Caring for your Interviewees Makes for Better Interviews
Simple ways to help build trust, connection and presence
For participants, the whole process of interviews can be a jumble of excitement, curiosity and stress.
There is a certain degree of self-disclosure required in the process which makes one vulnerable, as they share their struggles, hopes and realities with strangers.
It is our job, therefore, as design researchers, to do everything in our power to respectfully support and hold space for our interviewees.
The Interview’s Real Start
The period immediately preceding interviews, when the team is still negotiating the interview and its logistics with participants, is an ideal time to start building trust. One way in which we’ve done this is through building relationships with key individuals in the ecosystem who were themselves in regular contact with the participants. This enabled us to both gain some insights on the interviewee’s realities while also gaining some credibility in the ecosystem. Another way which helped us create stronger ties consisted of sending cultural probes, diaries or log sheet packages, either physically or, when not possible, digitally, as a way to let participants know we valued their input, views and ideas. The extra…
