Contextual Inquiry Template

What This Template Is For

Interviews tell you what users say they do. Contextual inquiry shows you what users actually do. The difference matters. People routinely omit steps they consider obvious, forget workarounds they have automated, and underestimate friction they have normalized. Contextual inquiry puts you in the user's environment to observe real work as it happens, asking questions in context rather than relying on recalled experiences.

This template provides a complete contextual inquiry protocol: planning and logistics, the master-apprentice observation model, observation guide, probing techniques, artifact collection, and work model analysis. It is designed for PMs and researchers who need deep understanding of workflows that users cannot fully describe in an interview room.

The Product Discovery Handbook covers when contextual inquiry is the right method versus interviews, surveys, or diary studies. For a longitudinal version where participants self-report over time, see the Diary Study Template. If your research goal is understanding a market segment rather than individual workflows, the Jobs to Be Done framework helps you structure your findings.

How to Use This Template

1. Identify the workflow to study. Pick a specific task or process, not a broad topic. "How support agents resolve billing disputes" is better than "how the support team works."
2. Select sites and participants. Choose 4-6 participants who represent different contexts (roles, experience levels, environments).
3. Schedule sessions. Each session runs 60-90 minutes. Schedule during times when the target workflow normally happens.
4. Adopt the master-apprentice model. You are the apprentice. The participant is the master. They do their work while you observe and ask clarifying questions.
5. Observe, then probe. Watch first. When something interesting happens, ask: "Can you tell me why you did that?" or "Is that what usually happens?"
6. Collect artifacts. Photograph screens, documents, sticky notes, and physical tools the participant uses.
7. Build work models. After all sessions, synthesize observations into flow models, sequence models, and artifact models.

The Template

Section 1: Study Overview

Section 2: Research Objectives

• ☐ Define what workflow or process you need to understand deeply
• ☐ Confirm this requires observation (not just interview recall)
• ☐ Identify the product decisions this understanding will inform

Objectives:

1. [What is the actual sequence of steps users follow?]
2. [What tools, documents, and people are involved?]
3. [Where do breakdowns, workarounds, or inefficiencies occur?]

Section 3: Site and Participant Selection

• ☐ Identify 4-6 participants who perform the target workflow regularly
• ☐ Select participants who vary in experience, role, or environment
• ☐ Get permission from participants and their managers (if workplace study)
• ☐ Confirm you can be present during actual work (not a staged demo)

Incentive. [Amount and format, e.g., "$100 per 90-minute session"]

Section 4: Observation Guide

Before the session:

• ☐ Review what you know about this participant's role and context
• ☐ Prepare your note-taking setup (laptop, notebook, camera)
• ☐ Confirm recording consent (audio, video, screen capture)
• ☐ Arrive 10 minutes early to observe the physical environment

Opening script:

"I am here to learn how you do [specific task]. I will watch you work and ask questions along the way. Please do your work exactly as you normally would. There are no right or wrong ways to do things. I am the apprentice and you are the expert. If I ask a question at an inconvenient time, just tell me and I will wait."

During the session:

Section 5: Probing Techniques

Use these in-context questions when you observe something noteworthy. Do not interrupt flow. Wait for a natural pause.

• ☐ Sequence probe: "Walk me through what you just did step by step."
• ☐ Trigger probe: "What made you decide to do X instead of Y?"
• ☐ Artifact probe: "What is this document/spreadsheet/tool? When do you use it?"
• ☐ Workaround probe: "Is this how you always do it, or is this a workaround?"
• ☐ Exception probe: "What happens when this does not go as expected?"
• ☐ Frequency probe: "How often does this situation come up?"
• ☐ Emotion probe: "You sighed just now. What was going through your mind?"
• ☐ Collaboration probe: "Who else is involved in this process?"

Things to watch for (observation checklist):

• ☐ Steps the participant considers "obvious" and does not mention
• ☐ Physical or digital tools used alongside your product
• ☐ Moments of hesitation, confusion, or frustration
• ☐ Workarounds (copy-paste between tools, sticky notes, manual tracking)
• ☐ Communication with colleagues during the task
• ☐ Information sources consulted (docs, Slack, colleagues, memory)

Section 6: Artifact Collection

• ☐ Screenshot or photograph every tool, document, and physical artifact used
• ☐ Note the purpose and frequency of use for each artifact
• ☐ Capture the information flow: where data comes from and where it goes

Section 7: Work Model Analysis

After all sessions, synthesize observations into structured models.

Flow Model. Map how information, artifacts, and decisions move between people and systems.

• ☐ Identify all actors (people, systems, tools)
• ☐ Draw information flows between actors
• ☐ Mark breakdowns where flow is interrupted or lossy

Sequence Model. Document the step-by-step process for the target workflow.

• ☐ List every step observed (including steps participants did not mention)
• ☐ Mark decision points where the process branches
• ☐ Identify steps that vary across participants

Artifact Model. Catalog all tools and documents used.

• ☐ List each artifact with its role in the workflow
• ☐ Note which artifacts are formal (product features) vs. informal (spreadsheets, notes)
• ☐ Identify gaps where no artifact exists but one is needed

Consolidated Findings:

Filled Example: Studying Customer Support Escalation Workflows

Study Overview

Participants

Key Findings

Decision outcome. Build an in-product escalation assistant that surfaces the unwritten criteria agents currently carry in their heads. Prioritize automating the status update workflow (20+ minutes per escalation saved). Create a shared knowledge base to replace personal cheat sheets.

Key Takeaways

• Contextual inquiry reveals what users actually do, not what they say they do
• Use the master-apprentice model: observe first, then probe during natural pauses
• Collect artifacts (screenshots, photos, documents) as concrete evidence
• Watch for workarounds, tool-switching, and steps participants consider "obvious"
• Synthesize observations into flow models, sequence models, and artifact models
• Four to six sessions typically reveal strong patterns across participants

About This Template

Created by: Tim Adair

Last Updated: 3/4/2026

Version: 1.0.0

License: Free for personal and commercial use