That is how I began each question when I started interviewing my target users this week. It was incredibly awkward at first. I found it challenging both to keep the interview conversational and relaxed while keeping my subject on subject. I thought my question about what users could do with a magical human helper was a good one, until I started getting answers like, “I need a maid, because look at this kitchen!” or “I’d like a human helper to bring me alcohol.” I also struggled to keep the interview from lapsing into silence when I couldn’t think of a good question off the cuff, and it was hard keeping the subject focused when phones rang, dogs barked, and kids screamed in the background.

This week was much more challenging than last week, both in terms of workload and scheduling interviews. I wanted to schedule interviews with managers and coworkers, but there was just no time, and of course, I couldn’t ethically conduct them on work time. I was able to do three of my interviews in person while the last one I conducted via video conference. I recorded all 4 interviews and typed up transcripts for each one, so that I could more easily analyze the information and pull out any memorable quotes. Since my target users were all family, getting informed consent wasn’t really an issue. Even though I was reasonably sure they wouldn’t mind, I still made sure to explain fully what I was doing, why I was doing it, what they could expect from the study, and if I was permitted to record the conversation.

Thinking about UX in Practice, I assumed that actually designing the software would be the most challenging part of the development process. After this week, I have changed my tune. I think recruiting, scheduling, and conducting the research may be more difficult. People (myself included) are unpredictable and awkward with complex, often contradictory patterns of thought and behavior. Figuring out the best way to frame questions that will elicit the information you’re looking for is tricky. With most of my interviewees, I had to ask the same question multiple times, but re-phrased to tease out insights I knew were moments away from breaking the surface of conversation. I had to frequently interrupt two of my more garrulous participants to keep them on track, though their extroversion made it much easier to follow their reasoning and the thread of their narrative. In contrast, I struggled not to lead my other two participants, who tended to answer in matter-of-fact statements without elaboration. I had to ask these folks many more questions to obtain the information I needed.

Overall I enjoyed the research experience this week, though I still have much to learn about the art of the interview.