Advance Program - Tutorial

24. Understanding Users and Work in Context: Practical Observation Skills

Monday, 08:30 - 17:00

Instructor
Susan M. Dray, Dray & Associates, Inc., USA

Benefits
You will learn how to plan for and carry out observations of users. Heavy emphasis is on practical steps for the designer that will lead to success. You will practice two types of observations (Naturalistic Observation and Contextual Inquiry).

Origins
This is an update of a highly rated tutorial from CHI 96, CHI 97, CHI 98 and CHI 99, including additional exercises and revised materials.

Features

• Learn about Structured Observation techniques and how to use them
• Learn three types of techniques:
  • Naturalistic Observation
  • Contextual Inquiry
  • Artifact Walk-throughs
• Practice doing Naturalistic Observation and Contextual Inquiry
• Identify next steps for data analysis and use in design
• Learn when and how to apply these tools to customer-centered design

Audience
This hands-on session will focus on practical solutions and skills and will provide tools for participants to use with their own work. It is aimed at practitioners who want to understand how users work in order to do a better job of system design. This is an introductory tutorial, but will also be useful for those with some experience observing users.

Presentation
Lecture, group discussion, and small group hands-on exercises.

Instructor
Susan M. Dray has a Ph.D. in Psychology and has worked as researcher, manager and consultant in the design of technology at Honeywell, American Express and, for the past seven years, as an independent consultant. She has published numerous articles on this and other relevant topics. She is a Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), and has been active in CHI since CHI 85. She is the Business column editor of Interactions.