The behaviour of the users is observed while they are dealing with a product. The observation can take place directly (by the presence of an observer recording the behaviour) or indirectly (by video recording).
Observation provides a lot of detailed information about the actual course of interaction with a product. Observation allows the detection of unexpected user actions. However, this method is only conditionally suitable for determining the expectations, attitudes and wishes of the user.
A special variant of observation is field observation. It is used to investigate the behavioral patterns of users in their familiar environment. Thereby insights into action sequences can be gained and standard situations can be recorded. In the case of direct observation, however, it is possible that user behaviour changes due to the presence of the observer. In addition, it is difficult to detect critical or rarely occurring events on the basis of observations.
