“Design is to design a design to produce a design.”

 

—John Heskett

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Overview

Reflection is a critical process through which field experiences become situated knowledge (Segelström et al., 2009). Students will use the photo diary method (Harper, 2010) together with the empathy map (Li, 2025) to synthesize insights from their peoplescape observations. This exercise is intended to open dialogue and foster greater awareness and curiosity in developing ethnographic fieldnotes and thick description (Emerson et al., 2011).
 

This meta-ethnographic exercise aims to strengthen their understanding of researcher bias, positionality, and emotional labor in design research. Ultimately, reflection helps close the loop between empathy and evidence (Yang, 2009), preparing students for the systemic scale to be explored next.
 

Reflections

• What did moments of discomfort, uncertainty, or embarrassment in the field study teach you about your own biases, limitations, and other environmental or cultural factors as a design ethnographer?

• How can reflexivity—acknowledging your position within the research—enhance the credibility and depth of your design insights?

 

References

• Emerson, R. M., Fretz, R. I., & Shaw, L. L. (2011). Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

• Heskett, J. (2002). Design: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

• Segelström, F., Raijmakers, B., & Holmlid, S. (2009). Thinking and Doing Ethnography in Service Design.

• Yang, M. C. (2009). Observations on Concept Generation and Sketching in Engineering Design. Research in Engineering Design, 20(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00163-008-0055-0