Research Techniques: Contextual Inquiry

There are several UX research techniques, each technique possesses both strengths and flaws. A certain technique might better be depending on the problem and stage of the design. In this article, I’m going to focus on Contextual Inquiry.

Contextual Inquiry is a form of Ethnographic Research where research is conducted in the user’s environment. During the session, the conductor observes the user as they perform routine tasks. Before diving in what is Ethnographic Research? Ethnography is a term borrowed from the social sciences to refer to the study of people within their own cultural contexts. It’s a way to understand the culture, environment, and conditions the user is while using a product. They make us better empathize with the users to unveil patterns, triggers, and drivers. Hence, we can redirect this knowledge to create innovative solutions.

What people say and what people do are entirely different. Does that mean users are bad people? No, many times users get swayed by unconscious bias or say things not make us feel bad. Usability Test and Interviews are great methods for understanding user attitudes and behaviors. But certain times you might have to ask a lot of questions to get insights. With Contextual Inquiry we ask a lot fewer questions because users’ are in their comfort zones. Hence, users perform tasks in a more routine manner and are less likely to provide false replies. There’s been a couple of times I conducted a Test/Interview and the users came had a notion they were being tested. I’ve had to reassure them that it’s the design/product being tested and not them in certain situations. Contextual Inquiry eliminates this because the users’ are comfortable and are the drivers. Although technology has made it possible to monitor user activities virtually. Most times we might not be able to question and verify their approach. In conclusion, Contextual Inquiry helps us delve into the users’ universe and acquire data we can get in our setting alone.