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Design Research: Shadowing

overview

Technique in which the researcher acts as an observer only, seeking to understand a user’s natural behavior without interruption or inquiry.

• Researchers prepare an observation guide that outlines the session objectives

• The researcher shadows the user throughout their workflow

• Observations are recorded as they are made, paying attention to the unexpected and unarticulated steps in the user’s process

• The observational data is collected and synthesized by the research team

Participants

Design team, 8-12 users

Duration

Varies by project

Result

Understanding of a user’s workflow and environment

Output

Quotes, audio, video, pictures

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Design Research: Contextual Inquiry

overview

Unobtrusive observation of participants in context to discover unarticulated needs and underlying patterns.

• Understand the current workflow in context and expand the scope of knowledge through observation and inquiry

• The primary method is observation with room to ask probing questions where appropriate

• Observation in context ensures that the researcher’s data reflects reality and leads to appropriate design decisions

Participants

Design team, 8-12 users

Duration

1 hour sessions

Result

Understanding of the user’s workflow in context

Output

Field notes, pictures