Contextual Inquiry

Summary

Observing users in their real environment as they naturally use a product — surfacing workarounds and friction that never come up in a sterile interview setting.

• 1Watch someone use an app in their actual context (not a lab setting) and note surprises.
• 2Learn why this method is especially powerful for complex, workflow-heavy products.
• 3Compare what you observe to what the same user reports when asked directly.