1. Lecture 2: Discovering what people can't tell you: Contextual Inquiry and Analysis Methodology
Brad Myers
/ : Introduction to Human Computer Interaction for Technology Executives
Fall, 2017, Mini 2
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2. Resolve Devices for Assignments
On the GoogleDoc
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3. Some Usability Methods
Contextual Inquiry
Contextual Analysis (Design)
Paper prototypes
Think-aloud protocols
Heuristic Evaluation
Affinity diagrams (WAAD)
Personas
Wizard of Oz
Task analysis
Cognitive Walkthrough
KLM and GOMS (CogTool)
Video prototyping
Body storming
Expert interviews
Information Architecture Diagrams
A vs. B studies
Questionnaires
Surveys
Storyboards
Journey maps
Prioritization Matrices
Log analysis
Focus groups
Card sorting
Diary studies
Improvisation
Use cases
Scenarios
Cognitive Dimensions
“Speed Dating” …
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4. Contextual Inquiry and Analysis/Design
One method for organizing the development process
We teach it to our MS and BS students
Proven to be very successful
Hartson-Pyla text: Chapters 3-6
(doing things in a different order than text)
Also described in this classic book:
H. Beyer and K. Holtzblatt Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems. San Francisco, CA:Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. ISBN:
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5. “Contextual Inquiry” Interpretive field research method
Depends on conversations with users in the context of their work
Used to discover real requirements, plans and designs.
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6. Elements of User's Context: Pay Attention to all of these
User's work space
User's work
User’s workarounds
User's work intentions
User's words (language used)
Tools used
How people work together
Business goals
Organizational and cultural structure
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7. Why Context? Design complete work process Integration!
Fits into “fabric” of entire operations
Not just “point solutions” to specific problems
Integration!
Consistency, effectiveness, efficiency, coherent
Design from data
Not just opinions, negotiation
Not just a list of features
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8. Key distinctions about CIs
Interviews, Surveys, Focus Groups
Summary data & abstractions
What customers say
Subjective
Limited by reliability of human memory
What customers think they want
Contextual Inquiry
Ongoing experience & concrete data
What users do
Objective
Spontaneous, as it happens
What users actually need
© Brad Myers

9. Who? Users Interviewers: “Cross-functional” team
Between 6 – 20
Representative of different roles
Note: may not be people who will be doing the purchasing of the system
E.g., if for an enterprise; public kiosk
Interviewers: “Cross-functional” team
Designers
UI specialists
Product managers
Marketing
Technical people
Generally, at least 2 interviewers
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10. Establishing Partnership
Share control
Not a conventional interview
Alternative way to view the relationship: Master/Apprentice
Use open-ended questions that invite users to talk:
"What are you doing?"
"Is that what you expect?"
Let the user lead the conversation: “Think-aloud protocol”
Also, pay attention to communication that is non-verbal
© Brad Myers

11. Some Alternative Contextual Inquiry Interview Methods
For tasks that are:
Intermittent
Uninterruptible
Extremely long
Multi-person tasks
Alternatives to “regular” Contextual Inquiry:
In-context cued recall
Activity logs
Post-observation inquiry
Artifact walkthrough
Retrospective interview
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12. Interview Recording and Note-Taking
Do record interview
Video recordings
Screen capture software with laptop microphone for user
Also take detailed notes
Normally have at least 2 people, so one can take notes
For your homework, may need to take notes afterwards from recording
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13. Defining the Tasks
In a real Contextual Inquiry, user decides the tasks
Investigate real-world tasks, needs, context
But you still must decide the focus
What tasks you want to observe
That are relevant to your product plan
But for Assignment 1, you will have to invent some tasks
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14. Test Tasks Task design is difficult part of usability testing
Representative of “real” tasks
Sufficiently realistic and compelling so users are motivated to finish
Can let users create their own tasks if relevant
Appropriate difficulty and coverage
Should last about 2 min. for expert, less than 30 min. for novice
Short enough to be finished, but not trivial
Tasks not humorous, frivolous, or offensive
Easy task first, progressively harder
But better if independent
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15. Initial Questions for the Users
Find out the context through initial questions
When would you normally do this kind of task?
Who would be involved in making the decisions?
What would influence any decisions?
How would you know what to do?
What information would you use to help decide?
Getting their feelings about the tasks and the context
Get motivations and influences
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16. Test Script Example: Useful to have a script
Make sure say everything you want
Make sure all users get same instructions
Should read instructions out loud
Ask if users have any questions
Make sure instructions provide goals only in a general way, and doesn’t give away information
Describe the result and not the steps
Avoid product names and technical terms that appear on the web site
Don’t give away the vocabulary
Example:
“The clock should have the right time”; not: “Use the hours and minutes buttons to set the time”
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17. Example of CI Brand new video of sample session with an eCommerce site
Recreation of actual activities my wife had with a current website
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