Shadowing
Reference model
Shadowing moves from a clear objective to real-world observation and then to insight and action.
About this model
Shadowing is a field research method in which an observer follows a person through their normal tasks, watches what they do in the real setting, records it without steering it, and then reviews the notes to find needs, problems and opportunities.
Originator not stated.
How to read it
- Read the steps from left to right: define the objective, choose whom to follow, observe and record, then analyse.
- Treat each observation as evidence and each explanation as a hypothesis to test.
- Give most weight to patterns seen with more than one person.
What this does
Enables teams to gain insights by observing users in their natural environment, fostering empathy and understanding of their needs and behaviors, and turns those observations into a decision and actions.
When to use it
Use it when you need to understand how people actually work or use a product or service, especially in product development, service design or process improvement.
Not when: Do not use it when you cannot get access to users, when the activity cannot be observed, or when you only need opinions or numbers that a survey or data extract would give faster.
What happens next
Run a synthesis session to cluster the observations into themes, then test the strongest hypotheses with interviews or a small prototype.
Golden thread
Builds on ←
- User research
- Empathy mapping
Feeds into →
- Insight report
Use this tool, free
Sign in to open the worksheet. Your work saves as you type, the AI can draft the parts you have not filled in, and you finish with an analysis and a 30/60/90-day action plan.
Drafted with AI and reviewed by Eccellere on 04/11/2026. Guidance, not advice: apply your own judgement.