Inspirations for Design: A Course on Human-Centered Research

1. 00:07Hi everyone! In this video
2. 00:08I want to talk about how to prepare for your qualitative interview.
3. 00:12So we tried to talk about who to interview? Where to
4. 00:15interview them? And also how to make the interview more comfortable?
5. 00:18So who should you interview for your topic.
6. 00:21We already talked about users and extreme users,
7. 00:23and that it can be very inspiring to talk to extreme users,
8. 00:27because they have this
9. 00:28very special relationship with the topic,
10. 00:30and can make you aware of certain problems.
11. 00:33So if your topic is about traveling,
12. 00:35why not talk to
13. 00:35someone who did a journey around the world?
14. 00:38Or someone who hardly traveled at all?
15. 00:41Of course it can also be inspiring to talk to regular users.
16. 00:44In the beginning,
17. 00:45it can be easier to approach
18. 00:47friends or family or colleagues for an interview.
19. 00:50Remember though that it takes time to find someone
20. 00:52you can interview
21. 00:52and also to fix a date for your interviews.
22. 00:55So this might add up on your time schedule for this week.
23. 00:59If you want to learn about the state of the art of a topic,
24. 01:01especially if it's a highly specialized topic,
25. 01:04it's always good to talk to experts.
26. 01:06For example,
27. 01:06if your topic is traveling,
28. 01:09why not talk to someone who works in a travel agency?
29. 01:11Or is a tour guide?
30. 01:13Also try to think about
31. 01:14analogies. Are there people who face similar problems
32. 01:18or similar situations,
33. 01:19but in a different context?
34. 01:22For example,
35. 01:22if you're looking at the
36. 01:23waiting time that travelers spend at an airport,
37. 01:26why not talk to people who wait at the doctor's office?
38. 01:30Or in a supermarket line?
39. 01:32When you plan for your interview,
40. 01:33you should also think about the location of it.
41. 01:36Choose a location that's comfortable,
42. 01:38where you can both sit down and relax, or choose
43. 01:41a location that's related to your topic.
44. 01:42So your interviewee can demonstrate
45. 01:44or point out things during the interview.
46. 01:47How can you make your interviewee more comfortable
47. 01:49during the talk?
48. 01:52Well, don't forget to introduce yourself! Explain
49. 01:55what you're doing and why
50. 01:56and what will happen to the information
51. 01:58you gather. Also explain that you're interested in the opinions
52. 02:02and experiences of your interviewee,
53. 02:04and that there are no right or wrong answers.
54. 02:07If the person still feels very closed up
55. 02:10after a few minutes,
56. 02:11you can also try to share a personal experience
57. 02:13of yourself from the topic to loosen up the atmosphere a bit.
58. 02:17When you try to come up with the questions for your
59. 02:19interview, remember the tips from our interviews,
60. 02:22and also from the cheat sheet
61. 02:24we provide you with. Try to group the questions
62. 02:26according to topics
63. 02:28and build up a structure that allows for a natural flow of conversation.
64. 02:32But always be open to divert from that structure again,
65. 02:35if the interview develops into another direction.
66. 02:38Okay, I hope these tips help you for preparing for your interview,
67. 02:42and that you have fun out there in the field.

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