UX research and Ethnographic design for humanitarian technology
summary
Summarises fieldwork from two projects: Suku (peacebuilding, Rwanda and Kenya) and Dispatcher (6‑month MVP for crisis resilience), using participatory methods and a living labs approach. Shows concrete adaptations: swapping written personas for interview-based ones, running CSO-focused impact mapping, on-site psychological support and researcher aftercare, and practical safety rules (paired interviews, extra phones, vetted locations). Uses a Manchester Arena journey map as a trauma-handling exemplar and points to GSMA and humanitarian reports for preparatory research.
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chapters (24)
- 0:00Introduction to talk
- 1:15Humanitarian UX research focus
- 3:03Avoiding generalizations in research
- 4:08Projects in Rwanda and Kenya
- 5:32Choosing research locations
- 6:56Grant funding restrictions
- 7:59Academia vs practitioner research
- 9:22Living labs methodology
- 10:04Working with civil society orgs
- 11:53Flexibility in research methods
- 13:17Kool-aid language in workshops
- 14:22Working with trauma in research
- 16:51Personal trauma mapping exercise
- 17:56Ethical workshop preparations
- 18:37Handling participant reactions
- 20:26Colonialization and research
- 21:36Building trust with participants
- 23:07Deep ethnographic vs dip-in research
- 25:36Risks of deep ethnographic work
- 26:18Dip-in dip-out research approach
- 27:21Staying safe in field research
- 29:51Quick research practice tips
- 33:50Resources for humanitarian research
- 35:21Closing and further projects
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