Desired Goal:

Learn more about the problem, the user in the context of their environment

Learn about the problem through your users in their natural habitat

The Tool’s Purpose:

  • Add structure to your observations and focus on the right “who, what, when, where, why, and how” questions.
  • Make it easier for large teams to compare findings when multiple people are observing at the same time.
  • Connect users to what they do, the environment they’re in, and the objects they use.
  • Uncover hidden insights that aren’t obvious or publicly known.
  • Help even inexperienced teams collect valuable insights by providing a clear, guided framework.

Overview:

The AEIOU framework is an observational tool used in design thinking to help teams gather structured insights about user behavior, their environment, and the objects they interact with. It serves as a guideline for identifying key factors that influence the user experience by focusing on five core elements:

  1. Activities: What are user doing or what is their task?
  2. Environment: Describe the context of their environment, what is happening there?
  3. Interactions: How are users interacting and interfacing with their environment?
  4. Objects: Which devices or products being used?
  5. Users: Describe the characteristics of users, who are they, their role or influences?

Note the findings.

AEIOU is especially useful for field observations and helps design teams consolidate data into actionable insights.

Benefits:

Structured Insights: AEIOU provides a clear structure, making it easier to organize findings across different team members or multiple observations.

Guidance for Novice Teams: It helps less experienced design teams perform effective observations by offering a predefined framework.

Scalability: The tool supports larger design teams working in parallel, allowing them to evaluate numerous findings cohesively.

Actionable Data: By structuring the observations, AEIOU makes it easier to identify patterns and generate solutions rooted in real-world user behavior.

Adaptability: It can be used in various settings and contexts without extensive preparation.

AEIOU Observation FigJam Exercise courtesy of Merck KGaA

Use Case Example:

A product development team at a retail company wants to understand how customers navigate their store, interact with displays, and use mobile devices to check prices. They use the AEIOU framework to observe customer activities (browsing and purchasing), the environment (store layout), interactions (between customers and staff, and with digital displays), objects (products and shopping carts), and users (customer demographics). The insights gathered help redesign the store layout and improve the overall customer experience.