The User Observation Guide
Use this when you need to see how a task is really done, rather than hear how it’s usually described. Worked in “Watch Users Work to Find What Causes Their Complaints.”
Follow these steps in order:
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Pick a real task and a real shift, at the time of day the work actually happens.
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Get consent from the person you’ll watch and from whoever runs the site.
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Watch before you ask anything.
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Record what you see in the table below as it happens.
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Stay silent while the person works, and don’t help, even when they struggle.
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Ask your questions afterward, pointing at what you saw.
The User Observation Guide’s recording sheet.
| Record | What you saw |
|---|---|
What the person did, in order |
|
Where they hesitated |
|
What they left the product to do |
|
What they had to remember |
|
Where they were interrupted, and how they recovered |
|
What they built for themselves (spreadsheets, sticky notes, printouts, workarounds) |
|
Questions to ask afterward |
The last-but-one row usually matters most. A spreadsheet or a sticky note on the monitor is a feature the user had to build because the product didn’t.