Contextual Design
After each contextual inquiry session, the team spent hours creating data models (which included a flow model, cultural model, sequence model, physical model, and artifact model for each contextual inquiry). These individual work models were very useful for summarizing individual CI sessions and how these individual practices reveal overarching patterns of work and communication; however, it was hard to get a sense of the entire target population. Therefore, it was neccessary to collapse all models of one type into one consolidated model.
The flow and cultural models identified all of the roles that were present in the individual models, in addition to all of the communication and work flow between them. The sequence model identified discrete sequences that seemed to be common across all or many users. Creating this model proved more challenging because the individual sequence models lacked necessary detail, this is most likely a reflection of the complexity of the PACS system and the team's lack of domain knowledge.
Due to privacy concerns, it was also difficult to gather artifacts in a hospital environment without running afoul of HIPAA or IRB regulations. This created additional challenges with the development of the artifact model. The screenshots that had been gathered were so diverse that no one collapsed version would be representative. Hence, the artifact model became a collection of abstracted wireframes. Finally, for the physical model, the team established the salient features of the PACS environments observed from memory and then stepped through the individual models to transfer any unique items and breakdowns observed.
Creating the Flow Model