“When the outcome drives the process, we will only ever go where we've already been. If process drives the outcome, we may not know where we're going, but we will know we want to be there.”

—Bruce Mau

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Overview

The photo diary method visually documents people’s routines and values, enabling participants to narrate their lived experiences through images (Harper, 2010). In design ethnography, these visual accounts reveal emotional, spatial, and sensory dimensions that are often overlooked in interviews or field research (Suri, 2005). 

This week, students experiment with the photo diary technique and connect it to people-centered fieldwork, using photography as both process and outcome of ethnographic inquiry. This exercise sharpens visual sensitivity and interpretive skills for uncovering latent urban insights. Additionally, students apply Li’s empathy map (2025, p. 126) to distinguish between explicit data—what people say and do—and implicit data—what they think and feel to better help us identify the insights.
 

Reflections

• How did engaging with the photo diary method alter your perception of the relationship between people’s behavior, built environments, and lived experiences?

• What implicit tensions did you notice between “what people say” and “what people show” through their visual narratives?

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References

• Fulton Suri, J. (2005). Thoughtless Acts? Observations on Intuitive Design. Chronicle Books.

• Harper, D. (2010). Photo Diaries and Visual Ethnography. Taylor & Francis.

• Li, W. K. (2025). Design Empathy and Contextual Awareness: Frames of Reference for the 21st Century Creative. Laurence King Publishing. ISBN 978-1529438215.

Figure 3. Have you ever noticed the visual guides in the overhead bin that help passengers use the storage space more efficiently? 

(Photo credit: Sheng-Hung Lee)

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