Design Anthropology and Ethnography in Virtual Scenarios Context for Design Creation Museo de los Exvotos in San Luis Potosi Case

Abstract

The church of Saucito is located in the north of San Luis Potosí city, in Mexico, a temple that houses the image of the Lord of Burgos or Saucito, for whose image the faithful believers have made hundreds of ex-votos for the miracles they have received. These votive works were in the sacristy of the temple, but gradually the space was insufficient; therefore, the presbyter, a group of parishioners and a scientific committee came together to promote the creation of a museum to locate the pieces. In 2019, a scientific committee member of the Exvotos museum requested the support of the subject of anthropology for the design, to develop a logo for that site, which was accepted. However, two difficulties arose, on the one hand, the distance between the designers and the user, and on the other, the lack of knowledge of the subject, the rites, customs, and traditions associated with the creation of ex-votos, which resulted in the foundation of the museum. In this context, anthropology for design allowed us to reflect on the way in which similar cases had worked on, as well as the ethnographic strategies that could be used to overcome distance and cultural differences.