factors and artifacts that have an impact on the participant’s behavior, beiiefs or attitudes within the domain of activity under study.

Whether in the home, an office, a retail store, or a public meeting space, the aspects of the environment such as other people with whom the participant interacts, or supporting tools within that environment, may have a substantial impact on behaviors and decisions, which in turn could impact the solution space that designers need to address.

Uncategorized e-commerce design strategy, ethnography, methodology, qualitative research

3. Interviews are used to clarify what is observed and to gain a deeper understanding of behavior.

After  period of observation in the field, we use intercept or in-depth interviews to elicit explanations of terminology, decision factors, perception of what’s most important, motivations and beliefs behind behaviors, and other variables of interest. The interviews may be with participants that we have observed, or may be with “informants” who understand behaviors from an insider perspective, and who collaborate with us in a structured way. The informant may be a salesperson who has just finished interacting with a customer, or may be a manager or gatekeeper in other business settings. Interviews may be unstructured or semi-structured. A snowball or chain sampling method may deployed if the interviews are unstructured, but in commercial settings it is more common to screen participants on the basis of a set of pre-defined criteria.

Copyright 2009, Paul Bryan, Usography Corporation (http://www.usography.com)

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/uxexperts

Uncategorized customer research, design strategy, e-retail, ethnography, interview protocol, methodology

Yesterday I started listing 7 characteristics of ethnography to distinguish it from other forms of research, for people unfamiliar with ethnography.

2. Observation is a primary data collection method, resulting in “thick” descriptions.

Ethnography is important as a research method when there are key factors that participants either can’t or prefer not to verbalize for one reason or another. For this reason, observation is an essential ingredient for ethnographic research. Observation is either unstrucure or semi-structured. If the variables are understood to a degree that a structured approach can be formulated, then ethnography is not the best method to use. Field notes provide a rich, or “thick,” description of behaviors and events.

Copyright 2009, Paul Bryan, Usography Corporation (http://www.usography.com)

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/uxexperts

Uncategorized customer research, design research, e-commerce design strategy, ethnography, methodology

Over the next few posts I will list some characteristics of ethnographic research as practiced by Usography.

1. The location of research is where the activity under study takes place, i.e. it’s native context.
With research intended to guide the design of a web site, the context of the activity may be where people use the web site, or where they conduct other activities related to the topic of the web site. For example, if the ethnographic study intends to guide design of a vacation resort web site, the context could be the participant’s home, where they use the web site and engage in planning and reminiscing activities. Or, alternatively, the context could be on site at the resort. If the problem we are trying to solve is well-defined, then the location context should be very easy to identify.

Copyright 2009, Paul Bryan, Usography Corporation (http://www.usography.com)

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/uxexperts

Uncategorized customer research, e-commerce design strategy, ethnography, methodology, qualitative research