Conduct in-depth, qualitative research by observing and interviewing users in their natural environment to gain deep insights into their needs, behaviors, and challenges.
Contextual inquiry is a user research method that involves observing and interacting with users in their natural environment while they perform tasks related to the product or service being developed. It aims to gain deep insights into users' behaviors, needs, and motivations by immersing the researcher in the user's context.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Define the Objective
Clarify what you want to learn (e.g., user workflows, pain points).
- Select Participants
Choose target users who actively use your product or system.
- Plan the Environment
Observe users in their natural setting (e.g., workplace or home).
- Conduct Observation and Inquiry
Watch users perform tasks and ask open-ended questions about their actions and decisions. Use the master-apprentice model: learn from the user as they work.
- Take Notes and Record Insights
Document behaviors, challenges, and user comments. If allowed, record audio or video.
- Identify Patterns
Analyze data to find recurring behaviors, issues, or workflows.
- Summarize Findings
Organize key insights that will influence design or product improvements.
- Apply Insights
Use the findings to inform product or workflow changes based on real user needs.
- Communicate Results
Share your findings with stakeholders through reports, visuals, or presentations.
Example: When developing Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel, Microsoft used Contextual Inquiry to understand how their software was being used in real-world work environments. Instead of relying solely on theoretical user feedback, they observed actual workflows and challenges users faced directly in context. How it Worked:
- Working with Real Users in Their Environment: Microsoft sent researchers to companies and offices to observe how people used their software in everyday situations. Instead of a lab setting, they could see how users interacted with Word and Excel, which features were most utilized, and where they encountered difficulties.
- Asking Questions During the Work Process: The researchers asked open-ended questions while users were performing tasks to understand why they used or avoided certain features.
- Insights: By observing users in real environments, Microsoft discovered that many users were unaware of some of the most powerful features in Word and Excel or relied on complicated workarounds. These insights led Microsoft to develop more user-friendly features and redesign the interface to make important tools more accessible to users.
Why It Was Successful: Thanks to Contextual Inquiry, Microsoft was able to understand user behavior in practice and identify real-world challenges. This led to significant improvements in the usability of Microsoft Office, greatly enhancing user productivity. Contextual Inquiry allowed Microsoft to gain a deeper understanding of users' needs and tailor the software to better meet those requirements.
For more information on the topic, please see the source below:
Duda, S., Warburton, C., & Black, N. (2020). Contextual research. In M. Kurosu (Ed.), Human-computer interaction. Design and user experience. HCII 2020 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Band 12181, S. 29–41). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49059-1_3
Contextual inquiry. (2022). In L. A. Schintler & C. L. McNeely (Hrsg.), Encyclopedia of Big Data. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32010-6_300037
#Customer needs #Use case #Ideal customer profile #Segmentation #Targeting #Positioning/Branding #Features & requirements #Benefits & value #Target results
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