applied anthropology | antropologi.info

Ethnography, cross cultural understanding and product design

Published on December 10, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, corporate & business anthropology, design anthropology, technology

Ideas Bazaar reports from an interesting seminar about – among others – ethnography and product design and points to aviable conference papers online.

The Global Watch Mission Report Innovation through people-centred design – lessons from the USA emphasises that people in their social context rather than task-centric users should be considered a fundamental source of innovation. Furthermore it states that “cross-cultural understandings are becoming increasingly important for companies such as Intel who are using multi-sited worldwide research as part of the innovation process” >> download the report

>> to Ideas Bazaar’s comments

>> Anne Galloway’s comments / summary of the report

>> Louise Ferguson’s comment: “The user/human/people agenda is hitting the mainstream rather than being the preserve of a niche community.”

>> Press release University of Surrey: Innovation Through People Centred Design – Lessons For UK Business From the USA

>> Corporate Anthropology

>> Social Software: Video presentations of a conference in Oslo

Ideas Bazaar reports from an interesting seminar about - among others - ethnography and product design and points to aviable conference papers online.

The Global Watch Mission Report Innovation through people-centred design - lessons from the USA emphasises that people in…

Interview with Corporate Anthropologist: Dissecting Consumer Appetites

Published on December 10, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, corporate & business anthropology, design anthropology

NPR (Radio Interview)

NPR’s Eric Weiner reports on the emerging field of corporate anthropology, where researchers dissect consumer appetites and help engineers build user-friendly products. >> continue

NPR (Radio Interview)

NPR's Eric Weiner reports on the emerging field of corporate anthropology, where researchers dissect consumer appetites and help engineers build user-friendly products. >> continue

Applied anthropology – A wedding ceremony in support of peace in West Timor

Published on December 6, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, Asia, culture traditions, politics, Regions, Us and Them

Ingvild Solvang, social anthropologist, Jesuit Refugee Service Indonesia (JRS)

JRS Indonesia has experienced that traditional ways to solve issues of displacement can be very fruitful, not only in West Timor but also in other parts of Indonesia. Finding the appropriate traditional approach becomes a process in itself, which ties the refugees and local communities together. It creates an arena where people sit down to discuss values that are essential in their culture.

In the local community, the binding of local tradition is stronger than formal legal documents. That makes the Fetsawa Umamane ceremony, in this case, an important supplement to the legal process. The combination of a formal legal and traditional approach will hopefully lay a solid foundation for good durable solutions for old and new families in Sukabitetek. >> continue

Ingvild Solvang, social anthropologist, Jesuit Refugee Service Indonesia (JRS)

Working Lives: Reflections of a (Commercial) Unbound Anthropologist

Published on November 29, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology (general), anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, corporate & business anthropology

Ideas Bazaar

To a cold Stockholm, at the invitation of Ulf Hannerz, Professor of Anthropology at Stockholm university. Together with Mils Hills from the Cabinet Office, I was presenting to the department a few thoughts (1 MB ) on life after a PhD. In the afternoon we ran a workshop for a undergraduates focusing on the skills they have after a few years reading and doing anthropology. >> continue

>> go directly to the presentation: Working Lives: Reflections of a (Commercial)Unbound Anthropologist (pdf, 1MB )

Ideas Bazaar

“Anthropological customer research has become popular for a good reason”

Published on November 16, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, applied anthropology, corporate & business anthropology, design anthropology

Ross Teague, Manager of Design Reseach and Senior Human Factors, Local Tech Wire

The use of anthropological principles in conducting product and customer research has become very popular of late, and for good reason. Anthropologists can be viewed as the first market researchers, and their discoveries can provide truly actionable learning.

Researchers have typically focused on the method of contextual research – that is, getting out into the customer environments to see how they really work and to interview them in their environments. A method that is often overlooked that can provide valuable insight is key informant interviewing. >> continue (updated link)

Ross Teague, Manager of Design Reseach and Senior Human Factors, Local Tech Wire

The use of anthropological principles in conducting product and customer research has become very popular of late, and for good reason. Anthropologists can be viewed as the first…