Media: Interviewing according to InContext includes Interpreting

In "Good Interview Data, It’s More than Just the Facts", Shelley Wood of InContext Enterprises suggests the following scenario: 'You're collecting customer data in the field by observing customers and talking with them while they do their work or live their lives. But, when you come back to the office and interpret the data, it sometimes feels like something is missing; you have a nagging sense that you could be getting more out of your interviews. If this sounds familiar it may be that you're forgetting that interpretation starts during the interview itself.'

She posits that:
'* Facts are not the data that matters for design,
* Interpreting facts with the customer during the interview reveals design needs,
* Using a chain of reasoning with the customer brings you to a shared understanding of what the facts mean,
* Offering a hypothesis is more effective than asking open-ended questions.'

Now, many of us would disagree with the last tenet and there is no persuasive rationale in the piece for why hypotheses are superior. Nonetheless, the piece makes interesting reading and includes a further elucidation of how to read participants' responses that goes some way to offset concerns about this style being domineering:

'When you listen to the customer's reaction, you have to listen for the "no" and recognize that "no" can also sound like:

"Huh?"
The user is really saying, "I don't know what you are talking about." In other words, you got it wrong.

"Umm… could be."
You just got yourself a "no"

"'They' would like it."
That's a "no" from this user. We're not currently interviewing "them." If we need to, we'll interview "them" later.

"Yes" with elaboration
The real answer is the elaboration, not "yes."'

Associated Link: InContext: Good Interview Data, It’s More than Just the Facts

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