52. Rethinking Users as Ecosystems (feat. authors Mike Youngblood and Ben Chesluk)
Jul 18, 2025•47 min•Ep. 52
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Episode description
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:
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 rural India.
Related NN/g Articles & Videos:
- Personas vs. Archetypes (article)
- Why Personas Fail (article)
- Ethnography in UX (3-min video)
- Contextual Inquiry: Inspire Design by Observing and Interviewing Users in Their Context (article)
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