Contextual Analysis

WHY CONTEXT?
• Design complete work process
• 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
 KEY DISTINCTIONS ABOUT
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
Contextual Inquiry Contextual Analysis
• Ongoing experience and concrete data • Summary data and abstractions
• What users do • What customers say
• Objective • Subjective
• What users actually need • What customers think they want
 WHO?
• Users
• 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
• For our assignment should be novice
ISSUES TO OBSERVE IN CONTEXTUAL
INQUIRY
• Interview of work in progress, in “context”
• Actual session of doing a task
• Not an interview asking about possible tasks, etc.
• Note that focusing on expert behavior & breakdowns
• Questions to clarify about routine, motivations
• Why do certain actions: need intent for actions
• Notice problems (“breakdowns”)
• Notice what happens that causes users to do something (“triggers”)
• E.g. appearance of error messages, feedback, external events, etc.
 PRELIMINARY INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS
1. Have you used a GPS before?
2. How often you used it before?
3. When would you find yourself using any navigational device?
4. Who makes the decisions related to navigation?
5. Would anything influence in the decision making?
6. How would you know how to use the GPS? What kind of information would you use for help?
7. Are they any other devices you use for navigation?
8. Does anything particular influence you while picking on a navigational device?
9. How do you find your way to an unfamiliar location, for example, travel to a new city?
 SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
1. Find directions to 121 Baker Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA.
2. Find directions to Northyards Blvd NW in Atlanta, GA in a way such that the route does not direct you to toll
roads and also lets you reach your destination as fast as possible.
3. Find directions to Baker St NE and Peachtree St NE
4. Find directions to the closest Walmart store.
5. Again, find directions to the closest Walmart store. But, this time, add this location to your GPS device
memory
6. Delete the Walmart location you just added from your GPS device memory
 DESCRIPTION OF USER
(PERSONA)
• The user is a female user of Indian origin aged about 53 years.
• She is married with 2 children who are in their late twenties.
• She has experience using a computer as she was working in the banking industry.
After retiring, she now uses a computer, laptop or tablet mainly for browsing.
• Her main mode of transport is a car.
She does not use public transport unless forced by circumstances to do so.
• She has absolutely no experience using a GPS.
 TRANSCRIPT
• Need to create a transcript of what is said: you and your user
• Can be exact or a summary (pick the important conversation points)
• Must have time codes (according to video/ audio recording) or line numbers
START OF TRANSCRIPT
 WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THE DATA?
• It’s recommended to use Graphical Models a.k.a. diagrams
• Integrate
• Summarize
• Point back to the data
• Help inspire and guide design
• Provide shared focus
• Provide an intermediate deliverable outside design team
 WHY GRAPHICAL MODELS?
• Displays whole picture at once
• Reveals patterns
• Forces summarization and conciseness
• Multiple models provides different perspectives
 USER FLOW DIAGRAM
•
 USER FLOW DIAGRAM
• User flow diagrams are indispensable in mastering user experience.
They allow you to understand how users interact with your app or
website, and the steps required to complete a task or achieve a goal on
your website.
• A user flow diagram (also known as an interaction or task flow
diagram) is a step-by-step visual mapping process, outlining what a
user does to finish a task or complete a goal through your product or
experience.
 How to Make a User Flow Diagram
• What is the user trying to do? — Determine your objective and your
users’ objectives.
• What is the entry point into this flow? — Identify where your users
are coming from.
• What extra information will the user need to be successful? —
Identify what information your users need and when they need it.
• What are the user’s hesitations or barriers to accomplishing the task?
— Identify the challenges and keep them in mind when designing the
full experience.
• Oval — start or endpoint
The oval symbolises the start or the end in a flowchart.
• Rectangle — process or action
The rectangle symbolize steps in the process. This is your go-to symbol in any flowchart and by far the most commonly used.
• Parallelogram — input or output
The parallelogram symbolizes input/output of external data.
• Diamond — decision
The diamond symbolise decisions. This will typically split your flowchart using arrows.
• Arrow — direction
The arrow symbol is used to represent a flow direction. This will be, coupled with the rectangle, your go-to symbol.
Example