1. @ned_potter
ETHNOGRAPHY + POSSIBILITIES
FOR LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS
UX
University of York

2. At the University of York Library we’ve undertaken
several projects using UX techniques, which has given
us a hugely rich understanding of our users. It’s
increasingly embedded in our way of working. These
slides detail some of the techniques we’ve used.

3. You can read more about our ethnographic work on
the Lib-Innovation Blog: there’s a link at the end of
the presentation (as Slideshare doesn’t allowworking
links in the first fewslides online…).

4. TERMINOLOGY

5. Ethnographic Museum
Ethnographic Archive
Ethnographic Library
TERMINOLOGY

6. Ethnographic Museum
Ethnographic Archive
Ethnographic Library
This is about using ethnography to observe
users of libraries, archives and museums…
TERMINOLOGY

7. INTRODUCTION: A UX PRIMER

8. UX has
become an
IP
UMBRELLA
term to
cover a
suite of
techniques
that can be
divided
roughly into
two parts:
ethnography
and design

9. SIMPLY PUT
Ethnographic techniques and observation lead to a
deeper and more complex understanding of user
needs and behaviour than traditional data gather
methods normally allow. (Examples follow)

10. Simply put,
HUMAN CENTRED
D
E
S
I
G
N
prioritises the end user, their
needs, and their behaviour, at
every stage of the design
process, with an aim to making
several small changes to
improve the user experience…

11. In recent years the User
Experience in Libraries
movement (UX) has
spread from the US
and Scandinavia
to the UK

12. UX
is
not

13. UX
is
not

16. Libraries are
using UX to
make an
IMPACT on
their users’ day
to day lives

17. What does all of
this have to do
with…

18. What does all of
this have to do
with…

22. PART ONE: ETHNOGRAPHY

24. 7 KEY ETHNOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES
Observation / Behavioural Mapping
Unstructured and Semi-Structured
Interviews
Cognitive Mapping
Touchstone Tours
Love Letters / Breakup Letters
Cultural Probes
Graffiti Walls

25. 1. Observation / Behavioural Mapping
Note your users as
they move through and
interact with the space.

26. 1. Observation / Behavioural Mapping
Note your users as
they move through and
interact with the space.
What are
their paths?
What do they
see? What
do they use?
What do they
ignore?

27. 1. Observation / Behavioural Mapping

28. 2. Unstructured/ Semi-Structured Interviews
Interview your subject about
their working / scholarly /
cultural LIFE, not just the
institution. Ask open
questions, based on what
they’re saying rather than
based on a pre-prepared list.

29. 2. Unstructured/ Semi-Structured Interviews
For example ask not
‘what e-resources do
you use?’ but ‘what’s
your process when
you’re set an
assignment / job-
hunting?’

30. 2. Unstructured/ Semi-Structured Interviews
For example ask not
‘what is your favourite
part of the museum?’
but ‘how do museum
visits fit in with your
other cultural
activities?’

31. 3. Cognitive Maps
A brilliant jumping off point for the
interview is the Cognitive Map. Ask
your subject to draw a map from
memory.

32. 3. Cognitive Maps
The Cognitive Map can be of a
building or space – but it can also
be of a process, like researching
their family tree, or completing a
college assignment.
They have 6 minutes to do this,
changing colour of pen every
2 minutes.

33. 3. Cognitive Maps
Note what they put down first,
what’s a last minute addition, what
they leave out entirely. You can
code this later.
Then to introduce the unstructured
or semi-structured interview, ask
them to talk you through their
map. Use what they tell you
to inform your questions.

34. 3. Cognitive Maps

35. 3. Cognitive Maps

36. 3. Cognitive Maps

37. 4. Touchstone Tours
Rather than showing your users around, let them
take YOU on a tour of the building (and record
what they say). Does their understanding of
processes, systems and the space match your
expectations?

38. 5. Love Letters / Break-up Letters
Ask
your users
to write a letter
to a collection or
service (NOT a member
of staff!) – either professing
their love for, or breaking up
with, that service. This seems
very gimmicky and won’t work with
everyone, but when it does work it
really allows you to understand the
emotion engendered by the
user experiences

39. 5. Love Letters / Break-up Letters

40. 5. Love Letters / Break-up Letters

41