1. Exploring the
user experience
through ethnography
!
I have a background in Anthropology,
which shares some similarities with UX
in that it studies people and their
patterns of behaviour. So I thought I’d
share a bit of background on
ethnography, as well as some of the
things that I picked up that are relevant
to UX, in the shape of 5 tips from
ethnographic best practice.

2. Ethnography is the study of social
interactions, behaviours, and
perceptions that occur within
groups, teams, organisations, and
communities through participant
observation.
Image: ‘Padlong Tribe Woman’ © Davidlohr Beuso, 2010, https://www.flickr.com/photos/daverugby83/4489376504

3. !
Participant observation involves
living and breathing the life of the
people that you are trying to
understand. This is typically through
long stints of working ‘in the field’
that usually last around a year. The
aim is to explore the nature of a
particular social phenomenon, rather
than setting out to test hypotheses
about it.
Image: Untitled © Mary-Ann Ochota, 2013, www.maryannochota.com, Quicksilver Media

4. !
This way of working can be traced back
to anthropological studies of small and
often remote societies that took place in
the early 1900s. Researchers like
Malinowski (the chap sat with Trobriand
islanders in this photo) participated in
these societies over long periods (often
up to several years) and documented
their social arrangements and belief
systems.
Image: Wmalinowski triobriand isles 1918, © Unknown (maybe Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, 1885-1939), Public Domain,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronis%C5%82aw_Malinowski#mediaviewer/File:Wmalinowski_triobriand_isles_1918.jpg

5. !
But this type of ethnography is by no
means limited to tribes or to remote
rural societies. For example, the TV
series The Wire was based on and
developed through what can be
deemed ethnographic research by its
creator David Simon.
Image: ‘The Wire 333 Idris Elba Wallpaper © Andrew Wallinski, 2014, http://pintaw.com/the-wire-333-idris-elba-wallpaper/

6. !
This kind of qualitative research
methodology can be used in UX to
gain insight into the lives of the
people we’re concerned with: their
point of view, what’s important to
them and what things mean to them.
The findings then inform the design
process to make a product that works
better for the people we’ve studied.
Image: Untitled © cxpartners, 2013

7. !
Here are my 5 tips for ethnographic
best practice within UX:
5 tips

8. !
1. Try to avoid preconceptions and
remain open-minded.
This may sound obvious, but it’s easy
to end up trying to prove something.
Open-ended discovery can lead to
completely new terrain and
considerations that haven’t even
crossed your mind yet.
Image: ‘Open’ © Tom Magliery, 2007, https://www.flickr.com/photos/mag3737/393523461/

9. !
2. Always probe deeper
Don’t just listen for the factual
statements that a user makes about the
interface. Make sure you dig a bit deeper
about what certain things or
objects mean to them: their feelings,
attitudes, perceptions and values. It is
often seemingly irrelevant, unprompted
comments or actions that can give the
most insight.
Image: ‘Imperial probe droid' © Jessica Spengler, 2011, https://www.flickr.com/photos/wordridden/6011455490

10. !
3. Use what ethnographers refer to as
'thick description’.
This involves taking note of everything,
even if it seems 'unremarkable' at the time.
This is most likely to involve reading the
user’s ‘non-verbals' - their inflections,
gestures, posture and facial expression - as
well as the sights and sounds of the
environment in which they’re using the
product.

11. !
4. Be reflexive
Take note of the way people relate to
you and acknowledge your own
subjectivity and the part you play in
your work. Remember that you affect
the user’s environment, which may
result in them behaving in a different
way than if you were not there.
Image:‘Sam I am’ © A Golden, 2008, https://www.flickr.com/photos/eyewash/2763890703

12. "If you want to understand how a tiger hunts, don't go to the zoo. Go to the jungle."
A.G. Lafley, former P&G CEO
!
5. Get out of the office & into the field.
This is what ethnography is all about. There’s so
much more you can learn from observing the
natural environment in which people use the
product. Of course this is not always possible, due
to time or budget restraints, but even half a day in
the natural environment of a user will provide
greater insight into what affects them and makes
their experience of the product easier or more
enjoyable.
Image: ‘Tiger’ © Koshy Koshy, 2010, https://www.flickr.com/photos/kkoshy/13098627903

13. Thank you
Anna Wilkie
Junior UX Consultant
!
anna.wilkie@cxpartners.co.uk