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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration: scenarios and architectural decisions are connected to identified risks.
Architecture
ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)
Gemba Walk workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Operations
Gemba Walk
Paper illustration for Standard Work Analysis.
Operations
Standard Work Analysis
Purposedifferent
When work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise.ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation.When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions.When the same task is done differently depending on the person, the method exposes the reliable core. It creates comparability without unnecessarily choking off needed latitude.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighLowMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 WochenSeveral meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope30-120 min1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
4-12 BeobachtungenEvaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders2-62-6
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsPrioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigationsObservation Notes, Improvement IdeasStandard Work Sheet, Deviation List, Improved Standard, Training Needs
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders
LeanObservationProcessOperations
LeanProcessQuality
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