Design Anthropology Theory and Practice

"Design Anthropology will interest those engaged at the intersections of anthropology and design and, indeed, engineering and science and other future-making practices, and in years to come it will be an interesting document of a moment in intellectual history. - Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute - Eeva Berglund There is significant demand for a text such as this from industry and academia alike, as well as from students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels ... Even the short blurbs about contributors are a useful resource ... [The book also features] a well-rounded bibliography ... [and] an attractive series of colour photographs and diagrams. - Journal of Design History Designers and anthropologists have long worked together but the broader questions of how design and anthropology both inform and contextualize each other as contemporary projects remain very much in flux. This volume alone will not settle the matter but its broad view valuably maps out the terrain and illustrates what is at stake. It collects case studies, thoughtful reflections, and provocative proposals that do not simply illustrate the richness of this encounter but sketch the transformative conceptual impact that it has for both sides. For all of us who work, think, teach, write, and dwell in this exciting interdisciplinary space, these essays will be of tremendous value. - Paul Dourish, Professor of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, USA Design Anthropology is essential reading for anthropologists who want to make a difference in the world and designers who seek to understand the world in which they wish to make a difference. - Sarah Pink, Professor at the Design Research Institute and the School of Media and Communications at RMIT, Australia."

Designers and anthropologists have long worked together but the broader questions of how design and anthropology both inform and contextualize each other as contemporary projects remain very much in flux. This volume alone will not settle the matter but its broad view valuably maps out the terrain and illustrates what is at stake. It collects case studies, thoughtful reflections, and provocative proposals that do not simply illustrate the richness of this encounter but sketch the transformative conceptual impact that it has for both sides. For all of us who work, think, teach, write, and dwell in this exciting interdisciplinary space, these essays will be of tremendous value. Paul Dourish, Professor of Informatics, University of California, Irvine, USA Design Anthropology is essential reading for anthropologists who want to make a difference in the world and designers who seek to understand the world in which they wish to make a difference. The editors and contributors create interdisciplinary routes through contemporary theory and practice, revealing the potentials and challenges of bringing together anthropological and designerly approaches. Collectively they carve out an impressive agenda that is destined to shape the future of innovative thought and practice in both anthropology and design. Sarah Pink, Professor at the Design Research Institute and the School of Media and Communications at RMIT, Australia.