Contextual Inquiry in Design

The interconnected conditions surrounding an event or situation.

Observing and interviewing users in the real setting of their work.

Gathering information using pre-defined questions on user opinions and actions.

Watching users perform tasks as they work.

Asking users to recall past experiences using a system.

Information about the real-world action in the observed work process.

Information about overall perceptions or abstractions of the product, user or process in a simplified manner.

Data that is factual and observable.

Data based on personal opinions or interpretations.

The accuracy and consistency of people's memories.

Focus on direct observations during a situation, not on someone’s conclusions.

A partnership-like interaction where control is shared, and the user leads the conversation, not a traditional interviewer-interviewee or master-apprentice model.

Focus on concrete, specific examples from recent work, rather than general statements or abstractions.

Crucial for research, explaining the study's purpose and obtaining the user's agreement to participate, respecting their rights.

The physical and virtual environment where the user performs their work.

A collaborative approach to research that acknowledges the user's experience and actively involved them throughout the process.

What the user wants to achieve during their work, their specific goals and objectives.

The user's explicit statements and descriptions regarding their tasks and workflow.

Broad questions like "What are you doing?" to initiate open discussions and encourage detailed user responses, guiding the conversation.

Protecting the privacy of participants' data by keeping data confidential and preventing misuse of information beyond the consented scope.

The specific tools, software, and technology employed by the user.

How users work together to accomplish their shared objectives.

Providing clear and understandable explanations of the research methods during data gathering and analysis.

Aligning the purpose with the collected data during data processing and reporting, explaining the findings in an easily understandable way.

The overall objectives and targets of the business the user works for.

Paying meticulous attention to not only verbal but also non-verbal cues from the user during data collection.

The formal reporting relationships and hierarchical setup of the organization.

The unwritten rules and norms that guide interactions and decision-making within the organization.

A close cooperative relationship focused on understanding the user's work, within a specified area of focus.

Avoid general statements or broad descriptions; focus on concrete details from recent work.

Initial stage of the observation process, focusing on introducing oneself, team members (if any), obtaining consent for recording (if necessary), clarifying the observation focus, and gathering a preliminary overview of user's work.

A perspective, or point of view, used for directing conversations and observations in research.

Shifting from discussion to actively observing the user performing work tasks, encouraging 'thinking aloud' during the process.

Focus helps keep conversations on a topic relevant to the research, guides the participants and questions, provides rich information.

Actively watching user execute tasks with encouragement to verbalize the process; simultaneously taking notes, interpreting user actions, and confirming understanding.

Focus directs who participates, guides questions, creates understanding, and produces valuable data.

Allow focus to direct conversation. Let it expand by exploring surprises, unknowns, and challenging assumptions. Avoid validating assumptions; be wary of nodding. Avoid 'expert blind spot'.

Technique where the user verbally describes their thought process while performing tasks, aiding the observer in understanding their decision-making and workflow.

Focus may change as things evolve.

Prioritize actively observing the user's workflow, minimizing interruptions unless absolutely necessary, ensuring the process is authentic.

Involves a team of stakeholders brainstorming, recording ideas, pruning them, organising them in groups (affinity diagrams), developing a generalised focus statement, and team review.

Useful when a product/process already exists, users can perform tasks while being observed, and work can be interrupted during observation.

Introduction, transition, observation & explanation, wrap-up.

Summarizing insights, addressing user questions, offering system tips, thanking the user, and keeping the door open for future discussions. Crucial for capturing overlooked elements during contextual design.

Users' tendency to view a problem within their existing understanding of how things work.

People resist radical redesigns; they usually prefer adding features or fixing problems rather than imagining and accepting substantial changes.

Observing the work flow, sequence of actions, and cultural context to understand how people actually use a system.

The sequence of steps involved in performing a task.

The order in which tasks are performed in a workflow.

The norms, beliefs, and values that influence how work gets done.

Potential issues like time constraints, access hurdles, distractions, the observer's influence, user self-consciousness, complex workflows, and balancing observations.