Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 1

• Who is Digital Saber Solutions? • Who is Roger Hutcheson? • What is today’s topic? • Using Contextual Inquiry • Q&A

AGENDA

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 2

BPA & Contextual Inquiry

5/14/2013 Confidential 3

Digital Saber

Solution

Consulting

Services

Web Design

&

Development

Mobile

Applications

Cloud

Applications

Business

Process

Automation

Established in 2003

Focused on Usability

• Consulting

• Website Solution

• Cloud Applications

• Mobile Applications

Services & Solutions

Roger Hutcheson Digital Saber Solutions VP Client Strategy 980-202-1832 roger@digitalsaber.net

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 4

In 1989 Roger started a successful 20 + year career in Information Technology as a Computer Technician installing turnkey networks from the ground up. As his career progressed he gained knowledge and skill as a Field Manager, Systems Engineer, IT Business Analyst, Project Manager, Consultant and Business Development professional. Evolving with the growth of technology Roger moved into Customer Application Development connecting users with the correct application to solve real business issues. He enjoys the challenge of automating existing manual process with the use of technology.

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 5

Who is Roger?

Two Questions??

1. How many times have you spent days/weeks/months to have the entire project get cancelled or change?

2. What main step can you take to stop this problem?

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 6

Know your USERS!!!!

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 7

***User – Center Design (UCD)***

What is UCD, UXD, HCI, HCC, HCS, IXD (XD), IA, UX…?

• Usability? • UXD? • Human Computer Interaction? • Human-Centered Computing? • Human-Centered Systems • Interaction Design • Information Architecture • User Experience

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 8

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 9

What is Business Process Automation?

Business process automation (BPA) is defined as the automation of complex business processes and functions beyond conventional data manipulation and record-keeping activities, usually through the use of advanced technologies. It focuses on “run the business” as opposed to “count the business” types of automation efforts and often deals with event-driven, mission-critical, core processes. BPA usually supports an enterprise’s knowledge workers in satisfying the needs of its many constituencies. “ By Gartner”

IT’S ABOUT THE USERS!

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 10

What is Contextual Inquiry?

Contextual Inquiry is an observation or interview method accomplished in the field as opposed to in the lab or interview room. The intent is to allow designers to ground their domain knowledge in how real users accomplished the tasks that the product is supposed to support. To automate a business process you need to fully understand the current process defined by the business unit and then break it down to identify potential areas of inefficiency. Contextual Inquiry is important because it gives a designer the ability to observe and question the experts at the same time. This can identify breakdowns in the current process as well as define a more effective and efficient automated solution.

Contextual inquiry is a semi-structured interview method to obtain information about the context of use, where users are first asked a set of standard questions and then observed and questioned while they work in their own environments.

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 11

Better Question!

Where did Contextual Inquiry evolve from?

Anthropology Sociology Ethnography Contextual

Inquiry

Why use Contextual Inquiry?

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 12

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 13

Usability Engineering

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 14

Usability Engineering is the discipline that provides structured methods for achieving usability in user interface design during

product development.

Usability Engineering Roots:

• Cognitive Psychology • Experimental Psychology • Ethnography • Software Engineering

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 15

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 16

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 17

3 Main Contextual Inquiry Principles

• Context – Complete your study in the context in which the work actually gets done. • Memory is not our friend • Social and Environmental Enhancements

• Relationship with the user needs to be clear • Who is the expert?

• Focus – Set your primary goal and stick with it. • Do not fish • Watch and gain understanding

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 18

Contextual Inquiry Steps

• Build Your Team • At least 2 people 4 is best

• Developer’s (Typically Very Important) • Designer’s • Business Analyst’s • Stakeholder’s

• Define the Problem • Identify your Participants

• Choose sites to visit • Understand the structure of the work • Typically – 5 sites and 4 users at each • Engage SME’s (Subject Matter Expert) first • System Users

• Upstream Users (Information Flow) • Downstream Users (Information Flow) • Managers • System Administrators • Clients (results)

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 19

Contextual Inquiry Steps (continued)

• Conduct Interviews • Approximately a day per location

• 9:00 - 9:30 – Meet & Greet – Brief Presentation • 9:30 – 12:00 – Contextual Interviews • 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch with Everyone • 1:00 – 3:00 More Interviews – Different Users • 3:00 – 3:30 Interviewers do initial consolidation/review of findings • 3:30 – 4:00 Meet with host for Q&A & quick results

• Do not for get the Thank You! • Analysis of the Interviews (1.5 x Interview itself)

• Each Interview • Compiled findings

• Affinity Diagraming Process • Cluster Same or Similar • Stabilize Clusters • Categorize the Groupings into Hierarchical Sets

• Main Level • No more than 6 sub groups

• Create Report

Interpretation Session

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 20

Database

Contains all "observations, insights, design ideas, and questions" generated in the IS.

Context Model Graphically depicts the socio-cultural influences on a work role.

Physical Model Graphically shows the environmental context for the work.

Flow Model Graphically represents the information producer/consumer relationship between the work

role being studied and those it interacts with.

Sequence Models Diagram the specific actions taken in time to accomplish a task.

Artifact Models Representations of the artifacts the users were observed to use in carrying out their work

annotated with the significance of its features (make sure to call out the subtle ones).

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 21

Database Model- Example

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 22

Context Model - Example

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 23

Physical Model - Example

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 24

Sequence Model - Example

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 25

Artifact Model - Example

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 26

Flow Model - Example

Affinity Diagram Example

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 27

Resources

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 28

Books • Contextual Design: Defining Customer-Centered Systems • Rapid Contextual Design: A How-to Guide to Key Techniques for User-Centered

Design Website • http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/contextual-

inquiry.shtml • http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2012/06/why-are-contextual-inquiries-so-

difficult.php • https://sites.google.com/site/si682clinical/milestone-2-contextual-inquiry

Certifications: • UXLabs - http://www.ux-labs.com/ • Human Factors International - http://www.humanfactors.com/home/usability.asp

KNOW YOUR USER!!!

Digital Saber Solutions Confidential 5/14/2013 29