Corporate ethnographer seeking guidance in video analysis and design management
Hello, my name is Frederick Henderson. I am a 5th year senior at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in the process of obtaining my B.A. in Media and Communication Studies along with a minor in Environmental Science. I am currently a full-time student looking for a job in ethnography once I graduate. What catches my interest is video, a miracle of visual imagery. Video allows for recorded moving images, each having a certain experience shared as it is played back to an audience. “Many Kayapo see video as a means of reaching out to non-Kayapo, presenting their culture and way of life in a form that others can understand, respect, and support” (Peake). This describes one way of how interpretation benefits multiple sides. Footage can put into perspective of how life is different for others and how it can be handled.
Having little knowledge on research in the anthropological field, I do have experience with social media and other platforms that are designed to accommodate users and analyze cultural trends. I believe that I am qualified to be a corporate ethnographer as my field of study integrates many interdisciplinary fields that focus on studying people’s behaviors and technology as one. While having general knowledge on people’s habits and media usage, I can collaborate with others to analyze products directed towards the consumer at hand. In Bolt group’s article on ‘video end users’, different types of video ethnography are noted. One type describes having hidden cameras placed around a store to understand the customer’s experience. Results allowed for a new design layout that led to wider aisles and enhanced product presentations.
If presented with this job, I will need to learn more on qualitative research and expose myself to projects that will expand my network in this field. In today’s outlook, the individual’s time is money. We must study users in their natural settings and analyze the footage taken to get feedback regarding their actions. Through collaborative work, I will act as a passive participant and gather data that caters to the client’s needs working with video and produce change where it is desired.
