Multispecies Ethnography
Design Anthropology
Definition
Multispecies ethnography is a new field of study that involves shifting the focus from human centered design to multispecies design. This is done both because we have a moral need to help other species, and through helping other species we help ourselves since we all coexist on the same planet.
“The opposite to the crisis of agency is an invitation to radically redesign our relationship to natural systems as a shared cultural challenge in which we feel the excitement, the wonder and the invitation.”
— Natalie Jeremijenko
Procedure
Preparation
Wildlife cameras and motion sensors are a great recording tool to see if your designs are being utilized
In person
The in person experience can vary greatly depending on the species that you are interacting with, but the main concerns are to not inhibit or taint the environment that you are studying.
For instance do not touch any nests or other places that the organisms use because this can leave a scent that would scare them off.
Analysis
There are two mains things you need to analyze after attempting to design for a different species.
1 No other species have been harmed or displaced.
2 The species you are targeting is using your design.
Often it is helpful to get a subject matter expert involved in the entire design process, such as a biologist or a wildlife conservation expert.
Use Case
Me and my partner did a class presentation on multispecies ethnography and we chose Natalie Jeremijenko’s exhibit at the Socrates sculpture park in New York. Featuring works such as the Butterfly Bridge, Salamander Superhighway, Farmacy, and Tree Office.
Strengths
In designing for species other than ourselves we can leverage technologies that have long been exclusive for humans, which leaves open many possibilities for novel approaches.
In improving the resilience of other species we also improve our own. For in one way or another we are all dependent on one another.
Weaknesses
Trying to understand what humans want can be hard enough at times, let alone what fully different species want.
Furthermore, any change that we make to a natural environment can have a chain of effects that we may not have intended since every link in the chain is connected.
