When UX interview questions hit too close to home…
at UX Australia 2020
Type
talk
Explains how to run UX interviews on health and other sensitive personal topics without treating participants like research subjects to exploit. Covers tools and tips so vulnerable users are treated with dignity, respect, and empathy while still yielding valuable insights, when imagining a cancer diagnosis simply will not work.
People
Ally Tutkaluk
Methods
User InterviewsUser interviews explore people’s circumstances, experiences and needs through a guided conversation. Use them when you need to understand a problem in depth or learn how a service fits into someone’s life. Recruit current or likely users, prepare open questions and possible follow-ups, and ask for concrete examples rather than idealised accounts. Start with consent, listen carefully, and allow useful unexpected topics to emerge. A discussion guide keeps the research focused without turning it into a rigid questionnaire. Interviews can accompany usability tests when you also need to observe people using a service.
Participant RecruitmentParticipant recruitment finds people whose experience can answer the study’s research questions. Define the relevant user groups and screening criteria before choosing channels such as existing customers, specialist organisations or recruitment agencies. Include people with different access needs, and arrange suitable communication, locations and support. Explain the study, obtain informed consent and schedule participation without pressure. Use recruitment planning before interviews, observation or testing; selecting convenient colleagues can produce findings that poorly represent the people a service must support.