Field Research

Field research, or contextual enquiry, is a method of researching users and their needs in their own environment.

What are the Advantages of Field Research?

• Users are better at explaining issues in context, rather than recalling
• You see where the usability pain occurs for everyday users
• You view the order of tasks
• You see opportunities, e.g. where users have to rely on external software tools to complete tasks
• You hear the language of users, so that it can be reflected in the system
• You learn system short cuts that users have discovered