Learn This; Do That: Translating Anthropology to UX Research
Anthropologists are particularly suited to be qualitative UX researchers, and applied Anthropologists are well trained for careers in industry. I can only write about my personal experience, but if you earned a degree in anthropology, I would love to hear how similar or different your experiences have been. At the University of Memphis’ Masters of Applied Anthropology Program, we learned how to execute research methods and analysis, determine which method was best suited to particular research questions, and how to manage stakeholders. That’s all you really need to know to start your career as a User Experience Researcher (UER).
ANNOUNCEMENTS
August 21, 2019
NAPA is pleased to announce the launch of an informative and important monthly blog, Design by Anthropologists. The blog’s purpose is to chronicle current explorations in and developments around the interface of anthropology, design, user experience (UX) and research, usability research, and related endeavors.
The monthly blog, written by anthropologists working in the field, will help capture current and ongoing developments in this coalescing area of practice, thus providing a beneficial archive for future research and reflection. The blog will appear on the NAPA website on the first Tuesday of every month over the next year. Follow the blog to see what this relatively new and quickly growing field is all about, and what career opportunities lie therein for anthropologists. Readers can also sign up for new post notifications on the NAPA home page, below the “AnthroJob of the Week” listings.
Recent Posts
Annals of Anthropological Practice
Current Issue
- Reflections on an ethnographic project with elementary educators on the Wind River Reservation: A cautionary tale | STEVEN BIALOSTOK
- Responding to contemporary challenges and opportunities for anthropological engagement: Revised NAPA Guidelines for Ethical Practice | CHAD T. MORRIS, NIEL TASHIMA
- Engagement as scholarship: Food justice in practice | CHRISTY MELLO
- Making anthropology relevant: Collaborative assessment in support of graduate and undergraduate success beyond the university | AUDREY RICKE
- How development happens: Safe and sustainable energy, community development projects, and implementation challenges in Timor‐Leste | SARA NINER, JOTHAM LAY, NARELLE WARREN, MICHAEL O’CONNELL, DANIEL EDGINGTON‐MITCHELL
- NAPA On Facebook
- AnthroTalks Podcast
Latest Episodes:
- 3. Waiting in lineHave you ever gotten in line and waited... not sure if you were in the right place? Not sure what is going on up front? Waiting. It's unremarkable. You don't give it much thought. Until you have to! We talked to lots of people who have to think about waiting. Here's what they said.
- 2. Learning new stuffNo two people learn new stuff the same way. Over the years, those with opportunity have followed a path set by society’s standard bearers. Others learn from those around them, in hands-on experiences and apprenticeships. This podcast takes a meditative stroll across several generations to think about how we learn new stuff. Can we chart […]
- 1. Dressing the partWe humans dress to "fit" in. Sometimes fitting in is a choice, other times it’s a matter of safety and security, and yet not fitting can also be deliberate. This podcast digs deep into how we make decisions about how to dress to suit different occasions.