ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH
FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS
NEEDFINDING
YJRD Research Study
Spring 2022 User Centered Design Project
Collaborators:
Joy Lau
Isabella Areiza
Phoenix Cross
CC Images courtesy of Ethan Trewhitt on Flickr
INTRODUCTION
YJRD, or Yellow Jacket Roller Derby, is a collegiate all-gender sports team, which competes in inter-collegiate and city games. Roller Derby is a close-contact sport played on quad skates, and it has had quite a resurgence in the recent years.
Ethnographic Film featuring YJRD and an interview with Club President Emily Primmer a.k.a “Primm Reaper”
Primm Reaper
“I would say at Yellowjacket roller derby and the roller derby community in general, there is just this wonderful sense of inclusion and a sense of belonging in the sport. And really anybody can join roller derby no matter who you are. And we really make it a place for anyone to skate at Yellowjacket Roller Derby.”
Primm Reaper
“For the future of roller derby, I really see collegiate teams at the forefront.”
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
To observe the interpersonal relationships and culture between members of the Yellow Jacket Roller Derby (YJRD)
How: shadow observation during a scheduled practice
Why: shadowing members reveals relevant information regarding the culture of the organization which cannot be expressed in words
To understand the organizational and logistical structures within YJRD
How: conducting formal interviews with executive members of YJRD
Why: interviewing an exec member with provide insights into the structure of the club which only internal members are privy to
To analyze the unique position which YJRD finds itself in as a collegiate team in contrast with the rest of the roller derby community
How: conducting formal interviews with members of YJRD who have experienced being in a city team
Why: this can provide a more well rounded comparative analysis due to the unique position YJRD finds itself in as one of the only collegiate teams in the world
To determine the difficulties as well as the the effects of such difficulties faced by the roller derby community as a whole
How: conducting formal interviews with members of YJRD who have experienced being in a city team
Why: this can provide insights into the whole roller derby community as it is not just regarding the Georgia Tech team which has a lot of funding and resources
Post-Interview Reflections and Findings
Emily Primmer has been involved with roller derby and skating culture since she was 11, and she has extensive knowledge about the community and how it has evolved both inside and outside of collegiate circles. Her experiences in both collegiate and city teams have given her diverse insight into the workings and culture of the sport, and how it differs between these two scenes.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Statement: “So, the biggest challenge that yellow jacket roller derby faces, probably one of them would be just adding new members to our club every semester.”
Insight: Not enough people out there feel comfortable with skating or have the required gear. This is something the organization attempts to overcome by providing gear to new members and providing a curriculum for new skaters to advance their skills.
Statement: “We also table a lot on campus, and I think we probably table the most out of any organization on campus. We are constantly out there tabling, pushing our fliers, handing them out, getting people engaged, giving people stickers.”
Insight: The team does a good amount of marketing by promoting themselves around campus. This can lead to people supporting the team by going to watch their bouts or by encouraging people who may not have known about the team to join.
Statement: “I would say at Yellowjacket roller derby and the roller derby community in general, there is just this wonderful sense of inclusion and a sense of belonging in the sport. And really anybody can join roller derby no matter who you are. And we really make it a place for anyone to skate at Yellowjacket Roller Derby.”
Insight: This sport is not just a game to the players. It provides a safe community for everyone involved where members are able to share who they are and what they feel while also being able to enjoy a sport they love.
Statement: “For the future of roller derby, I really see collegiate teams at the forefront.”
Insight: City roller derby teams often struggle with funding, recruitment, and finding practice spaces. Collegiate roller derby teams struggle with consistent training schedules/coach availability.
AEIOU Observation
Our team was given the opportunity to observe a practice session for higher level members.
Artifacts
Gearing up • Stretching • Skating laps around track • Drinking water • Chatting • Whistles • Announcing into microphone • Squats • Practice drills • Practice bout - with pack (blockers) + jammers • End of practice chat/reflections - highs/lows
Interactions
Between members: Talking - small chats, laughing, reflections (end of practice)/Practice drills/Body slamming • Coach + loudspeaker • Coach + whistles • Members + water bottles • Members + safety gear • Members + track markers/cones - laying out/picking up after practice
Environment
CRC Auxiliary Gym • Large practice space • Benches for gearing up on the sides of the gym
Objects
Shoes • Derby skates • Safety gear: helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards, mouth guards • Track markers • Water bottles • Phones • Track markers: rubber/flexible strips, cones
Users
Derby skaters - level 2, level 3 members • Coach - senior member of YJRD
FRAMEWORKS
Mindmap (Based on AEIOU + Interview Findings)
Community Centric:
The organization is very inclusive and encourages new member participation
Emphasizes interpersonal relationships and fostering connections between members
Prioritizes member needs, safety, and comfort over everything else
Structure:
No cut - welcomes people from all levels of experience; provides gear to new members
Works hard to recruit members - Tables, holds events, and passes out flyers/merchandise
Trains and tests members periodically each semester to build experience
Depends on Georgia Tech for funding and resources
Uniqueness:
Differs from city roller derby teams culturally particularly in due to the close knit nature
Much more organized for receiving funding and having a steady stream of recruits
Need Hierarchy
SOLUTION FLOW
Imperative:
Create a structure for collegiate roller derby teams to collaborate with city leagues to provide a constant stream of opportunities for both collegiate and city teams.
Solution Flow:
The solution our team reached incorporates the insights we gleaned from our observations, interview, and frameworks. It involves creating a mutually beneficial relationship between a city league and the Georgia Tech YJRD team. It will also serve as an exemplary system for the future of roller derby as a sport. If YJRD were to establish a feeder program with a city team, it would provide a steady stream of trained recruits to the city team. This solves the issue which city teams have in finding recruits. This can also make YJRD seem more desirable to college students looking to join a club, as they can eventually continue to play the sport after graduation. Additionally, the city team can send members to Georgia Tech to coach YJRD. In exchange, YJRD can sponsor the city team to use Georgia Tech facilities and resources at a fraction of the cost of renting warehouses. After discussing the solution with Primmer we decided to move forward with this idea and create a solution flow as seen below: