What Does an Anthropological Perspective
Bring to UX?

Imagine you’re at a grand masquerade ball. Every guest represents a unique user with distinct needs, behaviors, and expectations. People wear many masks (i.e., roles) and they are more than some amorphous marketing demographic or census category. As an anthropologist—specifically, an archaeologist—you’re not just mingling with these guests; you’re puzzling over this human interaction, understanding the unspoken rules, and uncovering the rich stories that shape their behaviors and understanding who the person behind the mask is. This is the essence of how an anthropological perspective, and an archaeologist’s background, brings unparalleled value to User Experience (UX) clients:

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Holistic Understanding of Human Behavior

Depth of Insight: Anthropologists are trained to see the world through a holistic lens. They understand that human behavior is influenced by a complex interplay of cultural, social, historical, and environmental factors. This deep understanding allows them to see beyond surface-level interactions and tap into the underlying motivations, beliefs, and contexts that drive user behavior. Consider how in reading "Pride and Prejudice," by Jane Austen, how the novel isn't just about the plot but also its rich subtext, character development, and the way it captures the societal norms and intricacies of early 19th-century England, which makes the story deeply compelling.

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Benefit for UX Clients: This depth of insight leads to more empathetic and user-centered designs. Products and services are crafted with a nuanced understanding of the user’s world, resulting in experiences that resonate deeply and meaningfully with diverse audiences.

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Skill in Ethnographic Methods

Expertise in Field Research: Archaeologists are masters of ethnographic methods—techniques used to study people in their natural environments. They excel in participant observation, contextual inquiry, and artifact analysis, skills that are directly transferable to UX research. It’s like being Jane Goodall observing chimpanzees in their natural habitat, meticulously documenting their behaviors and social interactions to gain profound insights.

 

Benefit for UX Clients: These skills allow for rich, contextual insights into user behavior. UX clients gain a detailed understanding of how their products are used in real-world settings, leading to designs that are intuitive and fit seamlessly into users' lives.

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Ability to Identify Patterns and Trends

Pattern Recognition: Archaeologists are trained to identify patterns and trends in data, whether it’s analyzing ancient pottery shards or modern user interactions. They can sift through vast amounts of qualitative and quantitative data to uncover meaningful patterns. Similarly, Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle, connected seemingly unrelated clues to solve a complex mystery.

 

Benefit for UX Clients: This ability helps UX clients identify key user behaviors, preferences, and pain points, allowing for data-driven design decisions that enhance user satisfaction and engagement.

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Long-Term and Systemic Thinking

Strategic Vision: Archaeologists understand the importance of long-term and systemic thinking. They recognize that today’s design decisions can have far-reaching impacts on future user experiences and societal trends. Consider the planning a series like J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” where every detail, culture, and language is meticulously crafted to build a rich, interconnected world. At a meta-level, Tolkien's LOTR story addressed a man versus nature literary theme that allowed him to express his anxieties of horrors of relentless threats of environmental and cultural destruction in the wake of industrialism and world war had on his comfortable part of the world in English countryside (i.e., The Shire) and the underestimated power of everyday deeds of ordinary folk.

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Benefit for UX Clients: This strategic vision ensures that products are designed not just for immediate success but for long-term relevance and sustainability. UX clients benefit from foresight and innovative thinking that adapts to and anticipates the changing user needs, technological advancements, and makes responsible design easy with a little forethought. 

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Interdisciplinary Approach

Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: Anthropologists often collaborate with experts from various fields, from biology to linguistics to art history. This interdisciplinary approach fosters a well-rounded perspective and fresh problem-solving. Think of a symphony, like Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” where each instrument brings its unique sound to create a harmonious masterpiece and compare that to the difference in the song if only the triangle instrument was used. A triangle lacks the range and dynamics for the song.

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Benefit for UX Clients: UX clients gain the advantage of diverse perspectives and creative solutions. The ability to integrate insights from multiple disciplines leads to richer, more comprehensive user experiences.

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Fostering Innovation and Exploratory Design

Insightful Exploration: Anthropologists thrive on exploring uncharted territories and uncovering hidden insights. This exploratory nature fosters innovation by challenging conventional thinking and introducing fresh perspectives. Consider exploratory research of Alexander Fleming. While researching staphylococci bacteria, his unexpected discovery of penicillin revolutionized medicine. This serendipitous find led to the development of antibiotics, which have saved countless lives and transformed healthcare. 

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Benefit for UX Clients: By leveraging anthropological insights, UX clients can develop groundbreaking products, services, and spaces that stand out in the market. These innovations not only meet the spoken and unspoken needs of users but also address the broader context of non-users and the environment.

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Scrappy and Resourceful Approach

Doing More with Less: Archaeologists are used to working with limited resources and making the most out of what they have. This scrappy and resourceful mindset translates into innovative problem-solving and efficient use of resources in UX research. It's like being MacGyver from the TV series, who can create ingenious solutions with just a paperclip and some duct tape.

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Benefit for UX Clients: This resourcefulness ensures that projects are carried out efficiently without compromising quality. UX clients benefit from creative solutions that maximize impact while minimizing costs.

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Inferring Human Behavior Beyond Questionnaires

Skilled Interpretation: Archaeologists are adept at inferring human behavior from diverse sources, not just relying on questionnaires and polls. They can analyze artifacts, environments, and social interactions to uncover deep insights into human behavior. Similarly, Robert Langdon in "The Da Vinci Code," interpreting symbols and clues to solve mysteries beyond the obvious. But imagine how different the story would have gone if he relied on just inflexible Likert scales or simply questionnaires. Obviously, the richness of meaning must be chased and explored to where it leads. 

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Benefit for UX Clients: This ability to infer behavior from multiple contexts provides a richer, more comprehensive understanding of users. UX clients gain deeper insights that lead to more effective and empathetic designs.

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Impact on the Bottom Line

Seeing beyond conventional surface-level insights allows UX researchers to uncover hidden needs, build emotional connections, identify new market opportunities, create sustainable designs, and optimize for efficiency. This comprehensive understanding of users and their contexts drives innovation, enhances user satisfaction, and ultimately boosts the bottom line for UX clients. Consider the discovery of the structure of DNA. When James Watson and Francis Crick uncovered the double helix, it not only revolutionized our understanding of genetics but also led to countless advancements in medicine, biology, and technology, unraveling the mystery of this small thing fundamentally transformed various fields. 

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Benefit for UX Clients: By uncovering hidden needs and desires, enhancing user engagement, identifying new market opportunities, creating sustainable designs, and optimizing efficiency, UX clients can achieve higher user satisfaction, increased loyalty, and greater market differentiation. This leads to sustained growth, improved profitability, and a stronger competitive edge.

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In Summary

An anthropological perspective, with its holistic understanding, ethnographic expertise, pattern recognition, strategic vision, interdisciplinary approach, innovative mindset, resourcefulness, and skilled interpretation, uniquely equips UX clients to create user experiences that are deeply resonant, insightful, and impactful. It’s like having a master storyteller who not only crafts compelling narratives but also ensures that every chapter, every character, and every plot twist serves a greater purpose, creating a legacy of meaningful and memorable experiences.

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