Brief: Research a topic of your choice utilizing ethnographic-style design research. (Prof. Will Nickley)
Location: The Ohio State University
Constraints: Utilize ethnographic-style design research to observe and generate insights
Collaboration: Partner project with Jason Dionisio (3rd Year Industrial Design)
Introduction:
As part of our 3rd year Winter Market studio, we explored the basics of ethnographic-style research (researching via observation). Jason and I decided to pursue the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC) at Ohio State, hoping to develop insights surrounding the gym-goer experience. While we identified several phenomena, we ended up narrowing in on the idea of personal space between gym-goers.
Our month-long timeline consisted of multiple observation sessions and several rounds of analysis leading up to our research presentation. We developed a handful of insights regarding how personal space affects and defines the experience of the RPAC for the average gym-goer, and ask questions for ways to address these ideas that might be solved through houseware design.
Check out our research presentation below! I created the slides layout and script, and Jason created the Illustrator visualizations.
As per the design of the Winter Market studio, we traded our research insights with another team in our class, Maria Bowman and Easton Nguyen. They carried on with our insights about personal space to design the Stack'n'Smoke, a working grill made from cement and reclaimed metal.
Check out their product below:
Lessons Learned:
Ethnographic-style design research is heavily focused in observation. Jason and I spent many, many hours sitting in OSU's RPAC people-watching. I learned to focus in on the details and notice patterns that I might have deemed obvious at first. I learned to ask questions about the smallest things that ended up leading to the biggest answers.
“Did you play 'Space Invaders' recently?
"Yes! How did you know? Why?
"Cuz you're invading my space. Back off.”
- Sam Brenner and Ludlow Lamonsoff, "Pixels"
"Yes! How did you know? Why?
"Cuz you're invading my space. Back off.”
- Sam Brenner and Ludlow Lamonsoff, "Pixels"
