Page 64 - The Design Thinking Playbook

HOW MIGHT WE...
conduct a needfinding interview?
Mental castle
in the air? Every interview should have a logical sequence. We recommend 4. Grand tour
planning the course of the interview in advance and then reflecting Deepen other critical topics and search for contradictions. Get to
upon it. the bottom of details if possible. This can refer to both tangible and
With proper preparation, you become calmer, and this makes it easier emotional facts. We have reached our goal when things that were
for you to gain the trust of the interviewee. hidden come to light. If the interviewees trust us, they can open
A typical needfinding conversation might look like this: up and share exciting stories and needs with us that would have
remained hidden in a normal interview.
1. Introduction
First, we introduce ourselves and explain the reason for the request 5. Reflection
as well as the course of the interview. In so doing, we emphasize We pause for a moment and then come to the end of the interview.
that there is no “true” or “false” and ask whether we are allowed to We express our gratitude for the important findings and summarize
document the interview (e.g., video, photos, or audio recording). The the main points from our point of view. Often, the person interviewed
main point is to create an atmosphere in which the respondent feels adds important things, points out inconsistencies, and emphasizes
comfortable. Respondents must have the feeling they are appreciated important items. At this point, we can ask the “why” question and
and understand that their knowledge and experience are valuable to us. dig deeper, if necessary. In this phase, we are free to switch to a
more general level in order to discuss explanations or theories on the
2. Actual beginning matter under discussion.
The interviewees can also introduce themselves at the beginning,
so a simple reference to the problem is easily established. We 6. Wrap-up
commence the interview with a general and open question about the Don’t turn off the recording device yet! Often, the most intriguing
actual theme. Based on the answer, we go deeper with questions things occur at the very end, so we should give the end enough space
that expand and clarify the issue. What’s important is that the people and time. We thank the interviewee again for the conversation, the
questioned feel comfortable and we win their trust. time spent with us, and the insights we gained. We give the inter-
viewee the opportunity to ask us questions. After the interview, we
3. Create reference reflect on it by summarizing the most important findings, both in terms
We try to find a recent example that the person remembers well. of content and approach.
This way, we bring the person closer to the topic and the problems.
It might happen that not all the problems or critical experiences are
expressed in this example or on the same day. Continue to build trust,
assure the interviewees that their answers are important, good, and
helpful to us. If the desired depth is not reached yet, we are patient
and ask for more experiences and stories.
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