For any type of field study (including, even especially, call centres), I've found this book invaluable:
Hackos and Redish: User and task analysis for interface design (Wiley) http://www.amazon.com/User-Task-Analysis-Interface-Design/dp/0471178314/ref= sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246390798&sr=1-2 Despite the name, this is actually a book about going to observe users in their natural habitat and finding out what they do. It's still the best book on the topic even though it was published in 1998. The best bit about it having been out for ages is that you can pick up a good second-hand copy for about $15 including shipping. As with any book written by Ginny Redish, it's amazingly clear and practical. And one quick tip: I ask people to save up examples of three types of work ahead of my visit: - something easy - something typical - something difficult, important, or that they'd be upset if it went wrong. They're usually quite willing to do that because it doesn't sound onerous (and it isn't). This then opens the door to a conversation about what 'easy', 'typical' and 'difficult' might mean to them. I've found that if I _don't_ do this, then they tend to focus only on the difficult/important stuff - which is well worth finding out about, don't get me wrong, but which then obscures the everyday humdrum stuff which is actually the bulk of the work. Best Caroline Jarrett www.formsthatwork.com ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
