Open AccessVideo Utterances: Expressing and Sustaining Ethnographic Meaning through the Product Development Process
Author(s) -
CRAMER MEG,
SHARMA MAYANK,
SALVADOR TONY,
BEAUREGARD RUSSELL
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
ethnographic praxis in industry conference proceedings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1559-8918
pISSN - 1559-890X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-8918.2008.tb00100.x
Subject(s) - meaning (existential) , ethnography , process (computing) , product (mathematics) , key (lock) , computer science , new product development , representation (politics) , ideation , psychology , linguistics , communication , sociology , cognitive science , business , political science , marketing , anthropology , psychotherapist , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , operating system , computer security , politics , law
In this paper we discuss the use of short, specific videos to communicate ethnographic data throughout the product development process. Ethnographic videos of this nature provide complex information in short “utterances” (zero to three minutes) that researchers use to effectively convey local meaning to other participants in the process. Video utterances can be used to create opportunities for participation in product ideation, recognize key features and identify problems during product testing. With proper scaffolding, the video utterances are an effective means of contextual representation proving to be quick, direct and influential with product development teams. Using video of this kind impacts the product as the local, ethnographic meaning is sustained throughout development.