Over the years, the fields of anthropology and design have become increasingly related as designers are now able to discover how users are experiencing their products through ethnographic research. In addition, anthropologists have been able to clarify the symbolic meanings of such products and how they are used in the everyday lives of users.

Wasson was one of the early practitioners in the field of design anthropology in the late 1990s, working for E-lab, the first design consulting firm where all client recommendations were based on ethnographic research. Wasson obtained her Ph.D. from Yale, with a focus on linguistic anthropology.

The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at 4 p.m. on the first floor of Old Main in the Anthropology Museum.

IITC is a multidisciplinary group of medical and organizational anthropologists, psychologists, engineers, nurses, social workers, computer experts and doctors collaborating to understand the cultural aspects of technology use. For further information, or to reserve a seat for this event, e-mail Cevan Castle at cevan@wayne.edu or call (313) 874-7010.

Wayne State University is a premier institution offering more than 350 academic programs in 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students.