Design Anthropology Theory and Practice

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: Practices, Perspectives and Potentials - Ton Otto (Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Denmark), Rachel Charlotte Smith (Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Denmark) and Wendy Gunn (Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark)
Section One: Concepts, Methods and Practices
The Social Life of Concepts in Design Anthropology - Adam Drazin (Institute of Anthropology, University College London, UK)
Transforming Knowledge-pieces into Design Concepts: Creative Montage at Design Workshops - Mette Kjaersgaard (Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Denmark)
Tools and Movements of Engagement: Design Anthropology as a Particular Style of Knowing - Kyle Kilbourn (Institute of Technology and Innovation, University of Southern Denmark)
Section Two: The Materiality of Design
Designing by Doing: Building Bridges in the Highlands of Borneo - Ian J. Ewart, (Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK)
Anatomical Design: Making and Using Three-dimensional Models of the Human Body - Elizabeth Hallam (Department of Anthropology, University of Aberdeen, UK and School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford UK)
Designing Heritage for a Digital Culture - Rachel Charlotte Smith (Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Denmark)
Section Three: The Temporality of Design
From Description to Correspondence: Anthropology in Real Time Caroline Gatt and Tim Ingold (Department of Anthropology, University of Aberdeen, UK)
Conceptions of Innovation and Practice(S) of Inhabiting Indoor Climate - Wendy Gunn (Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark) and Christian Clausen (Spire, University of Southern Denmark, and Danish Technical University)
Ethnographies of the Possible - Joachim Halse (The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design)
Section Four: The Relationality of Design
Generating 'Publics' Through Design Research - Brendon Clark (Interactive Institute, Stockholm, Sweden)
Bridging Disciplines and Sectors: An Industry-academic Partnership in Design Anthropology - Christina Wasson and Crysta Metcalf (Department of Anthropology, University of North Texas and Motorola Mobility Inc., USA)
Decolonizing Design Innovation: Design Anthropology, Critical Anthropology and Indigenous Knowledge - Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall (Faculty of Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia)
Epilogue
Ethnography and Design, Ethnography in Design ... Ethnography by Design - George E. Marcus and Keith M. Murphy (Department of Anthropology, University of California, Irvine, USA)
References
Index