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Criterion
Paper illustration for Contextual Inquiry.
UX Research
Contextual Inquiry
Context Map workspace showing the question, observations, and next decision.
Domain Modeling
Context Map
Paper illustration of Family Tree Analysis with its method-specific working model.
Operations
Family Tree Analysis
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.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 series of incidents with a similar pattern, the method arranges individual events as branches of a common origin. It makes visible which conditions keep recurring.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.
Complexitysame
MediumMediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
1-3 Wochen1-3 h2-4 h2-4 h
Participantsdifferent
4-12 Beobachtungen2-82-62-6
Formatsame
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain PointsContext Map, Integration Patterns, Boundary NotesFamily Tree Diagram, Pattern Notes, Systemic MeasuresBarrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog
Tagsno overlap
UX researchObservationContext
Domain-Driven DesignBoundariesStrategy
Root causePatternsIncidentSystemic
Root causeSafetyIncident
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