Contextual Inquiry

“Contextual inquiry is a technique that helps you understand the real environment people live in and work in, and it reveals their needs within that environment.”

Kuniavsky (2003). Observing the User Experience. Ch. 8. (pp. 159-182).

Definition

Contextual inquiry is a semi-structured interview that takes place in the environment where the person works.

Type

User research

Procedure

1. Setting up a contextual inquiry can be difficult because it takes place during someone’s work day. Keeping this in mind, I make sure to clearly explain my goals and respectfully ask for permission.

2. If given permission, I develop a game plan with my teammates. I prepare any questions I want to ask and I perform some background research on the place where I am having the contextual inquiry.

3. At the start of the contextual inquiry, I ask my questions in a typical semi-structured interview. This allows me to build a connection with the participant.

4. After asking some questions, I then focus on the work that the participant does. My goal is to observe the tools and methods used along with the participant’s goals and value system. It’s important to be curious and attentive. I ask for clarification or elaboration when I can. With the participant’s permission, I take a lot of photos and videos. I also write notes and record the session so that I can look back at what happened later.

Use Case

I set up a contextual inquiry with Todd Reid, the manager of the IU Surplus Store (a store which resells old properties belonging to Indiana University). Along with two other designers, I wanted to understand how he deals with the e-waste he receives and his level of involvement with students on campus.

The contextual inquiry with Todd was especially helpful to my team’s design process. He showed us “behind the scenes” of the store where he organizes inventory and his employees sort through e-waste.

Being able to see the store’s operations gave us a memorable experience which could not have been achieved through an interview alone. For instance, Todd discussed how his employees shred unusable computer parts so that the raw materials can be resold to vendors. When Todd showed us how they organized these materials into big boxes, we truly understood the magnitude of his operation.

My team and I were inspired by our contextual inquiry with Todd. We learned a wealth of information because we could ask questions based on the context we were in. Living that experience stimulated new ideas which we would later use to create a prototype.

Our contextual inquiry with Todd was time consuming. However, by preparing and finding an engaged participant, I believe this was time well spent.

Data Analysis

A difficulty with contextual inquiries comes with interpreting the data and translating the experience into actionable insights. I find it helpful to debrief with the team by sharing what everyone noticed. Creating an affinity diagram can be an effective way to organize everyone’s thoughts. It’s also important to document as much as possible. Similar to other types of ethnographic research, photos and videos are essential for being able to explain the findings. These visuals serve as data points which can motivate people to empathize with participants through their point of view.