Contextual inquiry: Difference between revisions

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== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==
'''Contextual inquiry''' is a field method used in [[user-centered design]], in particular in [[participatory design]] variants.


According to [http://www.usability.gov/methods/analyze_current/learn/contextual.html usability.gov], {{quotation|Contextual interviews are like usability tests because you watch and listen as users work. They differ from usability tests because you go to the user and watch and listen to them as they work in their own environment. Contextual interviews are more natural and sometimes more realistic because they occur in the person’s environment. They are also usually quite informal.}}
According to [http://www.usability.gov/methods/analyze_current/learn/contextual.html usability.gov], {{quotation|Contextual interviews are like usability tests because you watch and listen as users work. They differ from usability tests because you go to the user and watch and listen to them as they work in their own environment. Contextual interviews are more natural and sometimes more realistic because they occur in the person’s environment. They are also usually quite informal.}}
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* Beyer, H. & Holtzblatt, K. (1998) Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers ISBN 1-55860-411-1  
* Beyer, H. & Holtzblatt, K. (1998) Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers ISBN 1-55860-411-1  
* Good, M. (1989). Contextual Field Research in a Usability Engineering Process. SIGCHI Bulletin, 20 (4), 25-26.


* Holtzblatt, K., Wendell, J. B., & Wood, S. (2005). Rapid contextual design: A how-to guide to key techniques for user-centered design. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.  
* Holtzblatt, K., Wendell, J. B., & Wood, S. (2005). Rapid contextual design: A how-to guide to key techniques for user-centered design. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.  
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* Rampoldi-Hnilo, L. & English, J.(2004). Remote Contextual Inquiry: A Technique to Improve Enterprise Software. Boxes and Arrows. [http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/remote_contextual_inquiry_a_technique_to_improve_enterprise_software HTML]
* Rampoldi-Hnilo, L. & English, J.(2004). Remote Contextual Inquiry: A Technique to Improve Enterprise Software. Boxes and Arrows. [http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/remote_contextual_inquiry_a_technique_to_improve_enterprise_software HTML]


Spinuzzi, C. (2005). The Methodology of Participatory Design. Technical Communication, 52 (2), 163-174.
* Spinuzzi, C. (2005). The Methodology of Participatory Design. Technical Communication, 52 (2), 163-174.


* Liza Potts and Gerianne Bartocci. 2009. <Methods> Experience Design </Methods>. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM international conference on Design of communication (SIGDOC '09). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 17-22. DOI=10.1145/1621995.1621999 http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1621995.1621999  
* Liza Potts and Gerianne Bartocci. 2009. <Methods> Experience Design </Methods>. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM international conference on Design of communication (SIGDOC '09). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 17-22. DOI=10.1145/1621995.1621999 http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1621995.1621999  
* Raven, M. E. and Flanders, A. (1996). Using Contextual Inquiry To Learn About Your Audience. Journal of Computer Documentation, 20 (1), 1-13.


* Whiteside, J. Bennett, J., & Holtzblatt, H. (1988). Usability engineering: Our experience and evaluation. In M. Helander (Ed.). Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction. New York, NY: Elsevier Science Publishing. 791-817.
* Whiteside, J. Bennett, J., & Holtzblatt, H. (1988). Usability engineering: Our experience and evaluation. In M. Helander (Ed.). Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction. New York, NY: Elsevier Science Publishing. 791-817.

Revision as of 16:28, 18 March 2011

Draft

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Introduction

Contextual inquiry is a field method used in user-centered design, in particular in participatory design variants.

According to usability.gov, “Contextual interviews are like usability tests because you watch and listen as users work. They differ from usability tests because you go to the user and watch and listen to them as they work in their own environment. Contextual interviews are more natural and sometimes more realistic because they occur in the person’s environment. They are also usually quite informal.”

Usability Body of Knowledge defines “Contextual inquiry [as] 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.”

Liza Potts (2009), defines contextual inquiry as {{quotation|a field research method used in usercentered design. It is also often associated with participatory design methods. Contextual inquiry can be referred to as “apprenticeship compressed in time”, wherein the researchers locate themselves within the participant’s location in an effort to understand the tasks undertaken by the participant. Such insights are meant to lead to improved technologies, such as interfaces, systems, and devices.

Method

According to usability.gov, “In a contextual interview, you watch and listen as the user does his or her own work. You don't usually impose tasks or scenarios on the user. The observer listens to the user but may also ask clarifying questions and probe to gain greater understanding of what the user is doing and thinking. The results are usually qualitative rather than quantitative.”

Links

Indexes
Introductions

Bibliography

  • Beyer, H. & Holtzblatt, K. (1998) Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers ISBN 1-55860-411-1
  • Good, M. (1989). Contextual Field Research in a Usability Engineering Process. SIGCHI Bulletin, 20 (4), 25-26.
  • Holtzblatt, K., Wendell, J. B., & Wood, S. (2005). Rapid contextual design: A how-to guide to key techniques for user-centered design. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
  • Rampoldi-Hnilo, L. & English, J.(2004). Remote Contextual Inquiry: A Technique to Improve Enterprise Software. Boxes and Arrows. HTML
  • Spinuzzi, C. (2005). The Methodology of Participatory Design. Technical Communication, 52 (2), 163-174.
  • Liza Potts and Gerianne Bartocci. 2009. <Methods> Experience Design </Methods>. In Proceedings of the 27th ACM international conference on Design of communication (SIGDOC '09). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 17-22. DOI=10.1145/1621995.1621999 http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1621995.1621999
  • Raven, M. E. and Flanders, A. (1996). Using Contextual Inquiry To Learn About Your Audience. Journal of Computer Documentation, 20 (1), 1-13.
  • Whiteside, J. Bennett, J., & Holtzblatt, H. (1988). Usability engineering: Our experience and evaluation. In M. Helander (Ed.). Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction. New York, NY: Elsevier Science Publishing. 791-817.