This document contains the slides from a presentation on interviewing skills. The presentation covers: - An agenda and schedule for the presentation. - Tips for conducting interviews such as asking open-ended questions, using silence, reflecting back what the speaker says, and avoiding leading questions. - Exercises where participants practice conducting interviews and taking observer notes. - Additional tips for finding interview subjects, screening them, and collecting necessary information. - Recommendations for further reading on user research interviewing.

1. Interviewing Skills
UX Scotland, June 18 2014
Adrian Howard (@adrianh)
quietstars.com

2. Hello!

3. Schedule
1230 - 1330 Lunch (60m)
1330 - 1500 Part 1 (90m)
1500 - 1530 Tea / coffee (30m)
1530 - 1700 Part 2 (90m)
1700 Finish

4. Ask questions

5. Don't have to copy
the slides

6. Chatham House Rule
applies please

7. “When a meeting, or part thereof, is
held under the Chatham House Rule,
participants are free to use the
information received, but neither the
identity nor the affiliation of the
speaker(s), nor that of any other
participant, may be revealed”

8. Disclaimer: Eh?

9. I ♥ feedback

11. Swear Jar

12. (obligatory cute animal slide)

13. Who are you?

14. Tip: Drink!

15. Stand up

16. A – B - C

17. A = Speaker
B = Interviewer
C = Observer

18. Speakers:
Shut your eyes

19. Interviewers:
Chat with the
speaker about their
best restaurant
experience.

20. Observers:
Watch what
happens. Write
observations on
post-it notes.

21. Interviewers:
Do not take notes.

22. 2 minutes

23. Reflection

24. B = Speaker
C = Interviewer
A = Observer

25. Speakers:
Shut your eyes

26. Interviewers:
Chat with the
speaker about their
best vacation
experience.

27. Interviewers:
One more thing.

28. Interviewers:
After the first
question – you
cannot speak again.
Shhhhh!

29. Observers:
Watch what
happens. Write
observations on
post-it notes.

30. Interviewers:
Do not take notes.

31. 2 minutes

32. Reflection

33. The opposite of talking isn't listening. The
opposite of talking is waiting.
- Fran Lebowitz

34. Tip: Use silence

35. Tip: Body language

36. C = Speaker
A = Interviewer
B = Observer

37. Speakers:
Shut your eyes

38. Interviewers:
Chat with the
speaker about how
they decorate &
furnish their home.

39. Tip:
Remember to use
silence and body
language.

40. Interviewers:
One more thing.

41. Interviewers: After
the first question you
can only ask “Can
you tell me more
about X?”

42. Interviewers:
(where X is
something the
speaker has
previously
mentioned).

43. Observers:
Watch what
happens. Write
observations on
post-it notes.

44. Interviewers:
Do not take notes.

45. 4 minutes

46. Reflection

47. Every clarification breeds new questions.
- Arthur Bloch

48. Tip:
Reflect back what
the speaker said.

49. Relax...

50. ?

51. Interviews ≠ Quiz

52. Interviews ≠ Survey

53. Interviews ≠ Script

54. Interviews cannot
be automated

55. Rapport

56. Empathy

57. Why do we do
interviews?

58. Learn from
customers

59. Test our
assumptions

60. Test our
hypotheses

61. Finding customers

62. Recruiters

63. Hassling people on
the street

64. Tip: Bribes

65. Tip:
Look for bored
people

66. Coffee shops

67. Tip:
Don't look scary

68. Go where your
customers are

69. Tip:
Go with somebody

70. Use your
organisation

71. Tip: Sales

72. Tip: Marketing

73. Tip: Support

74. Online

75. LinkedIn / Twitter /
Facebook / Google+

76. craigslist

77. Ethnio.net

78. More Interviewing
Tips

79. Tip:
Remember the
person.

80. Can you tell me a
little bit about
yourself?

81. Tip:
Ask open questions.

82. What was the last
book you read?

83. What do you like to
read?

84. Tip:
Ask for stories.

85. Can you tell me
about the last
time...

86. Tip:
No leading
questions.

87. Do you want to use
this at work?

88. Where would you
use this?

89. Exercise time

90. Today you found a
startup!

91. Exploring exciting
new ways to create a
great experience
eating out

92. Helping people have
the vacation of their
dreams.

93. Democratising
professional
interior decoration

94. What do you want
to find out?

95. Identify Topics

96. Individually write
down topics on
post-it notes

97. 5m

98. Group and label
them as a team

99. 5m

100. Write down list

101. Reflection

102. Talking to the right
people

103. Screening surveys

104. Identify attributes
of target group

105. Positive filters

106. Negative filters

107. Avoid leading
questions

108. Availability

109. Contact info

110. Collecting
information

111. A = Speaker
B = Interviewer
C = Observer

112. Interviewers &
Observers:
Write down the key
points that the
speaker says

113. 5m

114. Tips:
- Silence.
- Reflect back.
- Remember the person.
- Ask open questions.
- Ask for stories.
- No leading questions.

115. Reflection

116. Tip:
Observations vs
insights

117. Tip:
Interview in pairs

118. B = Speaker
C = Interviewer
A = Observer

119. 5m

120. Tips:
- Silence.
- Reflect back.
- Remember the person.
- Ask open questions.
- Ask for stories.
- No leading questions.
- Observations vs Insights.

121. Reflection

122. C = Speaker
A = Interviewer
B = Observer

123. 5m

124. Tips:
- Silence.
- Reflect back.
- Remember the person.
- Ask open questions.
- Ask for stories.
- No leading questions.
- Observations vs Insights.

125. Reflection

126. Synthesis

127. Affinity
Diagramming
(or KJ Method)

128. Empathy Mapping

130. Incremental
Persona

132. Further Reading

135. If you're keen

138. If you're really
keen

139. Ch 7 of “Mental Models” by Indi Young
Ch 9 & 10 of “User and Task Analysis for
Interface Design” by JoAnn T. Hackos, Janice C.
Redish
Ch 6 of "Observing the User Experience" by Mike
Kuniavsky, Elizabeth Goodman & Andrea Moed
Ch 4 of "Contextual Design" by Hugh Beyer and
Karen Holtzblatt

140. @adrianh
quietstars.com
slideshare.net/adrianh
adrianh@quietstars.com
Thank You
And any questions?