Site Visit Interviews: from Good to Great

Field visits are unique in the way that they allow us to blend context, observation and interview: we're able to observe a behaviour, probe for the motivations behind it and then interpret our analysis with the customer in the place where the behaviour happens. But how do you go beyond the basics of a conventional interview and really understand the user's behaviour? Here are 5 characteristics that we've seen in great interviewers that led to deeper insights on our projects.

Good interviewers build rapport. Great interviewers realise that rapport involves more than meeting and greeting. Rapport is the ability to be on the same wavelength as your interviewee — to make a mental and emotional connection. But rapport isn't just something you do when you first chat to someone over tea and biscuits. It's a continual process of building a relationship based on trust and understanding. To develop real rapport you need to see the world the same way as your interviewee.

One effective way to do this is to match your interviewee on both a verbal and a non-verbal level. On a non-verbal level, look at the interviewee's body language — their posture, movement, sitting position and gestures — and echo these behaviours. Time your mirroring behaviour so it's not seen as too contrived. Note that you don't have to do exactly the same as your interviewee: sometimes "cross matching" (making the same movement with another part of your body) is more effective.

On a verbal level, pay attention to the volume, tone and pitch of the interviewee's voice as well as the choice of content and words themselves. For example, does your interviewee tend to use the phrase "I think" in preference to "I feel"? Depending on your own preference you may have to adapt the way you communicate to mirror these terms. Using the same preference as your interviewees will make them think — or feel — they are more understood and valued. This in turn means you'll get richer information from them.

Good interviewers listen. Great interviewers realise that listening involves more than using our ears. "Hearing" and "listening" are two different activities. Really listening to someone is an active process: it's about hearing what the person says both verbally and non—verbally. It's about listening with your eyes as well as your ears, observing and responding to the interviewee's body language.

There are four key steps to active listening:

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