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THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH IN TEXTILE DESIGN

Year 2015, , 470 - 480, 29.12.2015
https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.08521

Abstract

Etymologically, ethnography comes from the Greek words ethnos (nation, people) and graphia (writing) and means therefore a written presentation of a people or a population and seeks to identify and interpret its universal traits. With its roots in cultural anthropology, ethnography focuses on small-scale societies and the original central concept remains within the meaning of culture. In anthropology, ethnography developed a way to explore the everyday realities of people living in small scale, non-western societies and to make understandings of those realities explicit and available to others. The approach relied on the ability of all humans to figure out what is going on through participation in social life. The techniques ethnographers use follow the routine of the everyday life. Thus the research techniques and strategies of ethnography developed and evolved over the years to provide ways for the ethnographer to “be present" for the mundane, the exceptional, and the extraordinary events in people's lives. With the advent of postmodernism, ethnographic perspective became a valuable tool in the design of new technologies. This has presented a new set of challenges for designers as they design and built applications that leverage powerful, digital technologies for use by people of all societies and cultures. The field of design has been an adjunct to art and craft and in a postmodern context. With the transformation of design into an industrial discipline came responsibilities that the field of design studies has only recently begun to address methodologies. Design is now becoming a generalizable discipline that may as readily be applied to processes, interfaces. To understand design as a discipline that can function within any of these frames means developing a general theory of design. From methodological perspective there is no solid theoretical framework which can assist the craftsman or the novice textile designer to consciously integrate their culture in designing products. For this reason this paper challenges designers to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of ethnographic research in textile design and explain qualitative techniques that can be used in ethnographic researches for textile design, searching for meaning in socially constructed reality or a traditional context.

Keywords: Ethnographic research, textile design, design science research

References

  • Nick, A. (January 01, 2006). “Adapting Ethnographic Research Methods to Ad Hoc Commercial Market Research”. Qualitative Market Research: an International Journal. 9, 2, 115-125.
  • Alexander, C. (1964). Notes on the Synthesis of Form. Harvard University Press, Oxford. Bălan, S. (2011). “Ethnographic Method in Anthropological Research”. Cogito. vol. 3.
  • Blomberg, J., Burrell, M. and Guest, G. (2002). An Ethnographic Approach to Design. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Breu, Marlene, & Marchese, Ronald. (1998).Brokers of Textile Traditions: The Case of the Shopkeepers in Turkey. DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
  • Britt, H. (2012). “The Art of Textile Design Research: Educator Approaches to Creative Practice the Art of Research”. The Art of Research IV. Finland.
  • Bucciarelli, L. L. (1994). Designing Engineers. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
  • Cash, P., Hicks, B. and Culley, S. (2009). “The Challenges of Ethnographic Design Research: A Methodological Framework for Conducting Observational Experiments”. In International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED'09, 2009-08-24 - 2009-08-27, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
  • Costall, A., & Dreier, O. (2006). Doing Things with Things: The Design and Use of Everyday Objects. Aldershot: Ashgate. Cross, N. (1999). “Design Research: A Disciplined Conservation”. Design Issues. Vol. 15.
  • Cross, N. (2001). “Designerly Ways of Knowing: Design Discipline versus Design Science”. Design Issues. Vol. 17.
  • Evbuomwan, N. F. O., Sivaloganathan, S. and Jebb, A. (1996). “A Survey of Design Philosophies, Models, Methods and Systems”. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture.
  • Friedman, K. (2003). “Theory Construction in Design Research: Criteria: Approaches, and Methods.” Design Studies. Vol. 24.
  • Friedman. K. (2000). “Creating Design Knowledge: from Research into Practice”. IDATER 2000 Conference. Loughborough.
  • Gabel, M. (2010). Designing A World That Works For All. USA: Gabel Graphics. Gall, M. D. Borg, W. R. and Gall, J. P. (1996). Educational Research. USA: Longman Publishers.
  • Glanville, R. (1999). “Researching Design and Designing Research”. Design Studies. Vol. 15.
  • Goulding, C. (2005). Grounded theory, ethnography and phenomenology: A comparative analysis of three qualitative strategies for marketing research. European journal of Marketing, Vol. 39.
  • Gregor, S. and Hevner, A. R. (2013). “Positioning and Presenting Design Science Research for Maximum Impact”. MIS Quarterly. Vol. 37.
  • Harvey, L. J., and Myers, M. D. (1995). “Scholarship and Practice: The Contribution of Ethnographic Research Methods to Bridging the Gap”. Information Technology & People. Vol. 8.
  • Henare, A. J. M., Holbraad, M., & Wastell, S. (2007). Thinking through Things: Theorising Artefacts Ethnographically. London: Routledge.
  • Shove, E. (2007). The design of everyday life. New York, NY: Berg. Lichtman, S. A. (2009). “Reconsidering the History of Design Survey”. Journal of Design History. Vol. 22.
  • Lin, R. T. (2007). “Transforming Taiwan Aboriginal Cultural Features into Modern Product Design: A Case Study of a Cross- Cultural Product Design Model”. International Journal of Design. Vol. 1.
  • March, S., and Smith, G. 1995. “Design and Natural Science Research on Information Technology,” Decision Support Systems. (15), pp. 251-266.
  • Moalosi, R., Popovic, V. & Hickling-Hudson, A. (2007). “Culture-Orientated Product Design”. International Association of Societies of Design Research. Hong Kong.
  • Nurani, L. (2008). “Critical Review of Ethnographic Approach”. Journal Sosioteknologi Edisi 14 Tahun, 7.
  • Owen, C. (2007). “Design Thinking: Notes on Its Nature and Use”. Design Research Quarterly. V: 2 N:1, pp:1- 34.
  • Pole, C. and Morrison, M. (2003). Ethnology for Education. Berkshire. GBR: McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Pycock, J. ve Bowers, J. (1996). “Getting Others To Get It Right: An Ethnography of Design Work in the Fashion Industry”, in Proc.CSCW’96, Boston, MA. ACM Press, pp. 219-228.
  • Reeves, S., Kuper, A. and Hodges, B.D. (2008). “Qualitative Research Methodologies: Ethnography”. BMJ. Vol. 337.
  • Rodgers P.A. and Anusas M. (2008). “Ethnography and Design, International Conference On Engıneering and Product Design Education”, Unıversitat Politecnica De Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, 4 & 5 September 2008.
  • Schenk, P. (2007). “Developing a Taxonomy on Drawing for Design”. International Association of Societies of Design Research. Hong Kong.
  • Segelström, F., Raijmakers, B., & Holmlid, S. (2009). “Thinking and Doing Ethnography in Service Design”. IASDR, Rigor and Relevance in Design. Seoul.
  • Skaggs, P. (2010). “Ethnography in Product Design—Looking for Compensatory Behaviors”. Journal of Management and Marketing Research.
  • Stolterman, E. Mcatee, J. Royer, D. and Thandapanı, S. (2008). “Designedly Tools”. In Undisciplined! Design Research Society Conference. Sheffield, UK.
  • Terzidis, K. (2007). “The Etymology of Design: Pre- Socratic Perspective”. Design Issues. Vol. 23.
  • Vaishnavi V. and Kuechner W. (2004) “Design Science Research in Information Systems,” January 20, 2004; last updated: October 23, 2013 http://desrist.org/desrist/content/design-science-research-ininformation-systems.pdf
  • Wasson, C., “Collaborative Work: Integrating the Roles of Ethnographers and Designers”, in S. Squires and B. Byrne (Editors), Creating Breakthrough Ideas: The Collaboration of Anthropologists and Designers in the Product Development Industry. Bergin & Garvey, Westport, Connecticut, 2002, pp. 71 – 90.
Year 2015, , 470 - 480, 29.12.2015
https://doi.org/10.18769/ijasos.08521

Abstract

References

  • Nick, A. (January 01, 2006). “Adapting Ethnographic Research Methods to Ad Hoc Commercial Market Research”. Qualitative Market Research: an International Journal. 9, 2, 115-125.
  • Alexander, C. (1964). Notes on the Synthesis of Form. Harvard University Press, Oxford. Bălan, S. (2011). “Ethnographic Method in Anthropological Research”. Cogito. vol. 3.
  • Blomberg, J., Burrell, M. and Guest, G. (2002). An Ethnographic Approach to Design. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Breu, Marlene, & Marchese, Ronald. (1998).Brokers of Textile Traditions: The Case of the Shopkeepers in Turkey. DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
  • Britt, H. (2012). “The Art of Textile Design Research: Educator Approaches to Creative Practice the Art of Research”. The Art of Research IV. Finland.
  • Bucciarelli, L. L. (1994). Designing Engineers. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
  • Cash, P., Hicks, B. and Culley, S. (2009). “The Challenges of Ethnographic Design Research: A Methodological Framework for Conducting Observational Experiments”. In International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED'09, 2009-08-24 - 2009-08-27, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
  • Costall, A., & Dreier, O. (2006). Doing Things with Things: The Design and Use of Everyday Objects. Aldershot: Ashgate. Cross, N. (1999). “Design Research: A Disciplined Conservation”. Design Issues. Vol. 15.
  • Cross, N. (2001). “Designerly Ways of Knowing: Design Discipline versus Design Science”. Design Issues. Vol. 17.
  • Evbuomwan, N. F. O., Sivaloganathan, S. and Jebb, A. (1996). “A Survey of Design Philosophies, Models, Methods and Systems”. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture.
  • Friedman, K. (2003). “Theory Construction in Design Research: Criteria: Approaches, and Methods.” Design Studies. Vol. 24.
  • Friedman. K. (2000). “Creating Design Knowledge: from Research into Practice”. IDATER 2000 Conference. Loughborough.
  • Gabel, M. (2010). Designing A World That Works For All. USA: Gabel Graphics. Gall, M. D. Borg, W. R. and Gall, J. P. (1996). Educational Research. USA: Longman Publishers.
  • Glanville, R. (1999). “Researching Design and Designing Research”. Design Studies. Vol. 15.
  • Goulding, C. (2005). Grounded theory, ethnography and phenomenology: A comparative analysis of three qualitative strategies for marketing research. European journal of Marketing, Vol. 39.
  • Gregor, S. and Hevner, A. R. (2013). “Positioning and Presenting Design Science Research for Maximum Impact”. MIS Quarterly. Vol. 37.
  • Harvey, L. J., and Myers, M. D. (1995). “Scholarship and Practice: The Contribution of Ethnographic Research Methods to Bridging the Gap”. Information Technology & People. Vol. 8.
  • Henare, A. J. M., Holbraad, M., & Wastell, S. (2007). Thinking through Things: Theorising Artefacts Ethnographically. London: Routledge.
  • Shove, E. (2007). The design of everyday life. New York, NY: Berg. Lichtman, S. A. (2009). “Reconsidering the History of Design Survey”. Journal of Design History. Vol. 22.
  • Lin, R. T. (2007). “Transforming Taiwan Aboriginal Cultural Features into Modern Product Design: A Case Study of a Cross- Cultural Product Design Model”. International Journal of Design. Vol. 1.
  • March, S., and Smith, G. 1995. “Design and Natural Science Research on Information Technology,” Decision Support Systems. (15), pp. 251-266.
  • Moalosi, R., Popovic, V. & Hickling-Hudson, A. (2007). “Culture-Orientated Product Design”. International Association of Societies of Design Research. Hong Kong.
  • Nurani, L. (2008). “Critical Review of Ethnographic Approach”. Journal Sosioteknologi Edisi 14 Tahun, 7.
  • Owen, C. (2007). “Design Thinking: Notes on Its Nature and Use”. Design Research Quarterly. V: 2 N:1, pp:1- 34.
  • Pole, C. and Morrison, M. (2003). Ethnology for Education. Berkshire. GBR: McGraw-Hill Education.
  • Pycock, J. ve Bowers, J. (1996). “Getting Others To Get It Right: An Ethnography of Design Work in the Fashion Industry”, in Proc.CSCW’96, Boston, MA. ACM Press, pp. 219-228.
  • Reeves, S., Kuper, A. and Hodges, B.D. (2008). “Qualitative Research Methodologies: Ethnography”. BMJ. Vol. 337.
  • Rodgers P.A. and Anusas M. (2008). “Ethnography and Design, International Conference On Engıneering and Product Design Education”, Unıversitat Politecnica De Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, 4 & 5 September 2008.
  • Schenk, P. (2007). “Developing a Taxonomy on Drawing for Design”. International Association of Societies of Design Research. Hong Kong.
  • Segelström, F., Raijmakers, B., & Holmlid, S. (2009). “Thinking and Doing Ethnography in Service Design”. IASDR, Rigor and Relevance in Design. Seoul.
  • Skaggs, P. (2010). “Ethnography in Product Design—Looking for Compensatory Behaviors”. Journal of Management and Marketing Research.
  • Stolterman, E. Mcatee, J. Royer, D. and Thandapanı, S. (2008). “Designedly Tools”. In Undisciplined! Design Research Society Conference. Sheffield, UK.
  • Terzidis, K. (2007). “The Etymology of Design: Pre- Socratic Perspective”. Design Issues. Vol. 23.
  • Vaishnavi V. and Kuechner W. (2004) “Design Science Research in Information Systems,” January 20, 2004; last updated: October 23, 2013 http://desrist.org/desrist/content/design-science-research-ininformation-systems.pdf
  • Wasson, C., “Collaborative Work: Integrating the Roles of Ethnographers and Designers”, in S. Squires and B. Byrne (Editors), Creating Breakthrough Ideas: The Collaboration of Anthropologists and Designers in the Product Development Industry. Bergin & Garvey, Westport, Connecticut, 2002, pp. 71 – 90.
There are 35 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Banu H. Gürcüm

Pınar Arslan

Publication Date December 29, 2015
Submission Date December 27, 2015
Published in Issue Year 2015

Cite

EndNote Gürcüm BH, Arslan P (December 1, 2015) THE IMPORTANCE OF ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH IN TEXTILE DESIGN. IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences 1 3 470–480.

Contact: ijasosjournal@hotmail.com

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