Ethnography and Design

What people say is not what they do.

Great design always connects with people. Designers inspire, provoke, validate, entertain and provide utility for people. To truly connect, designers need to have compassion and empathy for their audiences. Designers need to understand the relationship between what they produce and the meaning their product has for others. And they need to observe the people they are designing for in their own environments.

Enter ethnography.

Ethnography informs design by revealing a deep understanding of people and how they make sense of their world.

In collaboration with AIGA, the professional association for design, Cheskin has produced a simple and straight-forward primer introducing the crucial role that ethnography plays in product design and innovation.

To download a PDF version of of this brief 31-page Ethnography Primer, click on the link to the left.

If you'd like to speak with us about how ethnography can support your company's innovation initiatives, please contact us.