Quick and easy exercises for uncovering  context of use — and understanding user needs, expectations and motivations.

I routinely recommend these two exercises to teams in situations where they're pressed for time and need insight quickly — and quite often, when they can't (or aren't allowed) to talk to customers or end-users. 

They’re quick, simple processes and they do a great job of getting people out of their own heads. 

What's more, in addition to moving UXers and designers away from their preconceptions, they also cut through the fallacies inherent in surveys and interviews.