52. Rethinking Users as Ecosystems (feat. authors Mike Youngblood and Ben Chesluk)

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of rethinking the concept of 'the user' in UX through the lens of systems thinking and anthropology.

Who do we really mean when we say “the user”? And who gets left out? In this episode, Therese Fessenden chats with cultural anthropologists Mike Youngblood and Ben Chesluk, who are challenging overly narrow definitions of users in UX. They explore how systems thinking and anthropology can deepen our understanding of complex user ecosystems — and why rethinking “the user” is more important than ever. About the speakers: Mike Youngblood (LinkedIn) Ben Chesluk (LinkedIn) About Rethinking Users, including some helpful resources and a link to purchase the book: https://www.rethinkingusers.com Article about User Ecosystem Thinking: https://www.epicpeople.org/toward-ethnography-of-friction-and-ease-in-complex-systems Mike & Ben’s other books: The Routledge Companion to Practicing Anthropology and Design , which includes Mike & Ben’s chapter on systems thinking in design anthropology, as well as many other chapters/contributors exploring the role of anthropology in design: Ben’s book Money Jungle is an anthropological study of the redevelopment of New York City’s Times Square. Mike’s book Cultivating Community is an ethnographic study of a massive, grassroots social movement in…

People in this episode

Host: Therese Fessenden

Guests: Mike Youngblood, Ben Chesluk

Topics covered

• user experience
• systems thinking
• anthropology
• user ecosystems
• UX definitions

Keywords

• user experience
• systems thinking
• anthropology
• user ecosystems
• UX design
• cultural anthropology
• personas
• ethnography

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nielsen Norman Group, Rethinking Users, Epic People

Books & works: The Routledge Companion to Practicing Anthropology and Design, Money Jungle, Cultivating Community

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