Applying Anthropology in Design Research: Why Culture Is the Conversion Strategy
at Design Research 2026
Type
talk
People
William Anthony Yanko
Methods
User InterviewsUser interviews explore people’s circumstances, experiences and needs through a guided conversation. Use them when you need to understand a problem in depth or learn how a service fits into someone’s life. Recruit current or likely users, prepare open questions and possible follow-ups, and ask for concrete examples rather than idealised accounts. Start with consent, listen carefully, and allow useful unexpected topics to emerge. A discussion guide keeps the research focused without turning it into a rigid questionnaire. Interviews can accompany usability tests when you also need to observe people using a service.
Ethnographic ResearchStudying people in real contexts — homes, workplaces, clinics — to understand culture, practices and constraints. Immersion and observation reveal what people actually do, not only what they say.