Observation

Once you know what you don't know, start interacting with customers and users.

Card sorting

What

A categorization exercise in which participants divide concepts into different groups based on their understanding of those concepts.

Why

To gain insights from users about how to organize content in an intuitive way.

Templates

Phase

Observation

Time required

15–30 minutes per user

How to do it

There are two types of card sorting: open and closed. Most card sorts are performed with one user at a time, but you can also do the exercise with groups of two to three people.

Open card sort

  1. Give users a collection of content represented on cards.
  2. Ask users to separate the cards into whatever categories make sense to them.
  3. Ask users to label those categories.
  4. Ask users to tell you why they grouped the cards and labeled the categories as they did.

Closed card sort

  1. Give users a collection of content represented on cards.
  2. Ask users to separate the cards into a list of categories you have predefined.
  3. Ask users to tell you why they assigned cards to the categories they did.

Example from 18F

Considerations for use in government

No PRA implications. The PRA explicitly exempts direct observation and non-standardized conversation, 5 CFR 1320.3(h)3. It also explicitly excludes tests of knowledge or aptitude, 5 CFR 1320.3(h)7, which is essentially what a card sort tests (though in our case, a poor result is our fault).

Cognitive walkthrough

What

An evaluation method in which people work through a set of representative tasks and ask questions about the task as they go.

Why

To get quick and early feedback on whether a design solution is easy for a new or infrequent user to learn, and why it is or isn’t easy. This method is useful for catching big issues at any stage in the design process when you don’t have access to real users, but it is not a substitute for user evaluation.

Phase

Observation

Time required

30 minutes to one hour per person

How to do it

  1. Identify specific traits for new or infrequent users of a design solution.
  2. Develop a set of representative tasks that emphasize new use or infrequent use.
  3. Designate a member of the design team to play the role of a user. That person will use the traits you’ve identified to participate in a moderated usability testing session. (The traits can overlap.)
  4. Ask the user to accomplish their goal using a printed or interactive design. As they go, ask what they would attempt to do next or how they would learn.
  5. Don’t lead the user through the task, but encourage them to stay focused on what they’re trying to accomplish.
  6. Pay attention to expected outcomes and how quickly/easily participants are able to pick up a task.
  7. Analyze the walkthrough results to highlight where the user struggled and what needs improvement.

Additional resources

Considerations for use in government

No PRA implications. The PRA explicitly exempts direct observation and non-standardized conversation (e.g., not a survey) that a cognitive walkthrough entails, 5 CFR 1320.3(h)3.

If you are not working with government employees, you will need to observe standard precautions for archiving personally identifiable information.

Contextual inquiry

What

The product team unobtrusively observes participants at work, with their permission, then asks questions.

Why

To learn how and why users do what they do; to discover needs and attitudes that might not emerge in an interview to map how tools, digital and otherwise, interact during complex activities.

Phase

Observation

Time required

1-2 hours per user

How to do it

  1. With permission from a supervisor and from the participant, schedule a time to watch a typical work activity and record data.
  2. While observing, ask the participant to act normally. Pretend you’re a student learning how to do the job. Ask questions to help you understand what the person is doing and why.
  3. At the end of the session, explain what you have learned and check for errors.
  4. Immediately after, write up your notes.

Example from 18F

A pair of 18F team members visited two Department of Labor/Wage Hour Division investigators as they interviewed home health care workers who were subject to unpaid overtime and other infractions. Since it was a sensitive subject, the 18F team did not question the health care workers directly, but instead asked the investigators clarifying questions in private. 18F staff also made sure that photos did not include faces.

Additional resources

Considerations for use in government

No PRA implications, if done properly. Contextual interviews should be non-standardized, conversational, and based on observation. The PRA explicitly exempts direct observation and non-standardized conversation, 5 CFR 1320.3(h)3. See the methods for Recruiting and Privacy for more tips on taking input from the public.

For internal folks, get permission from the right level of management. If participants could be under union agreements, contact the agency’s labor relations team.

User interviews

What

A wide-spanning set of semi-structured interviews with actual users of the service. (For interviewing other people who have influence on or are impacted by the service, see Stakeholder Interviews in Awareness.)

Why

To develop a deeper understanding of the goals, needs, and actions of people who use the service.

Templates

Phase

Observation

Time required

1–2 hours per interviewee

How to do it

  1. Create a guide for yourself of some topics you’d like to ask about, and some specific questions as a back up. Questions will often concern the individual’s role, the organization, the individuals’ needs, and metrics for success of the project.
  2. Sit down one-on-one with the participant, or two-on-one with a note-taker or joint interviewer, in a focused environment. Introduce yourself. Explain the premise for the interview as far as you can without biasing their responses.
  3. Follow the conversation where the participant takes it. They will focus on their priorities and interests. Be comfortable with silences, which allow the participant to elaborate. To keep from getting entirely off course, use your interview guide to make sure you cover what you need to. Ask lots of “why is that” and “how do you do that” questions.
  4. If there are other products they use or your product doesn’t have constraints imposed by prior work, observe the stakeholders using a competing product and consider a comparative analysis.

Additional resources

Considerations for use in government

No PRA implications. The PRA explicitly exempts direct observation and non-standardized conversation, 5 CFR 1320.3(h)3. See the methods for Recruiting and Privacy for more tips on taking input from the public.