Contextual Inquiry, Done Properly
A research method in which a researcher observes and interviews people in their own environment while they do real work.
Priya Raghunathan
At a glance
- Setting the participant's real work environment
- Relationship the researcher acts as an apprentice learning from the participant
- Output observations of real tasks, workarounds and context
- Remote option screen sharing can partly replace in-person visits
Why it matters
Why it matters: Watching real work reveals workarounds, interruptions and tools that people rarely mention in interviews or surveys.
Best practice
- Observe real tasks rather than demonstrations
- Ask about workarounds and exceptions
- Record the tools and artifacts people use
- Synthesize findings across several visits
- Share observations with the whole team
Common pitfalls
Watch out for:
- Turning visits into product demos
- Interrupting constantly with questions
- Generalizing from a single visit
- Ignoring the physical and social context
When to call in a specialist
Bottom line Bring in help when designing tools for complex work, or when users' real processes are poorly understood.
Where this comes from
- Nielsen Norman Group — Contextual inquiry: inspire design by observing and interviewing users in their context
- Interaction Design Foundation — Contextual inquiry
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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