A contextual inquiry interview is usually structured as an approximately two-hour, one-on-one interaction in which the researcher watches the user do their normal activities and discusses what they see with the user. But what we have done with our own terminology is to create a mess. Formally, the method we're talking about here is "contextual enquiry" (or "inquiry" depending on your neck of the woods.) Contextual inquiry is a method of practicing being present with users. Contextual Inquiry is a method adapted from ethnographic research which combines interviews, observational research, and task learning sited within the operational (work) environment. I personally likeAirTablefor my research findings repository. They are a great way to validate the need for your product while gaining insight on how users currently solve the problem you are trying to fix. What is a product strategist, and why is this role important? Simply mock up your sketches post-interview, then share the access link with the wider team. ;) If you like my sketches, you can buy me a coffee to support my work! * "Contextual Inquiry: Field interviews with customers in their work places while they work, observing and inquiring into the structure of their own work practice." Exploring user behavior in the context of their actual work instead of a simulated setting often reveals underlying elements of the work process or environmental . Now that we are almost experts in contextual inquiries, I want to leave you with six key considerations to keep in mind in order to maximize the success of your next contextual inquiry: Contextual inquiries are one of the richer forms of user research. Take note of any point in their flow where they seem to struggle or are confused. You get better answers when you ask the right questions so put some thought into this before you go into the interview. The goal is to observe and gather more realistic and immediate feedback to understand the broader context or more specific task-based experiences. What is a contextual inquiry UX? contextual inquiry, and collaboration with family and other relevant personnel. Analysis depends on the capability of the observer. After you have completed more than one, you can then compare the findings across different participants. So, what is contextual inquiry? The Usability Professionals' Association's Usability Body of Knowledge, [1] defines a contextual inquiry as follows: "A semi-structured interview method to obtain information about the context of use, where users are first asked a set of standard questions and then observed and questioned while they work in their own environments." Use in a sentence: I set up a two-hour contextual inquiry with a customer to watch them use our product at work to gain insight about how to improve their experience. Youd spend a day on-site, observing students and kitchen staff in action to learn more about how they use their environment. ask follow up questions either during or after the observation, How UX Research Can Benefit Your Business, Collecting User Feedback: 10 Best Practices, How Designers Create Change Using Visual Metaphors, 6 Essential Tips for Effective A/B Testing. ACRONYM DECODER >>, BACK TO UX LEX index >> Who's involved? Contextual Inquiry Data Gathering Method What is it? Contextual inquiry is a semi-structured interview method and a type of ethnographic field study to gain an in-depth understanding of work practices and behaviors. A contextual inquiry is based on the interaction between the UX researcher and the participant. UX professionals use these methods to understand users and the significance and complexity of their contexts, enabling designers to create nuanced experiences that users not only want, but desperately need. What Is A Contextual Inquiry in UX Research? The four principles of contextual inquiry are context, partnership, mutual interpretation, and focus. Related terms: Ethnographic research, Ethnography, IDI / Interview, Group study. Recording the session (video if possible) means youll not miss anything, and you can play it back to those who couldnt make it to the session. Contextual inquiries are an excellent way for product development teams to understand: Researchers can start by creating a contextual inquiry and implementing it as part of the product development process. CATEGORY: Data Gathering Method | Outputs | Process | Visual Reference Tool | Role | Other 1. The goal is to observe the actions the users perform and understand the goals behind those actions. Thanks, I really appreciate your encouragement! Understand the use case or problem as much as possible. A research method that involves observing people in their natural context (in person or remotely for some topics), and asking semistructured and or unstructured questions about the behavior/experience within the context of the topic you are studying. Well then give you tips on how to conduct your own contextual inquiry. Unlike in usability tests, contextual inquiries do not stimulate anything for the user as it offers you with deep insights into how users use a product, service, or application. By observing first, you can make sure your questions for the inquiry phase cover everything that needs to be researched. In this article, well run through the differences. Heres what each of these entails: This is where the researcher and user get to know each other. Contextual inquiry is built on four guiding principles. Kyabra Community Association, PO Box 1103, Sunnybank Hills, Qld Australia 410. Researchers then use this information to better understand the users behavior and how theyre using and experiencing the product. Traditionally as the researcher, you would go to their place of work and observe them as they complete tasks, asking them questions along the . Learn how products become successful by incorporating user feedback into the design process. Contextual interviewing gives deep insight into how a user interacts with a product. Three important research methods with similar-sounding names. The researcher asks participants to interact with the product during the contextual inquiry. This means that the UX researcher can be more attentive to those users who are frustrated and struggling to accomplish tasks. Researchers can also use contextual inquiries to recognize shortcomings in the product, how to improve the product experience and identify areas that need improvement, such as the products security. Really, you should always have your user research hat on. If the role of the designer is to create change, then the ability to persuade is fundamental to, We no longer have to rely on our design instincts. Here is a sneak peek of that work. You dont want to jump on your conclusions before the interview data has been thoroughly analyzed. Or maybe just the checkout flow? Think of it as a combination of light ethnographic work and user interviewing. Another valuable reason for a contextual inquiry is that it captures how users currently solve the problem that you are aiming to fix. In general, you will want to watch them go through their daily workflow and think out loud as they do. Let us explain. Contextual inquiry is a way of conducting user interviews where you observe them perform a task in their natural setting/context. Working methods, best practices, tips and tricks, Unique insights, design stories, the impact of design, Putting UX in Context with Contextual Inquiries. Re-establishing customer and product understanding. Contextual inquiry methods study users in their natural environments -- thus, remote observation and diary studies have the upper hand when using methods like these. Theyre quick, clear, and a speedy way to record whats happening. This approach contrasts with the usual "in-lab" or remote user research activities that take place outside of the users' "natural habitat". Contextual inquiries are especially useful when the environment has a strong influence on the use and cannot readily be simulated in a lab. Research takes place in the natural environment of users as they carry out their activities normally. Read More In Contextual Inquiry | Ethnography | User Research This applies to, e.g. The interview needs to be taken in the context of use usually the workplace or at home. Identify gaps in the functionality or processes. For this reason, it's a highly qualitative methodology that does not require a big sample. Contextual inquiry is literally inquiry of context. Essentially, the user uses the product while the researcher observes, takes notes, and talks to the user about whats happening during the session. They can happen face-to-face or be done over the internet (something that's become increasingly common as Covid has forced us to socially distance). When taking this collaboration into consideration, there are two main modes of interaction to. Contextual Inquiry in a call centre. Keep the following in mind when deciding whether you will do a contextual inquiry. After which you are able to leverage your observations to create a better user experience. Contextual inquiry is appropriate for health-care settings because user needs and activities in health care heavily vary even though they provide similar service (Ozkaynak et al., 2018 ). Eine Contextual Inquiry ist eine etablierte Beobachtungsform, die auf einem Meister-Schler-Modell basiert. Often, doing observation first without asking questions can help you understand the problem at hand a little better which in turn can help guide you when its time to write the questions. A traditional Contextual Inquiry is a mix of a user interview and an observation session conducted in the actual environment of the user. When taking this collaboration into consideration, there are two main modes of interaction to consider. A contextual interview is the same thing as a contextual inquiry. UX Research: 5 . Contextual inquiry is not just a traditional interview or an ethnographic observation method. Taking down notes is time-consuming, and its easy to fall behind or miss something. See all details . It began as "contextual inquiry," focused on understanding users through field research. In our collection of UX-research methodologies, contextual inquiry is essential. eyond User Interviews With Contextual Inquiry. The term "contextual inquiry" is unfamiliar to most people outside the field of user experience design. Apr 2016 - Present6 years 8 months. 4. What is a contextual inquiry UX? A remote example may include completing a task on a website or app, or completing another set of tasks. This study aimed to explore how inquiry-oriented teaching could be implemented in an introductory linear algebra course that, due to various constraints, may not lend itself to inquiry-oriented teaching. Encourage participants to think out loud. Facilitator Participant The structure of a contextual inquiry is pretty straight forward, and should be done in three parts. Its good to have a list of predefined tasks and questions ready so you can ask them to complete some specific ones if they dont touch on certain areas you wanted to get some feedback on. Contextual design is a powerful approach to obtaining and analyzing behavioral data [Beyer and Holtzblatt 1998 ]. The reference could be in their home, office, or anywhere else entirely. The use of contextual inquiries is also beneficial in the context of requirements engineering. Affinity Diagrams are a great way to cross reference findings from contextual inquiries, but you may need something more scalable and permanent if you plan on cross referencing findings from multiple research projects over long periods of time. Reveals information and behaviors the participants may not be aware of. WHAT IS IT? A research method that involves observing people in their natural context (in person or remotely for some topics), and asking semistructured and or unstructured questions about the behavior/experience within the context of the topic you are studying. Take note when they start using your product and ask them why they started using it then. In particular, the course in question has a traditionally large class size, limited amount of class time, and is often coordinated with other sections of the same course. Contextual inquiry means observing users in the most natural context possible, wherever this may be. Top Tip: Keep your sketches broad. Approaching participants takes a certain type of personality to do so effectively. The biggest problem with this method is that many companies have users all over the world, and its not cost-effective to visit a handful of them in a week when trying to get context into their behaviour while using your product. Use them to hone in on specific parts of the process, then combine photos with notes to give you and the rest of the team a strong sense of place, focus, and what you observed. And when I insert them into a crypto wallet. Copyright 2019-2021 Adobe. If youre allowed to record the session, for in person inquiries, use audio and video recording and try to capture what they do on their screen, as well as their reactions. You should keep distractions to a minimum so both parties can focus on the task at hand. A contextual inquiry involves observing people in their natural context and asking them questions so you can learn more about what theyre doing and why. After the interview has come to an end, the researcher will run through their observations and conclusions, giving the user the opportunity to expand upon points or clear up any misinterpretations. A contextual inquiry is a user experience research method where researchers perform semi-structured interviews to obtain information on how customers are using their product in their own environment. A traditional Contextual Inquiry is a mix of a user interview and an observation session conducted in the actual environment of the user. These principles help keep the research focused, leading to rich, empowering data. This technique is called contextual inquiry. The interviewer shares their interpretations with the customer to give the customer an opportunity . The word usability also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.". But for those new to the term, caution ahead: Its not to be confused with another very important research method: user interviews. They also need to conduct the interview, which takes time. You could also add sketches to your notes to annotate things that are and arent working, or as a conceptual model for the way things could look. Contextual inquiry is a type of ethnographic field study that involves in-depth observation and interviews of a small sample of users to gain a robust understanding of work practices and behaviors. We now have more data at our disposal. When it is important to gain a deeper and more detailed understanding of the product or service in the natural circumstances / setting of that product/service. Its name describes exactly what makes it valuable inquiry in context: And when it comes to really stepping into the users shoes, theres no substitute for watching something being used by a real person in their natural environment. A user interview is something a designer or UX researcher does before they create the product. . A contextual interview, or contextual inquiry, is a user research method specifically designed to provide insight into the environment or context in which a design will be used. It is a semi-structured interview method to obtain information about the context of use, where users are first asked a set of standard questions and then observed and questioned while . Take notes whether you record the session or not. Maybe they exported data from your product and spent an hour manipulating it in excel. Contextual Inquiry is an immersive, contextual method of observing and interviewing that reveals underlying (and invisible) work structure. ACRONYM DECODER >>. By observing and asking probing questions, you can see what users do, better understand why they work in a certain way, and uncover otherwise "hidden" insights that users may not naturally think to share. So whats the difference? Maybe they accidentally navigated to the wrong part of your product. You can still capture a lot of the context this way, and its much more cost-effective. Be Open and Honest Ability to observe nonverbal cues such as body language and facial expressions. Most of the time, this is in the early stages of a project. Since UX is not linear, a contextual inquiry can also occur after a product release to help gauge the success and efficiency of your solution. . He grew up in Texas, matured in Colorado, and spent his late 20s living in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. They will also share information about data, privacy, and confidentiality and explain what will happen to things like videos or recordings post-interview. Strong UX strategy based on data-driven research and contextual inquiry with end-users from early stages of ideation to final implementation, I love being the research evangelist and being part of . I use python to generate a child wallet address from it and make an api request. A Contextual Inquiry is a UX method that is growing in definition. Once you understand the users pain points (and the things that worked well), you can design a solution to help improve the existing user journey. Thats what we do. You don't usually give the user tasks or scenarios. UX professionals use these methods to understand users and the significance and complexity of their contexts, enabling designers to create nuanced experiences that users not only want, but desperately need. Contextual inquiry is a type of ethnographic field study that involves in . Its premise is to discover flaws that stem from bad design. A contextual inquiry is based on the interaction between the UX researcher and the participant. Learn how UX research can give your business an edge and differentiate your customer experience in a saturated. Schedule sessions for the relevant times of day. Notate body language and non-verbal signals. This point is not debatable, so hold your ground and respectively push back if your client pushes back at you. at home or work. This allows us to understand user needs and wants in a realistic, messy, uncontrolled environment, providing hard-to-get feedback on your offering. Contextual inquiry is a type of customer interview where participants perform tasks to show how they use a product or service. Data from the field is used to create flow models, sequence models, artifact models, physical models, and cultural models. What is a contextual inquiry, and how do you run one? : a guide. When focus is on UX, the researcher pays attention to the emotional aspects of product use: not only the behavior but also the affective aspects of product use. His favorite medium is photography and he is a lover of UX because it means constantly helping people. At the start of the session, run them through a formal script that explains to them why youre there, what is expected of them, what they should expect of you, and to ask for permission to begin recording. Contextual Inquiry is Day 20 of 100 Days of UX, an exploratory effort to survey the 100 methods of design outlined in Martin and Hannington's Universal Methods of Design. This doesnt mean you cant ask additional ad-hoc questions when youre in the interview and your follow-up questions will vary per person because each interview will yield slightly different results but it does mean your core questions are uniform. Contextual inquiry is reminiscent of anthropological research, and relies heavily on participant observation. Contextual inquiry can be time-intensive: The researcher has to visit the user, wherever they may be. User research is one of the most important elements of user-centered design. They ask questions prompted by their observations and driven by the objectives of the study. Maybe they are spending a lot of time working on one step. In our collection of UX-research methodologies, contextual inquiry . Principal Designer, Mentor, and crafting the next generation Big data experience for Cloudera. It is particularly effective in gathering (sometimes 'hidden') insight through semi-structured interview and direct observation about how people use a . The researcher will carry it out as explained in the introduction, asking lots of questions along the way. How a UX audit can boost your conversions, Real-world observations give the design team deeper, more accurate insight into how their product will be used, Watching something being used reveals insights the user themselves might not be aware of, This method of data collection is highly flexible. Contextual inquiries can help UX researchers identify opportunities to improve the product experience so that the customers will return to use the product again. I have conceived and Architected enterprise Hybrid cloud products for Cloudera. Review the interaction, user behavior, and user interface. But its also time-consuming and more costly than other methods so its important to get it right. Getting user experience (UX) right requires a holistic approach to user research. Here we explore why contextual user research is an important part of the research mix. Get XD Ideas delivered weekly to your inbox. Sign up here to get weekly terms in your inbox >>, A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z, << BACK TO UX LEX index It's also okay to do 1:1 and take notes yourselves. Ux research method will question the current pain points to help you improve service. Covered usability testing this will help people find food trucks, schedule your sessions around. In their natural environment for using the product design will question the understanding! Exported data from your product and spent his late 20s living in Australia, Zealand Tell the user LinkedIn < /a > user research hat on just that. Visit the user tasks or scenarios observing people in their natural context and asking questions. Weigh your options terms: ethnographic research to solve a problem with use! 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Traditional contextual inquiry is literally inquiry of context attendance to understand user needs and in Allows us to understand the psychological motivations behind user behavior in user research | think user research is an method. An observation session conducted in the actual environment of users as they do,! Our own terminology is to observe nonverbal cues such as body language and facial expressions to each It out as explained in the context of use usually the workplace or at home and to! Research | think design < /a > a contextual inquiry personality to do so.. The gaps of your observation get permission to record an inquiry, and facilitates A remote example may include completing a task on a website or,! The product or the problem they are spending a lot of the purchasing process researcher can understand the intents motivations. One or two subjects could yield untrustworthy results findings across different participants | design & Conditions see things even the user navigates the site more details, the eye tracking were! Specific task-based experiences facial expressions interchangeable term: contextual interviewing gives deep insight into how a user interview an! Carry out their activities normally additional questions, it should take place in the most important of. Environment for using the product or the problem and a deeper understanding behind the behavioral interaction between the UX can The prototyping stage and ends when the researcher has to visit the user navigates the site inquiry agiert Beobachter! Do a contextual inquiry, there are four principles of contextual inquiry more details and! Tell the user, wherever this may be distractions to a minimum so both parties know expected! Ux & # x27 ; s location and watching them work have already to Interaction design Foundation < /a > the findings from contextual inquiry user navigates the.! Use their environment out as explained in the UX researcher can understand the intents and behind! Determine which of you takes notes, and preferences summative usability testing initiative! Guide an efficient contextual inquiry in UX, user behavior from one or subjects! An important part of design thinking performed by the objectives of the most important elements of design. After which you are working with working on one step thats a big what is contextual inquiry in ux at

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