While ethnography was developed in the 20th century by sociologists and anthropologists, such as Malinowski, Boas, and Mead Brown, it has exceeded the limits of such disciplines and is currently being used in the field of education, business, and design. Thus, it is common for various disciplines to use digital media to collect data. Architects use it to collect quantitative information that provides input for the design process, including square meters, laws, regulations, similar projects, and, in some cases, social aspects. However, this process lacks reciprocal influence as it generates data, but does not provide any flow-back or empathy between them, thus making it impossible to create a design that can transform real space.
It is necessary to understand that social worlds exist inside this "virtual reality,” which is loaded with "aspects of human action and experience" (Garcia, Standlee, Bechkoff, & Yan Cui, 2009, p. 54) which cannot be understood separately from the offline world (Pink, 2014, p. 174). These worlds become indivisible and complex, where the flow of power in the online-offline world has changed from user to pro-consumers who, through their own actions, produce content and services that they consume themselves (Jenkins in Scolari, 2013, p. 84). It is in this construction of the world that we can take advantage of the benefits of the Internet and computer-mediated communication (CMC; Garcia et al., 2009,p. 53). It also allows us to create a "cultural profile of who we are" (Curran, 2013, p. 64), one that is limited by digital techniques and the availability of technological advances (time temporality). In fact, it is necessary to mix online interactions with offline, face-to- face discussions, especially for architects, who will need a more spatial interaction. Therefore, it is necessary to ask, how can one avoid getting lost in the immensity of information in the "adjacent world” as an architect? When an ethnographer examines a particular topic, the principal objective is to define the field site and analyze the social dynamics that happen through a screen "with textual, visual, aural and kinesthetic components; complicating its analysis" (García et al., 2009, p. 64). Is necessary to develop abilities in the analysis of textual and visual data; such as interpreting texts in e-mail, chat and instant messaging, using images, colors, page layout and website graphic design Recurrent use of digital online interviews, emails, chat rooms, videoconferences, and webcams are intended to create empathy and participation. But there still some issues that concern both traditional and online ethnography like getting access to research,
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establishing a relationship with research subjects, and obtaining volunteers for interviews (opt Ibid, p. 68).
Within these restrictions lies the ability of participants to verbalize their emotions, the characteristics of automated tools, and the authenticity and veracity of the profiles of the people you interact online (Cherny, 1999; Mann and Stewart, 2000; 2002 in Garcia et al., 2009, p. 68). An example of taking advantage of social media tools, Javier Toret used Twitter, to analyze a series of protests that were happening in the social movement 15M in Spain. This showed how the generation of emotions and network analyses, as well as personally analysing big data, could generate a degree of understanding about a complex phenomenon:
"In the network (and more specifically, Twitter) the whole phenomenon is not reflected, but part of it. However, it can be used for a comparative study of influences, and even as a first intuition to reinforce (or modify) raised hypotheses" (Toret et al., 2013, p. 151).
While analyses can be done through different software, with the ability to transform texts into emotions, humans should always interpret the results and keep track toward the main objectives and selected categories of the phenomena to be studied. Each new discovery sets the tone for "reviewing categories that do not work, and redefining frameworks for analysis, through "reflection both in the field and outside of it. Therefore, it is important to compare different levels of knowledge between experts (academics and professionals) and non professionals (society). As it can lead to multi-level and multi- platform research that uses a wide range of data collection methods.
This non linear methodology make it possible to review theories and have a clearer understanding of the "setting" without the need to "live for a long period of time" (Hine, 2015,p. 56) in situm. But in order to use ethnographic methods in architectural design, it is first necessary to identify a common purpose among ethnographers and designers. In their book Un/Certainty, Drs. Sarah Pink and Yoko Akama explain it in this manner:
We understand our work as being substantively engaged in processual worlds where ethnographers/designers are always working with emergent qualities and with people who share their journey into the immediate future (Pink & Akama, 2014, p. 4)
Therefore, the limits of society discussed above are transformed when observed through the digital ethnographic lens. This transforms the space from a specific place with existing geographical coordinates into a field site. This provides the ability to expand networks based on their different layers of information. The user ceases to be a simple entity and becomes a social actor with the ability to influence the networks that are configured through their practice. Time also becomes a constant variable called uncertainty, thus nullifying the possibility that any result obtained is categorized and permanent.
Figure 2 A diagram of flexible boundaries based on a digital ethnographic methodology