Contextual Inquiry Katayoon Etemad November 2007

Katayoon Etemad 2 Outline Contextual design Contextual design Customer Data Customer Data Partnership Partnership Contextual inquiry principles Contextual inquiry principles context context Partnership Partnership Interpretation Interpretation Focus Focus Interview Structure Interview Structure Example Example

Katayoon Etemad 3 Contextual Design A customer-centered design method A customer-centered design method customer Developed by Hugh Beyer and Karen Holtzblatt Developed by Hugh Beyer and Karen Holtzblatt

Katayoon Etemad 4 Why customer data is important?

Katayoon Etemad 5 How gather data from customer? Methodology: Methodology: Contextual Inquiry

Katayoon Etemad 6 What is Contextual Inquiry? Go where the customer works Go where the customer works Observe customer as she works Observe customer as she works Talk to the customer about the work Talk to the customer about the work Gather data Gather data Interpret the observations Interpret the observations interviewer customer

Katayoon Etemad 7 Define the relationship model What kind of model works better? What kind of model works better? Asks questions Answers Student Teacher Master Apprentice Observes Does her job

Katayoon Etemad 8 Principles for Contextual Inquiry Context Context Partnership Partnership Interpretation Interpretation Focus Focus

Katayoon Etemad 9 What is the context principle? Being physically present Being physically present Ongoing experience vs. summery Ongoing experience vs. summery Concrete vs. abstract Concrete vs. abstract Principles: Context Partnership Interpretation Focus

Katayoon Etemad 10 Partnership Be collaborators Principles: Context Partnership Interpretation Focus

Katayoon Etemad 11 Avoid Interviewer/Interviewee You aren’t there to get a list of questions answered. You aren’t there to get a list of questions answered. Problem: questions are not related to ongoing work Problem: questions are not related to ongoing work Solution: return to ongoing work and break the silence. Solution: return to ongoing work and break the silence. Principles: Context Partnership Interpretation Focus Question Answer

Katayoon Etemad 12 Avoid Expert/Novice You aren’t there to answer questions You aren’t there to answer questions Problem: you won’t be able to observe Problem: you won’t be able to observe Solution: Step out of the expert role Solution: Step out of the expert role Principles: Context Partnership Interpretation Focus

Katayoon Etemad 13 Avoid Guest/Host It is a goal for interviewer to be noisy It is a goal for interviewer to be noisy Problem: the customer stops doing her job Problem: the customer stops doing her job Solution: stop it and return to your real role Solution: stop it and return to your real role Principles: Context Partnership Interpretation Focus

Katayoon Etemad 14 Interpretation Observation is not enough Observation is not enough Assign meaning to the observation Assign meaning to the observation Share your interpretations with customer Share your interpretations with customer Principles: Context Partnership Interpretation Focus

Katayoon Etemad 15 Focus Keep the conversation on topics Keep the conversation on topics Don’t give control entirely back to the customer Don’t give control entirely back to the customer Principles: Context Partnership Interpretation Focus

Katayoon Etemad 16 Interview Structure They share a structure: They share a structure: The conventional interview The conventional interview The transition The transition The contextual interview proper The contextual interview proper The wrap-up The wrap-up

Katayoon Etemad 17 Contextual Inquiry In Practice Setting project focus Setting project focus Designing the interviewing situation Designing the interviewing situation Deciding who to interview Deciding who to interview

Katayoon Etemad 18 Setting project focus What is the work we expect to support? What is the work we expect to support? How does this work fit into the customers work life? How does this work fit into the customers work life? What are the key work tasks? What are the key work tasks? Setting project focus Setting project focus Designing the interviewing situation Designing the interviewing situation Deciding who to interview Deciding who to interview

Katayoon Etemad 19 Designing the interviewing situation Setting project focus Setting project focus Designing the interviewing situation Designing the interviewing situation Deciding who to interview Deciding who to interview Where does the work happen physically? Where does the work happen physically? What is the cultural and social context in which the work happens? What is the cultural and social context in which the work happens? How do I get close to the work? How do I get close to the work? How close can I get? How close can I get? How do I create a shared interpretation with the customer? How do I create a shared interpretation with the customer?

Katayoon Etemad 20 Deciding who to interview  Who is involved in making the work happen?  Who are the informal helpers?  Who provides the information needed to do the job?  Who uses the results? Setting project focus Setting project focus Designing the interviewing situation Designing the interviewing situation Deciding who to interview Deciding who to interview

Katayoon Etemad 21 Example Sharing Digital Photographs in the Home through Physical Mementos, Souvenirs, and Keepsakes Michael Nunes, Saul Greenberg and Carman Neustaedter Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary

Katayoon Etemad 22 Hiking Trip to Alaska

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Katayoon Etemad 25 Setting project focus How people used and stored mementos in the home; How people used and stored mementos in the home; Get people’s reactions to the Souvenirs concept; Get people’s reactions to the Souvenirs concept; How it could be improved. How it could be improved. How they used mementos, How they used mementos, Their reactions to a video of Souvenirs in use Their reactions to a video of Souvenirs in use Setting project focus Setting project focus Designing the interviewing situation Designing the interviewing situation Deciding who to interview Deciding who to interview

Katayoon Etemad 26 Designing the interviewing situation Setting project focus Setting project focus Designing the interviewing situation Designing the interviewing situation Deciding who to interview Deciding who to interview Interviews were held in participants’ homes Interviews were held in participants’ homes To recall and describe their routines for photograph storage and sharing in context. To recall and describe their routines for photograph storage and sharing in context. To gain a first-hand view of how these practices fit in the private environment. To gain a first-hand view of how these practices fit in the private environment.

Katayoon Etemad 27 Deciding who to interview  20 participant homes within the city of Calgary, Canada.  The homes spanned a range of lifestyles:  Variety of occupations:  Dentists,  Graduate students,  Bank managers.  Household sizes: ranging from two to six members,  Ages: from teenagers to adults in their 50’s.  For pragmatic reasons children under 14 were not interviewed.  Additionally, participant homes were selected which owned at least one camera and took pictures on a fairly regular basis. Setting project focus Setting project focus Designing the interviewing situation Designing the interviewing situation Deciding who to interview Deciding who to interview

Katayoon Etemad 28 Contextual Interview How non-digital and digital photos were organized, displayed, and shared within and outside the home. How non-digital and digital photos were organized, displayed, and shared within and outside the home. What types of souvenirs they collected, What types of souvenirs they collected, What memories were associated with these, What memories were associated with these, How they displayed them in the home. How they displayed them in the home. The location and the types of photographs and souvenirs they kept. The location and the types of photographs and souvenirs they kept.

Katayoon Etemad 29 Contextual Interview Show families a video demonstration of Souvenirs. Show families a video demonstration of Souvenirs. What they thought of it, What they thought of it, How they might see themselves using it, How they might see themselves using it, What they disliked or might want to see changed or added to it. What they disliked or might want to see changed or added to it.

Katayoon Etemad 30 Data Collection and Analysis Audio record, Handwritten notes, Affinity diagramming. Findings: digital vs. print photography, Souvenirs and mementos, reactions to our system design.

Katayoon Etemad 31 Thank you Questions