Abstract : Design as a field is multidisciplinary and it pulls in knowledge from all domains. It requires a strong research at the beginning to provide solutions that are suitable and yet unique. Many a time research at preliminary stages of design requires to collect data like user’s requirements, their behavioral pattern, how they react in or to the designed product or space and also data regarding their preferences, established practices, socio cultural context and their aspirations. A designer especially taking into consideration the space designer commonly known as interior designer starts a design process by understanding the User’s requirements. To understand user’s need and for doing subjective inquiry in user’s environment about the needs qualitative research methods like ethnography can be used. Ethnography as a research method has similarities with steps involved in design process and designers can use these methods more effectively to understand the user behavior and socio cultural setup and user’s need and aspirations. This paper examines use of some of the ethnographic research methods for design process. It aims to find similarities and differences between ethnographic research methods and design process. The methodology used is literature survey and interview technique with designers about the process that they follow. The data is then presented in descriptive narrative pattern and conclusions are noted. It is concluded that ethnographic research methods can be useful to designers while creating new designs for the users to satisfy their needs and aspirations.
Keywords : Design ethnography, Qualitative research methods, Ethnography in design, Space design and ethnographic tools
Cite : Gade, S. H., & Bora, S. (2023). Ethnographic Research Methods in Interior Space Design (1st ed., pp. 136-140). Noble Science Press. https://doi.org/10.52458/9789388996587.2023.eb.ch28
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