Contextual Inquiry Observation Plan
Watch people in their real environment.
The Open buttons send the prompt text as currently shown below to that site only when you click. Fill in the placeholders first.
[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it.
Plan a contextual inquiry. The work or activity to observe: [ACTIVITY]. Location and setting: [SETTING]. Participants: [PARTICIPANTS]. Research questions: [RESEARCH_QUESTIONS].
Produce: logistics (permission from participant and organization, safety, privacy of bystanders, recording rules, what not to capture such as customer data or screens with personal information); a session structure (introduction 10 minutes, observation of real work 60 minutes with minimal interruption, interpretation questions 15 minutes, close 5 minutes); an observation sheet with columns for time, action, tool, trigger, workaround, emotion or quote, and my interpretation (kept in a separate column); and a list of probing questions to ask only at natural pauses ("Can you show me what you just did there?").
Include etiquette (be a learner, do not fix problems, do not judge), a plan for photographing artifacts with permission, an analysis method (affinity diagram, sequence models), and a debrief template for the team within 24 hours. Flag privacy and workplace rules to confirm [VERIFY]. Do not invent observations.
Fill in before use
Optional: type your details and the prompt above updates. Nothing is saved or sent.
Replace each bracketed placeholder with your own details, then paste into Any AI or another assistant.