Stalk Your User
Web Techniques, Jeffrey Veen: Contextual inquiry is an increasingly popular method for discovering this information. Also known as ethnographic research or field studies, the idea is deceptively simple: Build useful products and watch your users as they work. The process itself sounds even easier: Go to where your users are and tag along with them. (2001-05-13)
The link address is: http://www.webtechniques.com/archives/2001/06/veen/