Our top priority is to constantly push forward, whether we are working virtually or face-to-face with a minimum of six feet apart. As Forrester indicates, a business’s ability to compete effectively in the online job market depends on its ability to embrace the culture of remote work. In order to foster successful remote collaboration, it may be necessary to make changes such as establishing critical infrastructure and procedures.
Designers collaborating on remote teams frequently encounter the obstacle of being unable to communicate with clients and consumers first-hand, potentially causing a major setback.
Designers no longer have to rely solely on assumptions regarding the preferences and pain points of users. Instead, they employ research and ethnography techniques, enabling them to observe users in their organic surroundings, whether in the workplace or at home. This methodology can offer more insight than telephone conversations, surveys, or screen sharing. With remote work becoming increasingly common, it’s crucial to adjust our approaches for engaging with consumers to account for the loss of face-to-face interaction.
Studies on the optimal approaches for conducting face-to-face interviews have highlighted three crucial elements that may be forgotten when interviews are conducted solely online. In this article, my goal is to outline my techniques for ensuring that remote interviews maintain their contextual significance and depth while adhering to best practices.
Interviewees should not experience any discomfort.
When organizing an interview, designers should aim to be adaptable, particularly if it is being conducted remotely. It’s important to consider the interviewer’s time zone to ensure that they can participate at a time that is convenient for them. Additionally, mirroring the interviewer’s posture can be advantageous; for example, if they are dressed casually, the designer may want to adopt a similar style and tone of voice, which can contribute to a laid-back ambience during the interview.
The use of video conferencing has gained prominence as a result of remote work’s growing popularity, providing various advantages. Allowing customers to choose their preferred conferencing platform can assist in making them more at ease during remote interviews.
The designer or manager bears the responsibility of ensuring that every team member sets aside adequate time to establish their accounts, send out invitations, and test the recording capabilities of the selected communication platform (such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts). This will instill a sense of command and assurance among team members when attending the interview.
Understand the user’s environment
Assigning a team member to make notes and take pictures of the user’s surroundings is crucial for capturing contextual information. To guarantee effective remote collaboration, designers must dedicate additional time and effort to master this process. Ideally, the interviewee’s exploration of their surroundings would be captured on film.
This task poses a difficulty, yet it must be carried out. Candidates should be notified in advance that you wish to conduct a virtual tour of their workspace, in order to prevent any unanticipated surprises. It may be helpful for them to answer video calls on a mobile device to provide a sufficient tour of their office.
At the outset of the interview, it’s advantageous to clarify the session’s objectives and provide a brief synopsis of the subjects to be covered. Ideally, the interviewer should possess a script detailing the overall topics and expected interview duration.
When requesting a tour from the interviewee, it’s crucial to give clear instructions on what you wish to view. For instance, examples could include “Can you show me your work area?” and “Could you demonstrate where you perform your cleaning tasks?” Taking the time to imagine yourself in the user’s position can assist in comprehending what holds significance to them.
Remain focused on the subject.
When conducting interviews, it’s possible to get sidetracked by conversations that aren’t necessarily pertinent to the subject at hand. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to keep the interview’s objectives in mind and to ask questions that will aid in comprehending the interviewee on a more personal level.
Designers can tackle this concern by abiding by the best practices of conducting interviews. Fixing a time for the interview ahead of time and tracking the duration spent on each topic is crucial. Being curious and holding conversations on pertinent subjects is equally essential. Once the initial five to ten minutes of chitchat have passed, it’s time to ask the crucial questions. To ensure that the interview stays focused on user research, it’s recommended to review the activity plan with the interviewee.
Although it’s possible to conduct a successful design study, doing so intentionally is crucial.
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