How can ethnography and service design work together to actively help organizations imagine, prototype, and implement change?
In September 2026, Sutherland Labs San Francisco hosted a panel discussion with members of the Ethnobreakfast community to explore the crossover between these complementary disciplines.
The conversation went beyond understanding human needs and behaviours to explore the challenges of putting that insight into practice. From how to tackle organisational silos or power dynamics, to how to build empathy through co-design, the panel discussed the skills, approaches and challenges involved in creating better services.
Watch the recording to hear perspectives from practitioners working across ethnography, research and service design.
Meet the speakers
Moderator
Nicole Laborde — Cultural anthropologist and researcher with over 20 years of experience.
Panellists
Sylvia Bargellini — Service design leader, SDN SF Bay Area.
Jeffrey Greger — Service designer and researcher with a background in anthropology and industrial design.
Marise Phillips — Service design lead at Sutherland Labs.
Bethany Polentz — Service designer and experience strategist, SDN SF Bay Area.
About Ethnobreakfast
Ethnobreakfast is a Bay Area professional group that brings together local practitioners to share ideas, experiences and perspectives on ethnography and related disciplines.
This discussion was hosted by Sutherland Labs San Francisco as part of the Ethnobreakfast community event series.
Event page: Ethnobreakfast on Service Design
More about Ethnobreakfast: Ethnobreakfast