Engineering ethnography in the home

Intel CorporationJF3-21O2111 NE 25th AvenueHillsboro,OR97124Tel: (503) 264-5766tony_salvador, jean_scholtz, doug_l_sorensen } @ccm.jf.intel.com To inform the design and development of domesticcomputing systems, we performed a pilot ethnographicstudy of the home. The resulting model of domesticactivity shows that the implicit design assumptions of thepersonal computer are inappropriate for the home. Ourmodel suggests that small, integrated, computationalappliances are a more appropriate domestic technologythan the monolithic PC. Keywords ethnography, home computing, ubiquitous computing UNDERSTANDING THE HOMEThe computer industry has a strong interest in sellingcomputer technology into the home. Yet there are fewsources of knowledge on how this technology fits into thehome. Venkatesh [3, 4] provides a valuable analysis ofhome computing diffusion trends. Kraut’s HomeNetproject [2] provides valuable quantitative data regardingInternet use in the home. However, in order to definefuture domestic technologies, we need a more completemodel of daily home life. Towards this end we ran a pilotethnographic study with ten families. During the course ofthis project we developed new data collection methods anda spatial, temporal and social model of the home.