Amélie Lamont, "Design Anthropology 101"

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@amelielamont on twitter

BRAND THINKING AND OTHER NOBLE PURSUITSby Debbie Millman

DORI TUNSTALL

design anthropologist *

WTFWTFWTF*

“…trying to figure out how to understand people and how to design products, communications, and experiences in ways that resonate with people.”

(practical definition.)

“…trying to understand how the processes and artifacts of design help define what it means to be human.”

(theoretical definition.)

YASSSYASSSYASSS

WELCOME T0

DESIGNANTHROPOLOGY

101

DESIGN ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIAL INNOVATION

(roots of design anthropology)

DETAILS

but seriously, what is this?

DESIGN Collaboration of planning, knowledge and execution to solve for complex problems.

Uniquely human.

ANTHROPOLOGY

Gunn, Wendy. Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice (p. 2). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

“the comparative study of societies and cultures, based on detailed empirical research in concrete social contexts.”

Image © Dori Tunstall (https://goo.gl/DyI0E9) “Rebranding Anthropology Textbooks”

~EXOTIC~~EXOTIC~~EXOTIC~

ROLE

what do these people do all day?

“The design process must integrate field-specific knowledge with a larger understanding of the human beings for whom design is made, the social circumstances in which the act of design takes place, and the human context in which designed artifacts are used.”

Gunn, Wendy. Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice (p. 3). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

“The design process must integrate field-specific knowledge with a larger understanding of the human beings for whom design is made, the social circumstances in which the act of design takes place, and the human context in which designed artifacts are used.”

Gunn, Wendy. Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice (p. 3). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

“The design process must integrate field-specific knowledge with a larger understanding of the human beings for whom design is made, the social circumstances in which the act of design takes place, and the human context in which designed artifacts are used.”

Gunn, Wendy. Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice (p. 3). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

“The design process must integrate field-specific knowledge with a larger understanding of the human beings for whom design is made, the social circumstances in which the act of design takes place, and the human context in which designed artifacts are used.”

Gunn, Wendy. Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice (p. 3). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

understanding of present practices in order to design for future ones.

start end

VACUUMVACUUMVACUUMdon’t do this. ever. no, seriously. don’t.

(no, for real. stop thinking about doing this.)

HISTORY

how did this come to be?

1930s The Hawthorne Study

at Western Electric Hawthorne plant

Studied social + physical aspects of workers’ productivity

THE HAWTHORNE EFFECT 👀

“Ack! I’m being watched!” *changes behavior*

THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING HERE… 🔍

(companies be like)

1940s + ‘50s Industrial anthropologists at large companies

Behavioral + psychological factors of workers

FAST FORWARDFAST FORWARDFAST FORWARD

1980s Xerox PARC

Foundations for HCI as we know them today

Ethnographic research + software!

1980s, cont. Lucy Suchman (there’s a legend about this…)

LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!

LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!

LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!

LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!

LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!

LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!

Hand by Rudy Jaspers (https://goo.gl/n9va7m)

LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!LEGEND DEBUNKING TIME!

1980s, cont. Lucy Suchman (legend debunked)

1980s, cont. Lucy Suchman (legend debunked)

Video AND observation/interviews

WHAT ARE PEOPLE REALLY DOING? 🔍

1990s Include users, participatory design

Add frameworks + tools

Focus on experiences

IDEO, Sonic Rim, E-lab

HOW IS EXPERIENCE AFFECTED?

mid ‘90s Better experience = better products

Better products = more money

More money = 🤑🤑🤑 + world peace (lol, no)

(companies be like)

LISTEN TO THEM

(what history has taught us)

OBSERVE THEMINCLUDE THEM

LISTEN TO THEM

(what history has taught us)

OBSERVE THEMINCLUDE THEM

LISTEN TO THEM

(what history has taught us)

OBSERVE THEMINCLUDE THEM

NO 5#!7, SHERLOCK.NO 5#!7, SHERLOCK.NO 5#!7, SHERLOCK.

INNOVATION IS BORN FROM THE ORDINARY.

WE DESIGN QUITE WELL FOR “US.”

DESIGN ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIAL INNOVATION

(roots of design anthropology)

“US”= PEOPLE WHO WANT FOR NOTHING. WE’RE THE NORM.

FUTURE

how will this impact the future of design?

“…trying to understand how the processes and artifacts of design help define what it means to be human.”

(theoretical definition.)

HUMANITY What are we missing?

Who are we forgetting?

How can we learn from others?

Designers as collaborators

IAN J. EWART

engineer + anthropologist

Image © Ian Ewart “Designing by doing: Building bridges

in the highlands of Borneo”

Image © Ian Ewart “Designing by doing: Building bridges

in the highlands of Borneo”

Image © Ian Ewart “Designing by doing: Building bridges

in the highlands of Borneo”

Image © Ian Ewart “Designing by doing: Building bridges

in the highlands of Borneo”

REDEFINE THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

NO ONE NEEDS TO BE SAVED.

(oh word?)

NO ONE IS BROKEN.

(“for real?” yes, for real.)

WE HAVE BROKEN SYSTEMS WE’VE BEEN IGNORING.

LISTEN TO THEM

(what history has taught us)

OBSERVE THEMINCLUDE THEM

LISTEN TO THEM

(what history has taught us)

OBSERVE THEMINCLUDE THEM

LISTEN TO THEM

(what history has taught us)

OBSERVE THEMINCLUDE THEM

IMPROVE LIVES. PUSH HUMANITY FORWARD.

THANK YOU.THANK YOU.THANK YOU.@amelielamont

www.amelielamont.com amelie@amelielamont.com