Resumen
In a design context the aim of ethnography is to develop a thorough understanding of current work practices as a basis for the design of computer support. A major point in ethnographically inspired approaches is that work is a socially organized activity. This implies that detailed studies of work must include observations as well as interviews . Blomberg et al. characterize ethnography with four principles and three main techniques: It takes place in natural settings; it is based on the principle of holism, that is, particular behaviors must be understood in the respective context; it develops descriptive understanding in contrast to prescriptive; and it is grounded in a members point-of-view. They use observation, interview,and video analysis as main techniques. Using ethnography in the design of computer-based systems has become increasingly prominent, especially within the research communities of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), but also within participatory design, and human-computer interaction.