Approaching the Ethnography of Design

The Ethnography of Design module begins under the guidance of Eleonora Brambilla and Sara Innocenti. Today marks the first step into the world of qualitative research, where students begin to explore how observation and cultural awareness shape service design.

The session opened with an introduction to ethnographic research methods, followed by an initial desk research phase.Students began by mapping relevant themes, analyzing existing data, and laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s fieldwork. Their goal is to investigate behaviors, social dynamics and cultural nuances in a real-world context.

This year’s research focuses on the lunchtime experience on the Bovisa Campus of the Politecnico di Milano. Through their initial exploration, students began to identify key aspects such as food choices, decision-making factors, shared spaces and social interactions that shape daily routines. Early insights from today’s desk research will guide tomorrow’s fieldwork, where students will conduct interviews and observations to deepen their understanding.

Design ethnography is about uncovering the meaning of everyday interactions-let’s see what emerges from field research.