Oct. 12: Anthropology and design
Anthropologist, UD alumna to speak about smart home product design
11:55 a.m., Oct. 6, 2015--Alexandra Zafiroglu, an anthropologist who works in product design and a University of Delaware alumna, will give two talks on UD’s Newark campus on Monday, Oct. 12, to discuss her research directing innovation and design at Intel Corp.
Her talks, titled “TVs, Cars and Homes: How Anthropology Contributes to ‘Smart’ Product Design,” will be held from 1:25-2:15 p.m. and from 2:30-3:20 p.m., both in Room 120 Smith Hall. They are free and open to the public.
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Zafiroglu is the lead researcher for smart home experiences at Intel, where she works with teams focusing on platforms and technologies related to domestic computing by understanding user contexts, practices, values, desires and needs. She strives to make sense of the mundane, everyday rhythms of domestic life and to identify areas for innovation.
In her work, she has road-tripped in an RV for a week to understand the challenges of mobile living, watched people watch TV in 15 different countries and explored laundry rooms in Swedish apartment buildings and Indonesian student housing. Her research spans the development of experiences from concept design to product definition and assessment, within Intel and in collaboration with customers.
Zafiroglu graduated from UD with bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and history and earned a doctorate in cultural anthropology at Brown University.
On Oct. 14, she will be a featured speaker at the Inspiring Women in STEM Conference at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, a professional development program that will feature educational and interactive sessions to help participants develop critical skills. The conference, with UD as one of the co-sponsors, will also feature a keynote address by Nancy Targett, acting University president.