Design Safari

Ethnography.

The Ethnography Primer describes ethnography as a research method based on observing people in their natural environment rather than in a formal research setting.

This method is commonly used in design as it creates a deeper understanding of people. It can be used to make sense of different cultures, understand norms and communicate information in ways that are easily comprehendible to people.

Understanding clients or potential markets are key in creating a successful product.

The Importance of Rules.

Bourdieu gives a good example of how people avoid situations, which could make them uncomfortable, as they are not familiar with the social codes or “rules” associated with that particular situation. He states that galleries and museums are places that ‘ordinary’ people are put of going to as they feel there is a stereotypical type of person who attends such places and they themselves do not fit in that category. Although ‘ordinary’ people could go to such places, they assume they would not fit in or know how to act.

Observe and Record.

To test both Ethnography and Bourdieu’s theory, we were asked to put ourselves in a situation we were not used to, identify any “rules” and assess how we feel. We were also asked to visit places such as supermarkets to observe people going about their daily business…

Primary Site: The Casino.

Preconceptions:

Having never been to a casino before I was expecting a very busy and loud atmosphere, Las Vegas style! I anticipated that there would be a very strict dress code and that almost all of the people attending would be fairly wealthy. I expected to feel very out of place being a young student and didn't imagine anyone of similar age to myself would be there. I pictured the casino to be a very grand place and that I would have to behave in a very formal fashion.

How I felt:

Once inside the casino I initially felt very intimidated when becoming a member. I felt embarrassed being so young when I handed over my ID and was concerned about being judged. I felt particularly awkward when posing for a photograph by myself.
Once up the stairs I was surprised by the way what other people were wearing and suddenly felt a little over dressed! People were dressed smart but not as extravagantly as I was lead to believe.
I was also surprised by the relaxed atmosphere around the bar area where I decided to stand, not having a clue about gambling... I'm sure I easily stood out as a new comer!

Observations:


After attempting to read people, I put together a quick mind map of my findings...

Conclusion:

After spending a few hours in the casino I began to pick up on the common accepted "rules" and noticed a pattern in how people generally conducted themselves. For example,  it was frowned upon when people reached a level which was considered to intoxicated to stay on the premisses. I witnessed one girl being asked to leave, not noticing myself that she was particularly drunk. It was obvious impeccable behaviour was expected and people were not impressed when others did not conduct themselves in the correct way. Another thing I picked up on was that the "hard core" gamblers were easily recognisable and could be set apart from the "casual" gamblers quickly. Casual gamblers would head straight to the bar in small groups and perhaps played on the slot machines for quite sometime. They appeared relaxed. The more serious gamblers appeared t be in a very intense and focused "bubble" choosing not to socialise too much. When playing the casual gamblers would be talking amongst themselves where as the serious gamblers would be quiet, leaning towards the table appearing very frustrated and slightly aggressive when they lost money, very involved with the game.

Secondary Site: Tesco.

Observations:


I applied the same observations to a supermarket environment...

Conclusion:


There weren't too many surprises when I wandered around Tesco. I was slightly more aware however of how people acted depending on wether or not they were alone, in a group of friends or if they were a family shopping. 
Generally, people by themselves appeared to be very focused with no distractions. In some cases, people appeared deliberately focused suggesting perhaps they did not enjoy being alone, throwing themselves into the task to distract from the fact they were by themselves. These people seemed to go around the shop in a hurry, obviously limiting the time they were alone. Another explanation for peoples hurried manor could be that they were simply in a rush and chose to go alone for quickness. They could also be shopping quickly to avoid a social interaction which would make them feel uncomfortable, perhaps bumping into someone they knew but did not wish to speak to.
People with young families often appeared stressed having children in public for any length of time with their unpredictable behaviour. Some parents also seemed embarrassed when this unpredictable behaviour took a turn for the worse. Other customers tended to avoid aisles where a parents body language suggested they were angry with their child and did not want to be involved. Some parents could be overly defensive if someone looked at them while they were giving their children a row. Perhaps putting on a front so they did not give away their embarrassment.
Young people in groups of friends on the other hand were much more relaxed and tended to wander around the shop without appearing to have anything in particular to buy. I noticed this laid back approach to shopping could annoy customers who were perhaps in a hurry and needed those around them to speed up!
Shopping can obviously be a very different experience for various people. Some people treating the experience as a chore and others as a more sociable event.