Read the situation
Start with behaviour in context. The artefact comes later.
- 01Readthe situation
- 02Explainthe mechanism
- 03Examinethe evidence
- 04Judgeunder constraint
- 05Translateinto form
- 06Observewhat happens
- 07Transferwhat was learned
Start with behaviour in context.
What are people actually doing? What are they trying to achieve? What constraints shape their decisions? What workarounds have they invented?
The artefact (a screen, classroom, policy, workflow or resource) is only part of the situation.
Methods
Four methods that help
Each is a card in Riffle, a library of design method cards I built. The card says when to use the method, how to run it and what you get.
Contextual inquiry (opens Riffle in a new tab)
What do people actually do when they do this work, in their own setting, and why?
A few hours · A small team
Shadowing (opens Riffle in a new tab)
What does this person’s whole day or process look like, including the moments they wouldn’t think to report?
About a day · One person
Behavioural mapping (opens Riffle in a new tab)
How is this space actually used, where and when, and by whom?
Weeks or more · A small team
Stakeholder map (opens Riffle in a new tab)
Who is involved in or affected by this work, and how do they relate to each other?
A few hours · A small team