Usability testing is an important part of making sure that products and systems are easy to use. But to make products USEFUL, you need to understand your users very deeply, and field research is the best way to do this. Field research has many names including “Ethnography”, “Contextual Research”, and “Field work.” All of these focus on understanding the user’s real behavior in the actual context of use – such as in the home, at work or in a public place. When it is done well, field research can influence product design at a deeper level.

This talk will:
 •  Give examples from field research projects to show what field research is
 •  Show the impact it can have on product planning
 •  Discuss how it fits into product development