Design Research Melbourne 26 - What if anthropology isn't just about humans?

Hello Design Researchers!

We hope you're all doing well.

This month, we're excited to be diving into the practices of anthropology and ethnography as they relate to UX Research.

Anthropology's and, by extension, Ethnography's traditional focus has been on the question, "What does it mean to be human?" However, imagine if humans were not always the primary focus of our work. To address global challenges and drive systemic change, we need to shift not only the inputs but also our perspective.

Bec Purser is a Service Designer with over 10 years of experience, deeply interested in participatory design, public transport, and speculative design. She has worked across various industries, including finance, government, telecommunication, media, and professional services. Her expertise lies in participatory design within an Indigenous context, which she specialized in while completing her Design Anthropology master's program at Swinburne University. Currently, Bec leads a team of Service Designers who tackle complex, multi-modal infrastructure and service planning projects throughout NSW.

Sophie Goodman is an Anthropologist with extensive experience in qualitative and ethnographic research in applied settings. With a social science perspective and strong research skills, she investigates industries, markets, and human experiences. Sophie holds a Master's in Applied Anthropology and was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence and the Kalpana Ram Prize for Ethnographic Methodology for her degree. She is an active member of the social science community worldwide, volunteering and serving as an ambassador for organizations such as the National Association of Practising Anthropologists (US), Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference, and the European Association for Social Anthropologists.

Our Code of Conduct can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tusIWdwUXw6D8nQ2TMQLBhBslycFNaDp95iAanyh1hE/edit?usp=sharing

Looking forward to seeing you all!

The Design Research Melbourne Committee (Caylie, Emily, and Shane)