UR
Shadowing
A practical in-context method for understanding how work unfolds across time, tasks, interruptions, and decisions.
How to use shadowing to see real workflows from start to finish and understand how people actually manage their day.
What it is
Shadowing is a qualitative UX serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service method where you follow a user over a period of time to observe how they carry out real tasks in their natural glossaryEnvironmentAn environment is a specific configured setup where software runs, such as development, staging, or production, each with its own data and settings. Keeping them consistent is what makes behaviour in one predict behaviour in another.Open glossary term.
It is a form of in-glossaryContextContext is the set of surrounding conditions that shape how someone behaves and decides, including their goal, their environment, their time pressure, and what happened immediately before. The same action can mean different things in different contexts.Open glossary term serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service focused on continuity. Instead of observing a single task, you see how work unfolds across multiple activities, interruptions, and decisions.
Unlike interviews or short glossaryObservationObservation is a research method where user behaviour is watched and analysed without interference.Open glossary term, shadowing captures the flow of glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term over time, including how people switch between tasks and respond to real-world pressures.
The goal is to understand the full picture of how work happens, not just isolated moments.
Shadowing is most useful when the shape of the work matters just as much as the individual tasks within it.
When to use it
Use this method when you need to understand glossaryWorkflowA workflow is a defined sequence of tasks or steps required to complete a process.Open glossary term as they naturally unfold.
It is most useful when:
It is less useful when:
Shadowing is often used alongside contextual inquiry and field studies to deepen understanding.
Key takeaway
Use shadowing when continuity matters and you need to understand how work flows across a day, not just within a single task.
How to run it
Set up properly
Be clear on the roles you are observing, how long you will shadow, and which activities matter. Shadowing follows a person rather than a task, which is what makes it different.
Agree the terms with the person and their manager. Somebody who thinks they are being assessed will work quite differently.
Run the method
Shadowing follows one person through their working day. Its particular value is in everything between the tasks: the interruptions, the switching, the waiting.
- Follow the person through normal activity rather than the parts they think you came for.
- Observe how tasks start, evolve and end. Most glossaryProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term documentation describes the middle and omits both edges.
- Pay close attention to interruptions and glossaryContextContext is the set of surrounding conditions that shape how someone behaves and decides, including their goal, their environment, their time pressure, and what happened immediately before. The same action can mean different things in different contexts.Open glossary term switching. In most real jobs these dominate the day and are absent from every glossaryProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term map.
- Take detailed notes on glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term, glossaryEnvironmentAn environment is a specific configured setup where software runs, such as development, staging, or production, each with its own data and settings. Keeping them consistent is what makes behaviour in one predict behaviour in another.Open glossary term and glossaryInteractionInteraction refers to any action a user takes within a product and how the system responds. It includes clicks, taps, gestures, and inputs that drive the user experience.Open glossary term, including how much time things actually take.
- Ask at natural pauses without disrupting flow. Save the bigger questions for the end of a block of work.
Watch the whole day, not the demonstration. The valuable material is usually in the parts nobody thinks are worth showing you.
Capture and make sense of it
The value comes from seeing the whole picture. After shadowing, document:
- The real shape of the day, including interruptions and dead time
- How often people switch glossaryContextContext is the set of surrounding conditions that shape how someone behaves and decides, including their goal, their environment, their time pressure, and what happened immediately before. The same action can mean different things in different contexts.Open glossary term, and what it costs them
- Tools and workarounds used alongside the official glossarySystemA system is a collection of interconnected components that work together to achieve a specific function or outcome.Open glossary term
- Where the documented glossaryProcessA process is a defined sequence of steps used to achieve a specific outcome.Open glossary term and the actual one diverge
Use this to design for the working day rather than for the task in isolation. Most enterprise software is designed for the task.
What to look for
Focus on:
Where it goes wrong
Most issues come from:
If you only capture snapshots, you lose the value of continuity.
What you get from it
Done properly, this method gives you:
Key takeaway
It helps you design for how people really work, not how you expect them to.
Get in touch
If this sounds like something you need, we can help you understand how work really happens across a full day or workflow.
No guesswork. No assumptions. Just clear insight you can act on.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this method.
What is shadowing in UX research?
Shadowing is a method where a researcher follows a user over time to observe how they carry out real tasks in their natural environment.
When should you use shadowing?
Use it when you need to understand workflows, interruptions, and how tasks connect across a day or process.
How long should you shadow a user?
It can range from a few hours to a full day or longer, depending on the complexity of the work.
What is the difference between shadowing and contextual inquiry?
Shadowing focuses on continuous observation over time, while contextual inquiry combines observation with more structured questioning during tasks.
Is shadowing intrusive?
It can be if not handled carefully. Setting expectations and minimising disruption is key.
Quick take
If you want to see how work actually happens from start to finish, shadow users as they go about their day.
Related Services
