Abstract This paper demonstrates the value of design ethnography in multi‐stakeholder intelligent mobility systems innovation and presents a methodology developed through collaborative projects over ten years. In detailed examples of the development of self‐driving cars, Mobility‐as‐a‐Service and connected multi‐modal mobility solutions, it shows how ethnographic friction reframes assumptions, fosters co‐design, and supports participatory forms of futures‐making. We argue that the value of design ethnography lies not in solving predefined problems, but in its pedagogical approach to enable deep scaling – the transformation of institutional logics, stakeholder relations, and future imaginaries over time. We propose a framework for applied ethnography that we call “patching” – that includes tailoring methods, anchoring voices, reframing perspectives and scaling human approaches in an iterative and participatory process.
Fors et al. (Sat,) studied this question.