Doing Design Ethnography

Abstract

Human-Computer Interaction is a multidisciplinary field focused on human aspects of the development of computer technology. As computer-based technology becomes increasingly pervasive -not just in developed countries, but worldwide -the need to take a humancentered approach in the design and development of this technology becomes ever more important. For roughly 30 years now, researchers and practitioners in computational and behavioral sciences have worked to identify theory and practice that influences the direction of these technologies, and this diverse work makes up the field of human-computer interaction. Broadly speaking it includes the study of what technology might be able to do for people and how people might interact with the technology. In this series we present work which advances the science and technology of developing systems which are both effective and satisfying for people in a wide variety of contexts. The human-computer interaction series will focus on theoretical perspectives (such as formal approaches drawn from a variety of behavioral sciences), practical approaches (such as the techniques for effectively integrating user needs in system development), and social issues (such as the determinants of utility, usability and acceptability).

Data Work: How Energy Advisors and Clients Make IoT Data Accountable

“…Our analytic orientation is ethnomethodological and seeks to identify the methodical ways in which the members of a setting naturally and accountably order their activities in interaction (Garfinkel 1991). Two experienced fieldworkers worked through the transcripts using the 'horizontal/vertical slicing' technique (Crabtree et al 2012) to surface the sequential organisation of interaction and drill down into the methodical ways in which the interactive IoT system was articulated in practice by those who were party to its use.…”

“…When we look to see what's done in the doing (Crabtree et al 2012) of filling in the questionnaire, we see that the articulation of contextual data warrants the doing of a technical job of work that methodically provides a) for the introduction of IoT technology into the home, b) for situating it in particular locations with reference and respect to specific problems, and c) for the future use of data generated by the sensing kit to address those problems. We note too, that the improvements made to the contextual data capture instrument are indicative of an effort towards more systematic elicitation of contextual data or metadata.…”

“…How can any lessons or insights be drawn from our work to inform IoT development more generally? We have said before that we would suggest that in the first instance our study provides a 'perspicuous setting' (Crabtree et al 2012), which instructs or teaches us about the issues involved in addressing a general problem; the general problem in this case being designing the IoT so it can be incorporated into and add value to everyday practice. Thus, the CSE study enables us to learn from appropriation.…”

“…This closing of the Technology Appropriation Cycle has been called design from appropriation.Ŵ hen we look at the work involved in incorporating the IoT into energy advice practice we can see that appropriation turns in significant ways upon what one advisor called Bworking through a method^, i.e., developing new working practices that methodically incorporate the IoT into existing working practices and thereby 'domesticate' (ibid.) the technology and 'make it at home' (Crabtree et al 2012) in their world. The methods of which the advisor speaks are not formal methods devised and prescribed by an organisation but members' methods; ad hoc methods devised by people to organise and conduct their activities: methods for introducing, situating, making sense of and making IoT data actionable, for example.…”

Designing an information system for updating land records in Bangladesh: Action design ethnographic research (ADER)

“…Further, it applies inter-subjective ways of knowing through 'reflexivity of actor'-the inquiring of researcher self and 'reflexivity of accounts'-ways of knowing the sense of clients or users which is beyond the self (Crabtree, Rouncefield and Tolmie 2012). Moreover, it interprets the meaning of contexts rather than the description.…”