Characterizing the Application of Design Ethnography Techniques to Improve Novice Human- Centered Design Processes by Ibrahim Mohedas
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Characterizing the application of design ethnography techniques to improve novice human- centered design processes by Ibrahim Mohedas A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering) in the University of Michigan 2016 Doctoral Committee: Assistant Professor Shanna R. Daly, Co-Chair Associate Professor Kathleen H. Sienko, Co-Chair Professor James P. Holloway Professor Steven J. Skerlos © Ibrahim Mohedas, 2016 Acknowledgments I would like to thank my advisors Kathleen Sienko and Shanna Daly for their support over the past five years and for making my journey to a PhD fun and exciting. They allowed me to carve out my own path and were trusting and supportive throughout the process. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have worked with them. I would also like to thank my committee members Steven Skerlos and James Holloway. Their feedback, guidance, and enthusiasm for my research has been an invaluable asset and crucial to the work in this dissertation. I would also like to thank all the members of the Laboratory for Innovation in Global Health Technologies who made going to lab enjoyable and stimulating. Special thanks to Amir Sabet Sarvestani for the great discussions, games of squash, and exciting fieldwork in Ethiopia and Ghana. I particularly want to thank my collaborators in Ghana and Ethiopia for their vital support in both my research and design work. I am especially grateful to Zerihun Abebe whose enthusiasm and support for our project is unmatched. Thank you to all those who I have worked with over the past five years on the research in this dissertation: Linh Huynh, Grace Cravens, Joseph Adomako, Carrie Bell, Senait Fisseha, Kristin Ydoate, Elsie Kaufman, Frank Anderson, Timothy Johnson, Kevin Jiang, Dilayehu Bekele, Corey Bertch, Anthony Franklin, Adam Joyce, Jacob McCormick, and Michael Shoemaker. I would also like to thank all the design students I have worked with while at the University of Michigan. I would like to thank my parents Sergio and Teresa Mohedas. Everything I have achieved has been made possible by their hard work and unwavering support. Thanks to my sister Jimena and brother Agustin for keeping things from getting too serious. Finally, I could not have done any of this without the support and love of Jeseth Delgado Vela. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................. ii List of Figures ................................................................................................................. vii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. ix List of Appendices ................................................................................................................ xi Abstract ................................................................................................................. xii Chapter 1 Overview, motivation, and background ...........................................................1 1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Chapter overviews ............................................................................................... 5 1.4 Research methods ................................................................................................ 7 1.4.1 Qualitative research methods .......................................................................... 7 1.5 Contribution ....................................................................................................... 12 1.6 References .......................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2 A case study of design ethnography use during the development of a medical device for rural Ethiopia ...........................................................................20 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 20 2.2 Background ........................................................................................................ 20 2.2.1 Design ethnography ....................................................................................... 20 2.2.2 Design process models .................................................................................. 22 2.2.3 Benefits of design ethnography ..................................................................... 23 2.2.4 Design ethnography in the design of medical devices .................................. 26 2.3 Methods.............................................................................................................. 27 2.3.1 Device background ........................................................................................ 27 2.3.2 Design ethnography evaluation ..................................................................... 29 2.4 Findings.............................................................................................................. 32 2.4.1 Device must accommodate delivery of anesthesia ........................................ 33 2.4.2 Device must address cross-contamination in a different manner .................. 33 2.4.3 Device must reduce patient fear of the procedure ......................................... 34 2.5 Discussion .......................................................................................................... 35 2.6 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 38 2.7 Acknowledgments.............................................................................................. 39 2.8 References .......................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 3 Benefits and frustrations experienced by students using design ethnography techniques during capstone design....................................................44 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 44 3.2 Background ........................................................................................................ 44 3.2.1 Design ethnography pedagogy ...................................................................... 44 iii 3.3 Research design ................................................................................................. 45 3.3.1 Study purpose ................................................................................................ 45 3.3.2 Participants .................................................................................................... 46 3.3.3 Data collection ............................................................................................... 47 3.3.4 Data analysis ................................................................................................. 49 3.4 Findings.............................................................................................................. 50 3.4.1 Student uses of design ethnography .............................................................. 50 3.4.2 Student perceptions of using design ethnography ......................................... 51 3.5 Discussion .......................................................................................................... 59 3.5.1 Summary of findings ..................................................................................... 59 3.5.2 Characterizing student implementation of design ethnography .................... 62 3.5.3 Pedagogical implications ............................................................................... 64 3.5.4 Limitations .................................................................................................... 64 3.6 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 65 3.7 Acknowledgments.............................................................................................. 66 3.8 References .......................................................................................................... 67 Chapter 4 Factors affecting the utility of stakeholder interviews during design decision making for students in capstone design ...................................................69 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 69 4.2 Background ........................................................................................................ 69 4.2.1 Student engagement with stakeholders ......................................................... 69 4.2.2 Theoretical framework: Information processing .......................................... 71 4.3 Research design ................................................................................................. 72 4.3.1 Participants & context ................................................................................... 72 4.3.2 Data collection ............................................................................................... 73 4.3.3 Data analysis ................................................................................................