Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice

Description

Design is a key site of cultural production and change in contemporary society. Anthropologists have been involved in design projects for several decades but only recently a new field of inquiry has emerged which aims to integrate the strengths of design thinking and anthropological research.This book is written by anthropologists who actively participate in the development of design anthropology. Comprising both cutting-edge explorations and theoretical reflections, it provides a much-needed introduction to the concepts, methods, practices and challenges of the new field. Design Anthropology moves from observation and interpretation to collaboration, intervention and co-creation. Its practitioners participate in multidisciplinary design teams working towards concrete solutions for problems that are sometimes ill-defined. The authors address the critical potential of design anthropology in a wide range of design activities across the globe and query the impact of design on the discipline of anthropology.This volume will appeal to new and experienced practitioners in the field as well as to students of anthropology, innovation, science and technology studies, and a wide range of design studies focusing on user participation, innovation, and collaborative research.

Wendy Gunn is associate professor of design anthropology at Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark. She has published widely on the relation between design and anthropology and has extensive experience of collaborating with industry, companies and the public sector as an integral part of research and teaching. Ton Otto is professor of anthropology at James Cook University, Australia and Aarhus University, Denmark. He has published widely on anthropological theory and ethnography and works with various visual media. Rachel Charlotte Smith is an anthropologist working in the fields of media, technology and design at Aarhus University, Denmark.

Design Anthropology will interest those engaged at the intersections of anthropology and design and, indeed, engineering and science and other future-making practices, and in years to come it will be an interesting document of a moment in intellectual history. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute * There is significant demand for a text such as this from industry and academia alike, as well as from students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels ... Even the short blurbs about contributors are a useful resource ... [The book also features] a well-rounded bibliography ... an attractive series of colour photographs and diagrams. * Journal of Design History * Designers and anthropologists have long worked together but the broader questions of how design and anthropology both inform and contextualize each other as contemporary projects remain very much in flux. This volume alone will not settle the matter but its broad view valuably maps out the terrain and illustrates what is at stake. It collects case studies, thoughtful reflections, and provocative proposals that do not simply illustrate the richness of this encounter but sketch the transformative conceptual impact that it has for both sides. For all of us who work, think, teach, write, and dwell in this exciting interdisciplinary space, these essays will be of tremendous value. * Paul Dourish, Professor of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, USA * Design Anthropology is essential reading for anthropologists who want to make a difference in the world and designers who seek to understand the world in which they wish to make a difference. The editors and contributors create interdisciplinary routes through contemporary theory and practice, revealing the potentials and challenges of bringing together anthropological and designerly approaches. Collectively they carve out an impressive agenda that is destined to shape the future of innovative thought and practice in both anthropology and design. * Sarah Pink, Professor at the Design Research Institute and the School of Media and Communications at RMIT, Australia. *