ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the transdisciplinary field of design anthropology, the global forces and conditions that facilitated its emergence, the people that have contributed to its emergence, and those who are likely to shape its future. It presents the evolution of two disciplines, design and anthropology, and their convergence within commercial, social, and organizational arenas. The book explores the confluence of anthropology and design through the lens of history, tracing the origins of design anthropology through its roots in both fields. It looks into the communities and networks that comprise design anthropology, and the individuals who are influential in bringing the disciplines together through client projects. The book helps the members of corporations and organizations that deploy - or want to deploy- pluridisciplinary teams that include anthropologists, designers, engineers, marketers, and other business disciplines.
