Resources-Interview

INTERVIEWING RESOURCES

PREPARATION

paraphrased rom the Stanford D-school bootcamp

Write down all of the potential questions your team can generate. Try to build on one another’s ideas in order to flesh out meaningful subject areas.

Identify themes or subject areas into which most questions fall; once you’ve identified the themes of your question-pool, determine the order that would allow the conversation to flow most naturally.

Make sure that you leave room in your planning to ask plenty of “why?” questions, plenty of “tell me about the last time you _____?” questions, and plenty of questions that are directed at how the user FEELS.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Each time you perform an interview or observational session, Take photos. These will be used for reference and potentially be used in some form as photography in the storyboards. Be sure to get shots that illustrate the story being told. That may include the environment or asking the interviewee to pose for you. Have some fun with it.

TEAMWORK

Interviewer (1)

Greets the interviewee.
Tell the interviewee what is going to happen and why.
Asks the questions.
Controls the pacing.

Note Takers / Observers (1-3)(could double as interviewer)

Be unobtrusive and quiet.
Type the notes into your computer or phone.
Include your own observations about how the subject is feeling in relationship to their stories.
Upload your notes to this Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2vRs5uCd9peUWNDdmJfbGludTQ&usp=sharing

Photographer (1)(could double as note taker)

Be sure to get shots that illustrate the story being told.
Ask the interviewee to pose for you. Have some fun with it.
Pay attention to composition, lighting and framing. Make them interesting.
Upload worthy photos to this Google Drive folder
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2vRs5uCd9peT2tiYTRERkQ5Xzg&usp=sharing

Photography Assistant (1)(optional)

Scout locations.
Make sure the "set" is dressed properly and change if needed.
Alter the lighting if needed.
Carry extra batteries

RELEASE FORM

Get a release form signed by each interviewee. This insures that the interviewee understands that there will be no compensation for their words or appearances in photography or video, and, that these will be made available for public viewing.

INTERVIEWING GUIDE
paraphrased rom the Stanford D-school bootcamp

Ask why. Even when you think you know the answer, ask people why they do or say things. The answers will sometimes surprise you. A conversation started from one question should go on as long as it needs to.

Encourage stories. Whether or not the stories people tell are true, they reveal how they think about the world. Ask questions that get people telling stories.

Pay attention to nonverbal cues. Be aware of body language and emotions.

Don’t be afraid of silence. Interviewers often feel the need to ask another question when there is a pause. If you allow for silence, a person can reflect on what they’ve just said and may reveal something deeper.

Don’t suggest answers to your questions. Even if they pause before answering, don’t help them by suggesting an answer. This can unintentionally get people to say things that agree with your expectations.

Ask questions neutrally. “What do you think about buying gifts for your spouse?” is a better question than “Don’t you think shopping is great?” because the first question doesn’t imply that there is a right answer.

Don’t ask binary questions. Binary (yes or no) questions can be answered in a word; you want to host a conversation built upon stories.

COMPILATION

As a Team:

Review all the notes together.
Sort down to the most relevant.
Group them by topic or event (not interviewee)
Post Them on the "Interview" page

Review all the photography together.
Sort down to the most relevant.
Group them by topic or event (not interviewee)
Identify the ones that could be used as reference for or in the storyboards.
Post Them on the "Interview" page.