Contextual Design uses in-depth field research and well-defined processes to develop a design that works for people. Contextual Design is equally useful to invent a game-changing design independent of what has gone before and to design the next version of an existing successful product. Contextual Design has been giving an edge to teams in a wide variety of industries around the world for 20 years — and it has now been updated for today’s world.
The first challenge for any design team is to understand their users — who the people are who will be using the product. In today’s world of always-connected devices, products must fit into users’ lives more intimately than ever before. Users expect to do the activities of their work and home lives at any time and in any place — while waiting for the bus, stopped at a light, in bed at night, and, of course, at the office.
To be successful in this new world, designers must understand design for life — not just how to support the particular activities, but how those activities fit into the overall structure of users’ lives. A product that helps users get the job done will be seen as useful — but a product that enhances the users’ lives will be loved.
Contextual Design gives you the tools you need to create innovative, modern designs that fit users’ lives. The roots of Contextual Design go back 20 years, giving you a time-proven method that guides teams through the steps of user-centered design. But it’s been updated based on extensive research — over 80 field interviews and over 2000 survey respondents — to address designs in a way no other process can.