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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Paper illustration for Causal Factor Analysis.
Operations
Causal Factor Analysis
Context Map workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Domain Modeling
Context Map
Paper illustration of Barrier Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Barrier 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.For an event with a complicated course, the method breaks down the contributing factors along the timeline. It shows how conditions, decisions, and reactions together produce a course of events.When several contexts need to talk to each other, it makes their relationships and dependencies legible. It helps sort integration pressure and responsibilities across system boundaries.For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions.
Complexitydifferent
MediumHighMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen2-6 h1-3 h2-4 h
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen3-102-82-6
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsEvent Timeline, Causal Factor Chart, Cause List, Corrective ActionsContext Map, Integration Patterns, Boundary NotesBarrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
CausalityIncidentRoot causeTimeline
Domain-Driven DesignBoundariesStrategy
Root causeSafetyIncident
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