Ethnographic Studies

This project combined ethnographic research and design to explore Montana's cultural heritage through tangible, intangible, and natural themes. I conducted in-depth studies of local communities, employing anthropologic and ethnographic practices to understand the intersection of design and culture in a modern context. The findings were documented and transformed into a visual exhibition titled Rooted In Place: Montana Heritage. I created large-format banners to present my research to a public audience, focusing on effective data visualization, hierarchy, typography, and display design.

Date: Sept. 2024-Nov.2024

Class: Design for Society

Project Type: Research-Based Design, Exhibition Design

1. Deciding a Research Topic

I began this project by researching Montana’s cultural heritage, focusing on its tangible, intangible, and natural aspects. This involved compiling a comprehensive list of elements within each category to form the foundation of my work. From this research, I selected a specific element to focus on and developed a central topic to guide the project.

Tangible Culture: Buildings, Monuments, Archive Material, Books, Works of Art, Artifacts

Intangible Culture: Folklore, Traditions, Language, Knowledge

Natural Heritage: Significant Landscapes, Biodiversity

I Chose…..

Charles M. Russell’s "Waiting for a Chinook (The Last of 5000)"

During the brutal winter of 1886-1887, Charlie Russell, then a cowhand in the Judith Basin, responded to his employer's inquiry about cattle conditions with a sketch of a starving bull surrounded by wolves, vividly capturing the harsh reality.

This painting helped me point in the direction of what I wanted the topic of my research to be.

My Topic:

Harsh Winters and its Effect on Ranchers and their Cattle

2. Research

Once I finalized my topic, I began in-depth research, starting with the Special Collections at Montana State University’s library. I conducted six interviews with professionals knowledgeable about my subject and completed an ethnographic research study to gather diverse insights and perspectives.

Special Collections

This was a newspaper article from the Bozeman Chronicle in 1936 that talks about the effects the cold has had on the people.
This 10 paged manuscript talks about different droughts that impacted the USA (when it says 80s it means 1880s!)
This was a dairy that marked the weather every month in Bozeman from 1880s-1960s.
In this document, it discusses a study that was done in Montana about different farming techniques in the 1920s.

Special Collections

Tim DelCurto

10.2 @12:30PM
Animal Science Professor
Duration: 60 minutes
Hannah Wyffels

10.2 @9:00AM
Animal Science Instructor
duration: 30 minutes
Sam Wyffels

10.3 @11:00AM
Animal Science Assistant Professor
Duration: 45 minutes
Mitchell Stephenson

10.3 @3:00PM
Range and Forage Sciences Professor
Duration: 45 minutes
Cascade Tuholske

9.30 @9:00AM
Assistant Professor- Climate Change, Urbanization, Food Security
Duration: 45 minutes
Mike Heard

10.3 @1:30PM
Chief Meteorologist at KBZK
Duration: 45 minutes

Special Collections

Jake Callantine
Timber Line Ranch
10.6 @1:00PM
Duration: 90 Minutes
Field Ethnography
Jake spends most of the summer preparing for winter by haying, with a second cut in August, raising enough hay for his needs. This picture shows one of his alfalfa fields. He irrigates using water from Pass Creek, describing it as "creating our own rain."
Jake emphasized the importance of proper haystacking to minimize moisture damage. He also talked about how typically, cows require 40 pounds of hay daily, increasing to 45-50 pounds during calving season.
He raises Black Angus and Speckled Park Angus, the latter being a Canadian breed developed from white parks and Black Angus, which I found particularly striking.
This is the pen where the heifers stay during winter. A successful birth is crucial for them, as any complications could impact their chances of having a healthy birth the following year.
Jake uses several cameras in the heifer calving barn to monitor the cows more efficiently. The cameras have audio, allowing him to hear if a heifer is under stress. Additionally, he has a night-vision camera outside to check on them after dark.
These are Jake’s heifers in their pen. This was shortly after being weaned from their mothers in October

3. Exhibition

After collecting and analyzing the data, I compiled it into a comprehensive banner featuring infographics to effectively communicate my findings at an exhibition. I had to make sure it had an interactive element and a take away item.

For my final exhibition banner, I incorporated an interactive element using transparent overlays. These layers allowed viewers to explore a cow's Body Condition Score (BCS) visually. As they lifted each overlay, it revealed a progression to a lower BCS, making the concept more engaging and informative.

Interactive Element

In addition to my exhibition banner, I created a takeaway item to further engage the audience. I designed small calendars that highlight the tasks ranchers perform each month throughout the year, providing an informative and practical glimpse into their annual routines.

Takeaway Item