Using Contextual Design Techniques to Identify Work Task Problems in Dynamic Work Environments – A Field Study of Isolating Safety Challenges for Small Builders

Abstract

Contextual Design (CD) is a structured method for collecting, interpreting and aggregating qualitative data about work processes and is typically used for creating software that addresses user's needs of a particular task in static indoor environments. In this paper, we discuss the use of CD techniques - Contextual Inquiry and Work Modeling, to identify work task problems commonly existing across tasks in dynamic work environments. We also describe a field study that makes use of the CD techniques to isolate safety challenges – the most cited universal problem in the construction industry – for small builders. Six contractors participated in the study. Critical safety incidents of the observed construction tasks were utilized to identify safety challenges. The contextual interview data were integrated to form consolidated work models, each of which captured, from differing perspectives, the safety challenges of small builders. The insights could not only help construction stakeholders identify possible safety interventions in preventing accidents and/or injuries, but also aid in guiding the selection of appropriate interventions for implementation. The results of the field study provide evidence of CD as a descriptive research technique to identify engineering or administrative solutions to work task problems not only in static but also in dynamic work environments.