Is ethnographic research still UX?
Ethnography studies the characteristics of societies, cultures and communities within their natural environment. So, is you are a UX reasearcher, is it really usefull for you?
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What really is ethnographic research?
The main aim of ethnographic research is to understand the interactions among subjects. The behavior that we see is not only caused by initial input. The environment, prior experience, genetics, shape who we are, how we think, and how we interact with the world.
This is the reason why it is important to look at human beings from a global perspective. As a result, you can understand how people interact with the product or design and how they feel about it.
Ethnography research in UX means understanding the behavior of respondents and their interactions with the design. As the description indicates, it is a qualitative research method that helps to understand social relations.
Researchers are learning about interactions on the scene, not in the controlled lab environment that gives them authentic insight.
So, how it works?
Maybe you have a cool app with mindfullness tips and stress reducing excercises. Observation of users can give you valuable information such as:
when are they using the app
when are they doing some exercises
what kind of exercise do they prefer
where is the device located while exercising
Ethnological research makes sense not only at the beginning of development but also in production. Are your intentions understood and used in a way you planned?
There are 2 main techniques of how to do the ethnographic research:
Research offline
Ethnographic research is happening on the scene, in the natural environment of respondents. You should also make notes, photos, videos, but don’t forget them in the bushes. You can also ask respondents to write a diary in the form of videos or written text and analyze the pure experience. Elaborating on the subject without the presence of a researcher can support respondents in expressing their authentic thoughts.
Research online
On the other hand, there is a possibility to conduct ethnographic research online. In this case, you should also be informed about the environment of respondents. It is important to know whether they are working on smartphones, tablets, where they are currently located. Online tools enable researchers to see real action, real-time responses to the design. Website testing tools are designed in a similar way to offline research. You can look at the design from the perspective of your users. Good UX tools are allowing you to test real users, see their actions in real-time and unveil the potential issues.
Pros and cons of ethnography in UX
There are several benefits you can gain from ethnographic research.
Reactions are authentic and opinions are real, this allow you to uncover information that usability research is does not find. Usability testing is focusing on ‘how easy’ it is for users to interact with the product. Usability research can tell you how easy or hard it was for users to interact with the design but an ethnographic study can explain why they interacted with the product in a certain way.
On the other hand, there are some limitations with ethnography research in UX. Even though the results of such research can be interesting, it can’t replace usability testing as such. Another issue with ethnographic research is that it can be time-consuming. The observation time varies from a few minutes to months. Also, there is a question, whether the answers of participants are unbiased and authentic when asked by researchers.
Observe in a non-creepy way
Now you are probably excited about ethnographic research, but you are not sure how to start. There are two ways to approach ethnographic study. One requires to find a good spot, lie down and observe, while the second one you only need to be a good listener.
1.Passive observation
Passive observation means that the researchers are following a subject but without any active interaction. If you ever saw a documentary, it’s like doing something similar.
2. Active observation
The second way requires you to interact with your respondents. Researchers can ask questions to understand the interactions of respondents. Don’t hesitate to ask why users did certain things, what are their immediate intentions and thoughts. Try to use informal language and questions that would support respondents in their actions.
What is the result of ethnographic research in UX?
What are we looking for in an ethnographic study? As the result, the researcher will have tons of notes but it is important to find patterns and common signs within the context. Analysis of patterns will help in identifications of challenges and issues that respondents have with the design. Try to find spots where respondents got lost or they spent a long time.
Look at the specific cases and look for something unexpected. An example of an unexpected fact could be the finding that respondents are using your product on smartphones but the last step of the shopping process- payment, is happening mainly on other devices such as laptops.
Make the difference
The results of ethnographic research in UX can be that one that separates success from mediocrity. Understand your users, their behavior, responses, thoughts about the design. Observing people in the context they are familiar with gives you as a researcher a new perspective. Live their life and see your product with their eyes. You are one step closer to understanding the complexity with ethnographic research.
Thanks for reading! 🙏
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