Contextual inquiry is a structured field interviewing usability evaluation method. It involves conversation as well as observation. Contextual inquiries requires a high degree of skill from the usability specialist, in order to ask appropriate questions without interrupting the participants' work flow or influencing their responses. Sometimes two usability specialists are used for a contextual inquiry project, one to conduct the interview, and one to observe and record participant behavior. You can discover unmet needs and understand existing behaviors in greater depth with this method.
a structured technique for gathering field data through interviewing (in a participatory design sense) and collecting information about the environment (the context).
A research method for understanding the target users of a product. When conducting CI, researchers visit users in their actual work setting and gather data about how users really work with the goal of building better tools for them. The key ideas of Contextual Inquiry include Context, the natural work setting of users; Partnership, the establishment of rapport with users; and Focus, the appropriate focal point of researchers' attention when observing the users' experiences. Be sure to visit inContext for more information.
A semi-structured field interviewing method based on a set of principles that allow it to be molded to different situations. This technique is generally used at the beginning of the design process and is good for getting rich information, but can be complex and time consuming. The four principles are: Focus - plan for the inquiry based on a clear understanding of your purpose Context - go to the customers' workplace and watch them do their own work Partnership - talk to customers about their work and engage them in uncovering unarticulated aspects of work Interpretation - develop a shared understanding with the customer about the aspects of work that matter Parts from Contextual Design (Hugh Beyer and Karen Holtzblatt)
Contextual inquiry is a user-centered design (UCD) method, part of the contextual design methodology, that happens up front in the software development lifecycle. It calls for one-on-one observations of work practice in its naturally occurring context. During or after the observations, discussion ensues wherein users’ daily routines or processes are discovered so that a product or website can be best designed to either work with the processes or help to shorten or eliminate them altogether.