Capturing the Connections: Unboxing Internet of Things Devices

Based upon a study of how to capture data from Internet of Things (IoT) devices, this paper explores the challenges for data centric design ethnography. Often purchased to perform specific tasks, IoT devices exist in a complex ecosystem. This paper describes a study that used a variety of methods to capture the interactions an IoT device engaged in when it was first setup. The complexity of the study that is explored through the annotated documentation across video and router activity, presents the ethnographic challenges that designers face in an age of connected things.