Gearing up for Ethnography, Michigan State, World Usability Day 2019

Gearing Up for Ethnography
World Usability Day 2019, Michigan State University | Carol Smith @carologic

Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologic
Ethnography
• Anthropology
• Months+ research
• “Deep hanging out”
Deep Hanging Out - Clifford Geertz
Journal of Anthropological Research https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/700263

Ethnography: Go Where They Are
• Observing people, learning, in context
• Locating patterns in complex human behavior
• Being present, limiting interactions
• Participant led

Ethnography in Design/UX
Also known as…
• Applied
ethnography
• User research
• UX research
An Evolving Map of Design Practice and Design Research. Written for Interactions magazine by Liz Sanders. Edited by Hugh Dubberly.
Nov 1, 2008 http://www.dubberly.com/articles/an-evolving-map-of-design-practice-and-design-research.html See also book: Convivial
Toolbox: Generative Research for the Front End of Design. January 8, 2013 by Liz Sanders and Pieter Jan Stappers.

Ethnography for UX Research
• Conducted over hours-days
(not days-weeks-months)
• Small, cumulative learning
• Build on over time

AUX3: Making UX Research Track with Agile
Smith, C., Rauch, T., Moyers, H. (2019). AUX3: Making UX Research Track with Agile. User Experience Magazine, 19(1).
Retrieved from http://uxpamagazine.org/aux3-making-ux-research-track-with-agile/

Smith,C.,Rauch,T.,Moyers,H.(2019).AUX3:MakingUXResearchTrackwithAgile.User
ExperienceMagazine,19(1).
Retrievedfromhttp://uxpamagazine.org/aux3-making-ux-research-track-with-agile/

Any experience
• Physical experiences
• Relationships
• Multi-person interactions
• Large group interactions
• Digital experiences
• More challenging, but very rewarding

Occurs across product lifecycle
• Early discovery (best timing)
• Experimenting/prototyping to learn
(not usability studies)
• Learning from use – in the field

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockyvi/6451635085/sizes/m/in/photolist-aQ7jkF/
SomerightsreservedbyRockyVI-http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockyvi/
License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Preparation

Planning is Power
• Who you are meeting?
• Conditions
and study design
• Logistics
• Paper reference docs
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
8am
9am
10am
11am
Lunch
1pm
2pm
3pm
4pm

Scheduled breaks
• Bio Breaks (food, bathroom, etc.)
• Recharge batteries, change memory cards, etc.
• Location changes
• Rest time
• Participant may also need break
– be their advocate

Someone must have your
itinerary and expect
to hear from you.

Don’t go alone
• Homes
• Non-public places
• In vehicles
• Leave if it gets weird. Just leave.

Moderating
Studies
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Driving_in_the_rain_(5124407306).jpg

In their home…
don’t make yourself at Home

Get close,
without
being gross

Never be alone with children!
Photo:U.S.ArmyphotobyPfc.LeeHyokang(IMCOM),July20,2012
https://www.army.mil/article/84007/camp_provides_safety_adventures_to_last_kids_the_summer

Be above reproach and stay safe
• Larger people (men)
• Give women and smaller people space
• Cultural context
• Women and smaller folks
• Work in pairs
• Don’t go alone
Photo:U.S.ArmyphotobyPfc.LeeHyokang(IMCOM),July20,2012
https://www.army.mil/article/84007/camp_provides_safety_adventures_to_last_kids_the_summer

Public Spaces
• Everyone
compromised
• Create/find
smaller spaces
• Speak quietly
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justaslice/6254973009/sizes/m/in/photolist-awJnye-cbSp23-bopgBH-9qKgT3-a2QHaG-85eBDv-ddmwdC-
aWZKQp-ddmvTP-awqfuc-eyifAV-8M8tpm-7N1DPb-ciG1K9-dsxcY9-9WAQhy-88ENpV-aDQndx-avV5GZ-8jHtix-aAGD5M-as9pmp-
ebCh5H-c8K8Wj-89kvjU-7TmgvL/
SomerightsreservedbySlicesofLight:http://www.flickr.com/photos/justaslice/
License:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

Get Artifacts! (ask nicely)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/camknows/ via http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Misunderstandings about purpose
• Conversations with managers are enough
• Set up a conference room for “meeting”
• Respond politely

Case Study: Mining
MiningEquipmentatBinghamCanyon,CopperMine,Utah,USAhttps://www.mining-technology.com/projects/bingham/

We become “Representative”
• Critical situations - angry customers
• Help desk vs. research
• Respond to situation

The Show Must Go On
• Weather
• Loss of power,
or no power
• No Wi-Fi connectivity
• Physical access issues

"The lights seemed dimmer than normal"
• Survival Story in The Moderator's Survival
Guide: Handling Common, Tricky, and
Sticky Situations in User Research
By Donna Tedesco and Fiona Tranquada

Kids, Pets, Chaos
• Allergic reactions
• Kids
• Clutter and cleanliness
• Prepare mentally
and physically
for the unexpected
Photo:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Domestic_shorthaired_cat_face.jpg

Breath …
then
respond
calmly
"Surprise" by Katie Arvidson Follow. Taken on
December 27, 2007
https://www.flickr.com/photos/katielou146/21594335
27/in/photolist-4hPEmx-9nhjgS-sd2s9V-MiRBB-
s73kVU-iRNGQj-63gNpq-7JU38d-X6emHZ-
GQAKjM-4vD6x2-CATpB7-fyV3F-83Et52-sD5nM-
8A3c92-46cRK2-8A6ih1-78phcs-mpDWQ-6XXC3j-
8CJ3hC-4cGvDF-8j2dyT-2McBW-396dfJ-73xgPy-
8EPZZy-6rXeTT-a3MY3w-gx8f9L-7TZnj2-4t23jz-
6PsHCu-S7SmT-T5B3ZY-vQo8C-qZ58PW-5zXVMy-
p7xQ1X-q1CH3-5DHdY8-4eiFff-5ooscu-fB3WGu-
2LG8WD-TkwKM-tYHXr-dHCMMS-7YLDoj

Most common – lack of time
• 2x sessions for analysis
• Prep team expectations
• Risk of not doing
thoroughly

Interpretation is the assignment of meaning to
the observation—what it implies about the
behavior and experience of the user or how it
reveals the structure of the activity.
- Karen Holtzblatt and Hugh Beyer

Getting Started with Ethnography | DCUX 2019 | @carologic
Interpretation sessions
• Conversations to understand
• Ideally within 48 hours
• Everyone participates
• Everyone questions, probes, helps interpret
• Produce notes for affinity diagramming, models, etc.

Interpretation Note Structure
Note ID Note User Profile
P1-Insight Paused - unsure of where to start
line?
P1 Conference attendee
P1-1 Looks at signage on food items First time at this
conference
P1-2 Picks up plate Vegetarian
P1-3 Uses tongs to get salad from
container
Lives in Maryland
P1-Quote “This detail about the ingredients is
very helpful”
P1-Insight Skipped some food (assumption
was obviously not vegetarian)
P1-Question What was “helpful” [about quote]?
Can be used for observations and interviews

Analysis
• Process of deduction
• Cut down a bigger concept into smaller ones
• Understand what we have and what is known
Difference Between Analysis and Synthesis | Difference Between
http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-analysis-and-synthesis/

Time consuming
• Typically 2x actual observation time
per participant
• Work together with team
• White board, post-its, note pages
• Ideally reserved room or moveable boards
(giant paper, foam core or rolling white boards)

Consider original plan
• What was our hypothesis?
• What information do we need?
• Approach may differ depending on
• Stage of work
• Type of information collected
• Researchers preferences
• Time available

Interpretation to Affinity Diagramming
Note ID Note
P1-Insight Paused - unsure of where to start line?
P1-1 Looks at signage on food items
P1-2 Picks up plate
P1-3 Uses tongs to get salad from container
P1-Quote “This detail about the ingredients is very helpful”
P1-Insight Skipped some food (assumption was obviously not vegetarian)
P1-Question What was “helpful” [about quote]?

Affinity Diagramming

Messy process
• Cut apart and shuffle interpretation notes together
• Place in groups, look for
• Patterns
• Themes
• Structure

Green
Set of 6-8 Pink
groups
Pink
Set of up to
8 Blue groups
Blue
Set of up to
3-6 White notes
White
Many per session
Green - whole area of concern
Most noticeable by decision makers
Pink - theme or category
Still using “I” language.
A pink note is a specific idea/concept/issue.
Blue - “I” Statements
Represent participant experience
Data to highlight the single key point
NOT a design idea
Interpretation note slips Start here

Concerns
about…
I …
I use this...
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
I am likely
to…
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
I get
confused…
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
I always get
this wrong…
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
Interpretation
I need…
Interpretation

Goal
• Represent participants observed and interviewed
• Bring voices to top of conversation
with “I” statements

Results vary
Matthew Weprin, Design Thinking Methods: Affinity Diagrams
https://uxdict.io/design-thinking-methods-affinity-diagrams-357bd8671ad4

Low on time? Prioritize
• “Good” sessions
• More activity
• More detail
• More talkative
• Persona fit
• Outliers – potential new learnings

By type of finding

Gearing Up for Ethnography / @carologicCartoon by Luke Barrett © Jeff Patton, all rights reserved, www.AgileProductDesign.com
Shared Documents Aren’t Shared Understanding

UXR is Never for entertainment
Never on social media Is access necessary?
Responsible
Understands sharing externally is prohibited

Full disclosure - informed consent
• Your responsibility
to inform participant
• Do no harm
(physical, emotional)
Consent Form (Adult), Usability.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
https://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/resources/templates/consent-form-adult.html

Informed consent: audio/video recording
• Ethical and legal responsibility
• Every time – at least verbal
• Reminders if sharing very personal information
• Be willing to turn off
• Be aware of local customs

PII (personally identifiable information)
RoundsPhotoby:MalovaGobernador"SINALOAALAVANGUARDIAENATENCIÓNDEENFERMEDADESDELCORAZÓN"Taken
onFebruary16,2015.https://www.flickr.com/photos/malova2010/16638332506/in/photolist-rmgNzQ-dSQwvb-dU63ES-65yBYi-
wmTSHf-N5PEbC-AT9UtW-wWJpLP-EZQUvL-EA418S-QmBXDe-EZS6eC-dRo295-fgRZi8-2iCpad-FkbGVC-7dRyLj-KL1h9t-QfTdxY-
EzzzCo-G3Z46L-43oVKK-cbUvdd-ERFQ27-P8S8mi-JDSABR-xZL8V1-uJh7n6-LhMLGw-6qWa4-rWGUHe-E5MibP-N8jXki-H29g8X-
5woB8x-NjQQrk-L8hAkY-65Ut11-E5MHLR-LhMMMs-7BQwit-HaHuLq-65yGH6-RKiHin-Bwsxh3-DHyRb5-5J2SQV-ETZ6Bt-euTUcV-
u6HzHt

Clothing

Dress for comfort
• Layers of non-cotton
clothing
• Hot – Sunscreen, hat
• Cold - Hat, gloves, layers

Dress for Safety - High Quality Personal Protection
Fiberglass – lightweight & not affected by temp
Toe, Ankle
and Dirt Protection

Pockets
• Breathable travel vest
or many-pocketed clothing
• Hands free
• Easy access
• Protection
• Less likely to drop
or leave behind
http://www.scottevest.com
Image ScotteVest: https://www.scottevest.com/shop/womens-vests/womens-
lightweight-vest/featherweight-vest-women.shtml

What’s in my pockets?
• Pens and notepad
• Recording equipment
• Water, crushable snack
• Wallet (with cash)
Water bottle: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Water_bottle_map_symbol.svg

Additional Bag
• Power cords
• Extension cord
• Batteries
• Snacks
• Rest of my purse
http://www.scottevest.com

Battery Charging Challenges
Hotel rooms – limited outlets
Extension cord(s)
Extra backup batteries and/or
equipment
Identify local office

Small, portable equipment
• Pack up quickly
• Move around
• Everything on your body
• Avoid bulky bags

Cell phones
• Pros
• Already have it with you
• Easy to carry
• Cons
• Hard to hold and attach
• Proprietary Information
• Risk to your phone

Video / Audio
• Video: GoPro and similar
• Very wide view
• Weak battery ~1 hour
• Waterproof
• Audio: Zoom ZH1 H1
Portable Digital Recorder
• Light, easy to hold
• Regular batteries
• SD Cards

Keep Trying and Pushing for More
• Be
• prepared for everything
• adaptable, portable
• safe and cared for
• ethical, always
• Include your team
• Share what you learn

Recommended Readings

Get in touch
in/CarolJSmith
@Carologic
slideshare.net/carologic

Activity
______________________________________
Who are you observing? (e.g. SME in soft-goods manufacturing, application admin)
What is the situation? _________________________
(e.g. phone interview, their work at their desk in person, remote usability study, etc.)
Date:
__________________
Time:
__________________
Location:
________________
Note-Taker:
______________
People (P)
Who are you observing? Who else
is involved in the experience?
Objects (O)
What objects do they interact
with? What apps? Phone, etc.?
Environment (E)
Characteristics of the setting,
number/types of interruptions
Messages (M)
What is communicated? How is
it transmitted?
Services (S)
What services are available to
them?
Watch for these types of observations and put additional Questions/Ideas on the back. Content in this document described by Vijay Kumar in his book: 101
Design Methods
Physical
What do they interact with?
Cognitive
How associate meanings? How learn?
Social
Interactions, decision making, scheduling,
work?
Cultural
What are shared norms, habits, values?
Emotional
What emotions are expressed and how?
What are your biggest
takeaways?
What did you learn? What surprised
you?
What is the participants need?
Interview & Observation Notetaking
Form

Observer Rules
Everyone who observes a design session is asked to abide by a set of rules. The purpose of these rules is to
minimize stress for the participants and to maximize the amount of information we get from the study.
•Stay for the entire study
• Distractions are unhelpful and participants may get impression that you’re leaving because they’ve
done something wrong (e.g. walking out in middle of a movie). If you can attend only part
of a study, discuss with facilitator beforehand to determine how to accommodate this.
•Don’t reveal information about the study to the participant
• It is often more useful to explore an area of difficulty in detail rather than try to “get through” all the
topics. The facilitator will track time to cover as many of the important areas as possible.
•Respect participants and the confidentiality of their data
• We have promised the participants that their participation is confidential. This means that we
should not include their names in any reports or other communication such as email, and we
should refrain from discussing them by name outside the test setting.
• Do not make negative comments about people—there is always a risk that a derogatory comment
could be overheard or otherwise make its way back to the user.
Adapted from the book Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder, published by
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Copyright (c) 2003 Elsevier. All rights reserved.

Observer Rules (continued)
• Remain silent and silence phones
• You may notice something so surprising that you are tempted to laugh or exclaim out loud. This is
not unusual. Unfortunately, participants might think you are laughing at them. Keep as quiet as
possible. You will have opportunities to ask questions at the end. You may pass a note to
facilitator.
• Observe only - no questions or support
• If reviewing an interface, it’s likely participants will have problems, and it is normal to feel a
temptation to help. Please don’t. Instead, try to understand why it was that the user got stuck or
went down the wrong path. It’s the facilitator’s role to get users back on track if they get really
stuck. And if the facilitator poses a question during the test, he or she is asking the users, not
you—please don’t answer unless the facilitator specifically directs a question to you.
• Avoid “Design Questions” - Questions that ask the user their opinions about how to design aspects
of the application (such as, “Where would you like to see these navigation buttons?”) can take a lot
of time to answer and produce only limited results. Instead, focus on trying to understand the
problem—we’ll come up with solutions later, outside the test.
• In person, be conscious of your body language
• Most studies are interesting, not every moment will be fascinating. If something is happening that
isn’t of interest to you but may be to others, sit quietly without fidgeting. Take notes to stay alert.
Adapted from the book Paper Prototyping by Carolyn Snyder, published by
Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Copyright (c) 2003 Elsevier. All rights reserved.

Ethics Resources
• Treatment of human subjects
• Web-based course
• Gives certificate of completion
http://cme.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/humanparticip
ant-protections.asp
• Guidelines for writing informed consent
• http://ohsr.od.nih.gov/info/sheet6.html
• UXPA Code of Conduct
• https://uxpa.org/resources/uxpa-code-professional-
conduct

Resources
• Bolt, Nate and Tony Tulathimutte. Remote Research. Rosenfeld.
• Courage, Catherine and Kathy Baxter. Understanding Your Users: A Practical Guide to User
Requirements Methods, Tools, and Techniques. 2005.
• Holtzblatt, Karen, and Hugh Beyer. Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems,
Elsevier Science & Technology, 2016.
• Journal of Anthropological Research
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/700263
• Kumar, Vijay. 101 Design Methods: A Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your
Organization. October 9, 2012. Wiley.
• Kuniavsky, Mike. Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner's Guide to User Research
• Ladner, Sam. Practical Ethnography: A Guide to Doing Ethnography in the Private Sector.
Routledge. 2014.
• Tedesco, Donna and Fiona Tranquada. The Moderator's Survival Guide: Handling Common,
Tricky, and Sticky Situations in User Research.

Gearing up for Ethnography, Michigan State, World Usability Day 2019

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Gearing up for Ethnography, Michigan State, World Usability Day 2019