Semi-structured Interview
Design Anthropology
Definition
Semi-structured as the name would suggest more scripted than an exploratory interview, but with more room for tangents than a traditional interview. As the interviewer your goal is to properly describe the opportunity space and context to your interviewee. Then you get out of the way and only talk to help coax the line of thinking along or steer completely irrelevant side bars back to the topic.
“The great myth is that you need to be a good talker. Conducting a good interview is actually about shutting up. ”
— Erica Hall, Just Enough Research: User Research Pg 85
Procedure
Preparation
Hone in on opportunity space
Choose questions that you want answers to
Create an ideal flow for the conversation
Create a shorthand for note taking
Bring recording and note taking devices
In person
Make sure that you create a comfortable space and address your interviewee in a kind manner to set them at ease.
Ask your interviewee if you can record the interaction.
Take notes when you hear something you think could be an insight, but maintain a rapport with your interviewee.
Explain the opportunity space and help them understand the overall goal of your research.
Then begin with an easy question to help them get used to the interview and feel comfortable with you. From there you can begin to steer the conversation towards the information that you want. However, do not be so intent on the information that you want that you refuse to go down a line of interest as it could turn out to be important for your later work.
Make sure to thank your participant for their time.
Analysis
Immediately after each session write down your reflection, specifically take note of which of your precreated questions the participant was willing to talk about and those that they did not engage with.
With your notes in hand playback your recording and see if there were any insights that you missed or quotes that you think might be helpful.
Use Case
While researching the waste management procedures of the Eskenazi museum of art me and my teammates did a semi-structured interview with the manager of the cafe. We wanted to find out how much waste was generated and what the overall percentage breakdown for each type of waste was.
Strengths
The nice part about the semi-structured method is that I got all of the questions that I wanted answered, but at the same time I also got a lead for another place in the museum that could have some spaces for waste management improvement.
Weaknesses
One thing that I did notice was as soon as it became apparent that I had a list of questions and this was more than just an informal inquiry, there was a change in behavior and the cafe manager was slightly less friendly.
