A one-on-one session where you observe and interview someone in their own environment while they do their real work, so you see how a task actually happens rather than how they describe it.
Synonyms
- contextual interview
Related terms
- ethnographic research
- field study
- think-aloud protocol
In plain words
- watching someone work at their own desk and asking questions
- studying people while they do the real task
Usage example
During a contextual inquiry we noticed the nurse kept a paper cheat-sheet taped to her monitor.
Don't confuse with…
- user interviewAn interview is just talking; contextual inquiry watches the work happening in its real setting.
Categories
- UX research