Process - Contextual Inquiry

Because our target users in the Navy were located a significant distance from Carnegie Mellon University, we conducted contextual inquiries with analogous users here in Pittsburgh. In particular, we observed students in technical fields at the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics and Carnegie Mellon University's Electrical Computer Engineering Department. Another team working on a similar project also shared their information collected from a similar visit to Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics as well as visits to a local car mechanic and the Hunt Armory (home to the Pennsylvania National Guard).

To understand the problem, we needed to understand how our target uses would use manuals and how this fit in maintenance work. To prepare for a meeting at the Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, we observed people in the electrical engineering classes and technical schools. We observed how they followed instructions to guide their tasks on another component and how they troubleshoot problems with a component.