Ways of Collecting Information Interviews Questionnaires Ethnography Books and leaflets in the organization Joint Application Design Prototyping

Interviews Interview Purpose Interview Planning Interview Time Interview Recording After the interview

Interview Types of information gathered by interview –Opinion: (what is the problem?) –Feelings: (employees attitude, culture) –Goals: (organization goals) –Informal procedures: (how work is actually done?)

Interview Planning Read background material Establish interview objectives Decide who to interview Prepare the interviewee –Make appointment –How long (maximum 45 minutes) –What is the objective of the interview Write questions and check the structure

Types of Questions Open-ended Questions –Give the user the freedom to answer in any length Closed Questions –The answer is always finite (bipolar questions) Probe (follow-up) Questions –A sign of listening (ask for clarifications)

Open-ended Questions Put the interviewee at ease Pick up vocabulary Get details Suggest other questions More interesting for interviewee Easier for interviewer Lose control of interview Take a lot of time Interviewer is not ready No clear objective Difficult to analyze

Closed Questions Save time Easy to analyze Keep control of interview Cover lots of ground Get to the point Boring for interviewee Can’t get details and miss useful information No emotional contact

DON’T Avoid leading questions –You will get biased answers Avoid double-barreled questions –They can answer one and forget the other –Hard to distinguish which answer is which

Organizing Interviews Pyramid (Inductive) –Start with detailed and closed questions, then open questions Funnel (deductive) –Start with open-ended questions then closed Diamond –Start with specific closed questions, then general open questions then conclude with closed No order

Pyramid Interview

Funnel Interview

Diamond Interview

Organizing Interviews Pyramid: –Used with someone who doesn’t want to speak –Needs introduction to the subject Funnel –Get all the details quickly –Give freedom to speaker Diamond: –Takes longer –Keep the speaker interested

Organizing Interviews Structured Interview are easier to analyze Interviewer has more control Needs less training Unstructured interviews are more flexible

Interview Time Be on time Introduce yourself Say the purpose of the interview Explain the recording technique Pick up special vocabulary Listen to redirect your questions accordingly Control the length of the answers Rephrase to make sure you understood correctly Last question: Anything to add? Summarize and tell him what is next.

Recording the Interview Audio: –Take permission and tell the interviewee how it will be used –Advantages: Full accurate record of interview Gives chance for interviewer to listen Better eye contact –Disadvantages Interviewee may be nervous High cost of data gathering

Recording the Interview Note Taking –Advantages: Could be the only way to record Keep the interviewer alert –Disadvantages Lose eye contact Concentrate on facts and forget feelings and opinion Interviewee hesitant to speak while note taking

Interview Report Write it as soon as possible Captures the important points in Interview

Joint Application Design (JAD) Alternative to personal interview Used for requirement analysis and user interface design Includes users, analysts and mangers Meet for 2-4 days outside offices Define the objectives of the sessions Brainstorming

JAD Includes: –Session leader –Session recorder –Session observer (advisor) Give participants papers about the workshop days before it for preparation Analyst doesn’t ask, but acts as an expert Requires certain room facilities (e.g. presentation equipments)

JAD Advantages: –Save time –Users can interact with analysis process –Creativity (different people looking for solution) Disadvantages: –Requires commitment of time from people –Requires certain organization structure