Chapter+Eighteen

18.1: Introduction:**
 * __Chapter 18: Contextual Design 1: The Contextual Interview and work modeling.__
 * Contextual design method is a mixture of:
 * Familiar techniques with a new twist, such as the contextual interview
 * Established techniques integrated into the method, such as paper prototypes and scenarios
 * Novel modeling techniques for representing work practice and the new design, such as the flow model and the user environment diagram
 * Team building and data sharing techniques
 * On being an analyst/designer:
 * Applying Contextual design is a team activity
 * Why Contextual design?
 * Context: human, physical, organizational, historical and social environment in which a technology is used.
 * Contextual design: practical design method which focuses on fitting software and hardware solutions to the human, physical (and so forth) environment.
 * Supports the designer in finding out about context and translating these factors into the design of products which meet customers’ needs.
 * When should contextual design be used?
 * For the design of generic products across a particular customer sector.
 * Used by a design team: its models are helpful for sharing data and interpretations as well as recording them
 * 18.2: Contextual Inquiry:**
 * First stage of contextual design
 * A combination of a focused interview and observation
 * Go where the customer works, observe the customer as they work, talk to the customer about work, gain a better understanding of customer.
 * 4 guiding principles:
 * Context:
 * Go to the customer’s workplace and observe how work is actually carried out.
 * Focus on concrete data and tasks rather than generalized abstractions.
 * Partnership:
 * Looking for patterns and structure in the work while the customer contributes her knowledge of how the work really gets done.
 * As redesign ideas occur, the customer can add their input.
 * __Master-apprentice model__: customer teaches the analyst by doing the work and talking about it while working.
 * Interpretation:
 * The analyst must interpret workplace data so that it is properly understood
 * Focus:
 * Every visit and interview needs a focus, though concentrating on one part of the work helps to see detail but at the expense of other aspects.
 * Sharing data with the team helps avoid that problem
 * Who to interview:
 * 2 to 3 people should be interviewed for each work role in each of 4 to 6 organizations.
 * 18.3: Contextual Design: work modeling:**
 * Next stage is to document the raw data obtained from interviews and observation as a set of models.
 * Models each represent a different facet of work
 * 18.4: Flow models:**
 * Represents how work is broken up across people and how it is coordinated to get the whole job done.
 * Drawn from a particular point of view
 * Components:
 * //Individuals//: who is involved.
 * //Responsibilities:// belonging to each individual
 * //Groups//: most ran one person with the same responsibilities
 * //Flow//: how people communicate to get the work done, whether by informal chat or more formal artifacts such as invoices
 * //Artifacts//: the ‘things’ that are processed or support work
 * //Communication topic or action//: such as a request for a room.
 * //Places//: meeting rooms, shown if they are central to coordinating the work
 * //Breakdowns//: problems in communication and coordination
 * 18.5: Sequence Models**
 * Represents work tasks
 * Ordered and unfold over time
 * Components:
 * The //intent// (or purpose) that the sequence is intended to achieve
 * The //trigger// which causes the sequence of actions
 * A series of //steps// which achieve the intent
 * Any //breakdowns// or problems
 * 18.6: Artifact models**
 * Artifacts are the things people use or create in their work
 * Artifact model has two uses:
 * Tease out details of how work is done currently, preferably with customers
 * Provides basic information as to what data or other material is currently held/processed/communicated, its current organization, and problems occurring
 * Components:
 * The //information// content itself
 * The //structure// of the object into different //parts//, showing different usages
 * Informal //annotation// of the artifact
 * The //presentation// of the artifact
 * Note any aspects which change over //time//
 * Any //breakdowns// in its use.
 * 18.7: The cultural model**
 * Work takes place in a culture which defines people’s expectations, wishes, organizational policies and values.
 * Often cultural assumptions are unspoken and invisible
 * Components:
 * //Influencers//: people or bodies which affect the way work is done, typically managers, customers or competitors, or regulatory bodies
 * The //extent// to which the work is affected by the influencers, indicated by the degree of overlap between bubbles
 * The //direction// of the influence
 * //Breakdowns// arising from cultural issues.
 * 18.8: The physical model**
 * Representation of where the work takes place.
 * Shows the key features of the workplace
 * Helps to show why work is carried out in a particular way
 * Indicates physical features which may need an equivalent in a computer system
 * Components:
 * The //physical structures// of the workplace
 * //Movement// within the workplace- the paths of people’s regular movements between parts of the workplace
 * //Communications// and //computer technologies// and //networks//
 * The location of //key Artifacts// created or processed
 * The //layout// of the workplace
 * //breakdowns//