Simply put, contextual inquiry (CI) is a scripted interview with an individual user, typically coupled with an observation of how that individual performs tasks that the new design might address.

The idea behind CI is rooted in anthropological and sociological studies in which the subjects of research are observed in their natural habitat. To experience designers, this type of direct contact with users is invaluable. After spending long hours for months thinking about the product, it is easy for members of the product team to develop a myopic mindset in which the product is also the most important thing in the user's life. Contextual inquiry provides an opportunity to restore perspective, without losing the significance of the product in its context of use:

• A wide perspective that contextualizes the use of the product within a broader aspects of the user's personal or work life. For example, developers of lesson planning software for teachers get to understand how the use of the software fits into a teacher's busy schedule, which is consumed by hours of classroom time, meetings, curriculum development, and other professional activities. Within this broad context, the busy teacher who can access the tool only during short bursts of free time, needs the software to be as efficient, easy to use, fast and productive as possible.
• A deep perspective that provides a comprehensive understanding of how the product might be used for the purpose it is intended for--in the case of the software for teachers, the order in which teachers approach various tasks associated with lesson planning, such as resource gathering, homework assignment, test writing, and student assessment.