Which of the following best defines "user observation"?

User observation is best defined as watching users perform tasks. This method involves directly observing how users interact with a product or service in real-time, which provides valuable insights into their behaviors, preferences, and challenges. By witnessing the actual interaction, researchers can identify usability issues and understand the context in which users are making decisions.

This approach allows for capturing non-verbal cues, such as frustration or confusion, that may not be evident through data analysis or feedback surveys. Observing users in action can also reveal the natural use of a product that might differ from what users report when asked about their experiences. Ultimately, this direct observation becomes a rich source of qualitative data that helps inform design decisions and improve user experience.

While collecting user demographics, analyzing interaction data, and gathering user feedback are important aspects of understanding users, they do not provide the same level of nuanced insight into how users actually engage with a product. Observational methods can complement these other data-gathering techniques but stand out for their ability to unveil real-time behaviors and interactions.