1 New trends in design research: The case of designing a culturally appropriate coffin for Botswana Henri Christiaans*, Jan Carel Diehl*, Jan Willem Findlater*, Kris Kumar** * Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands, J.C.Diehl@tudelft.nl , H.H.C.M.Christiaans@tudeflt.nl ** Botswana University, Gabarone, Botswana, Kumarkl@mopipi.ub.bw Abstract: Over the past six decades designers and manufacturing companies have been increasingly open to user-centred approaches that define product designs based on what people need. They realize that it is the only way to satisfy these needs and to give added value to their design. Meanwhile recent studies note that designers are key cultural intermediates and must embody cultural values in the products they design. Research methods have been more and more derived from and shared with social science approaches, one of which is ethnography. The appeal of ethnography to design follows from the recognition by designers that the development of technologies increasingly relies upon an appreciation of the social circumstances in which systems are deployed and used. It allows seeing patterns of behaviour in a real world context, patterns that we can understand both rationally and intuitively. A second development is that people as users or consumers have been given more influence in the design process. In this design participation they participate in the informing, ideating, and conceptualizing activities in the early design phases. This study investigates what can be done in terms of coffin design to provide; desirable, affordable, responsible, respectful and dignified coffins within the informal market sector. Botswana was used for this Case Study. The aim of the study is to find a balance between financial, cultural and emotional needs with respect to coffin design in Botswana. Key words: ethnography, design participation, culturally appropriate 1. Introduction In terms of human-product interaction the act of burying the dead relative is perhaps the most emotional event of our lives. For this reason mankind has created hundreds of rituals based on tradition, culture and beliefs. Botswana is particularly relevant for researching burial rituals within the traditional informal sector. It has experienced far less colonial interference in its history than its other SADC (Southern African Development Community) neighboring countries. Rural communities remain intact, there is little ethnic mix. By Sub-Saharan African standards Botswana is particularly affluent highlighting great diversity in the expense of funerals. 18% of Botswana can no longer afford to pay for the funeral of their loved ones. The Botswana government and its