Framework
The AEIOU framework for field observation
Five categories for coding field notes
AEIOU is a five-part scaffold for taking notes during field studies and contextual inquiry. Each observation is coded as an activity, environment, interaction, object or user, which keeps notes from different researchers comparable. Use it while observing and again when clustering notes across participants. Koji's AI interviews can cover the same five areas when research is remote.
Where this appears
What's in this framework
- Activities: Goal-directed actions and the steps people take to reach a goal.
- Environments: The physical, digital or social spaces where the activities happen.
- Interactions: Exchanges between people, or between people and systems.
- Objects: Tools, devices and documents, and how people repurpose them.
- Users: The people involved: their roles, goals and relationships.
Use this image
Free to use in your docs, decks and posts under CC BY 4.0, as long as you credit Koji with a link to this page. To embed it, paste this into your page:
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<a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/aeiou-framework-field-observation-five-categories"><img src="https://www.koji.so/visuals/aeiou-framework-field-observation-five-categories/aeiou-framework-field-observation-five-categories.png" alt="Framework showing the five AEIOU categories for field observation: activities, environments, interactions, objects and users." width="1200" height="724" /></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.koji.so/visuals/aeiou-framework-field-observation-five-categories">The AEIOU framework for field observation</a>, Koji</p>
