This document provides guidance on conducting interviews for data collection. It discusses identifying appropriate interview candidates, preparing for interviews, structuring interviews, and techniques for conducting interviews such as asking open-ended questions, encouraging storytelling, focusing on goals rather than tasks, avoiding leading questions and technological discussions, and having interviewees do show-and-tell with their personal artifacts. The document also recommends practicing interview scripts with role plays before conducting actual interviews.

1. EPFL, spring 2010 - week 2!
data collection - interviewing

2. overview
➝ candidates
➝ basic methods
➝ interview structure
➝ produce a script
➝ watch
➝ practice run I
➝ practice run II

3. identifying candidates
➝ what different sorts of people might use this
product?
➝ how might needs and behaviour differ?
➝ what ranges of behaviour and types of
environment need to be explored?
➝ if at all possible, do not use students
➝ If not possible, at least not IT students

4. preparation
➝ note pad, forms and pens
➝ script/protocol of questions and topics
➝ digital or video camera, voice recorder (check or
replace batteries)‫
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➝ extension cables (if you re using a laptop)‫
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➝ little gift/reward
➝ being on time
➝ address/telephone numbers

5. structure of interview
➝ preparation – remind yourself of goals of the interview
➝ arrival – introduction of 2nd person
➝ thank the host
➝ settle down
➝ introduction of what the interview is about, length
➝ inform about anonymity of data, voluntary nature (end at any time)
➝ ask permission for audio (start recording), pictures/video
➝ warm-up, e.g. with demographic data
➝ interview - listen
➝ wrap-up, stop recording (but not listening), pack-up
➝ give a token gift (keep listening) and leave
➝ note down additional comments after recording stopped
➝ debrief between partners discuss observations, note down, highlight
points, amend questions for next

6. the interview
➝ listen

7. basic methods
➝ interview where the action happens
➝ avoid a fixed set of questions
➝ focus on goals first, tasks second
➝ avoid making the user a designer
➝ avoid discussions about technology
➝ avoid giving advice (as the expert)
➝ remind people they are not being tested or
evaluated
➝ encourage story telling
➝ ask for a show and tell
➝ avoid leading questions

8. where the action happens
➝ keep your eyes open
➝ don t snoop around without permission but if you
see something that might be interesting ask to
discuss it (be nosy!)‫
‏‬

9. focus on topics, not fixed set of questions
➝ goals – what makes a good day? a bad day?
➝ opportunity – what currently wastes your time?
goal oriented questions
➝ priortities – what is most important to you?
➝ information – what helps you make decisions?
➝ frequency - what part of the product do you use most?
➝ preference – what doquestions about the product/activity?
system-oriented you love/hate
➝ failure - how do you work around problems?
➝ process – what do you do first? and after that?
➝ occurrence – how oftenquestions
workflow-oriented do you do this?
➝ exception – what is typical what is unusual
➝ aspiration – what do you see yourself doing in 5 years
➝ avoidance – what would you prefer not to do/ procratinate on?
attitude-oriented questions
➝ motivation - what do you enjoy most about your private lifestyle? What
do you always tackle first?
Cooper 2007

10. focus on topics, not fixed set of questions
➝ goals – what makes a good day? a bad day?
➝ opportunity – what currently wastes your time?
➝ priortities – what is most important to you?
➝ information – what helps you make decisions?
➝ frequency - what part of the product do you use most?
➝ preference – what do you love/hate about the product/activity?
➝ failure - how do you work around problems?
➝ process – what do you do first? and after that?
➝ occurrence – how often do you do this?
➝ exception – what is typical what is unusual
➝ aspiration – what do you see yourself doing in 5 years
➝ avoidance – what would you prefer not to do/ procratinate on?
➝ motivation - what do you enjoy most about your private lifestyle? What
do you always tackle first?
Cooper 2007

11. goals first, task second
➝ try to understand the why and how
➝ what motivates the behaviours of individuals in
different roles?
➝ understanding the task is important and needs to
be recorded
but tasks will be restructured to better match user
goals in the design solution

12. avoid making the user a designer
➝ guide the interviewee towards examining
problems and away from expressing solutions
➝ if it happens possible transitions are "
What problem would that solve for you? "
Why would that be a good solution?

13. avoid technological discussions
➝ don t treat them as a programmer or engineer
➝ for technical products steer away from product-
related discussion (allow domain-related
discussion)
➝ do not attempt to solve their problems during the
interview, observe
➝ to steer away from it: How would that help you?

14. encourage storytelling
➝ how they use an existing product
➝ the different contexts, places, people, occasions
➝ what they think of it
➝ where they go with it
➝ encourage stories that talk about typical cases
and also exceptional ones
➝ encourage to replay a past situation (explaining
the context) in which e.g. the mobile was used to
synchronize with someone, observe and take
notes, e.g.: "
middle-aged user takes off bifocal glasses, puts
them on the table and squints at the small
buttons… tries several times to open the last
SMS, curses… mumbles… .

15. show and tell
➝ ask for a grand tour of artefacts
➝ domain-related
➝ software interfaces
➝ paper systems
➝ work environment
➝ pay attention to how they are described
➝ ask many clarification questions
➝ take pictures/video

16. show and tell
Renate, 65 Manfred, 75 Olaf, 65
Paul, 57
Magali, 15
Christel, 71 Martine, 55 Fillippo, 44

17. avoid leading questions
➝ Would feature X help you
➝ You like X, don t you?
➝ Do you think you d use X if it were available?
➝ ask for qualifications when people talk not about
themselves and but about others e.g. we,
everybody, nobody, some people.

18. don’t worry
➝ peoplelike to talk about themselves
➝ and appreciate listeners

19. practice runs
➝ produce script
➝ role play
➝ practice runs