Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Note
The statement I made about the dialogue examples also applies to this figure and
manyoftheotherfiguresthroughoutthebook.Thesefiguresaresimplythevehicle
throughwhichIampresentingaspecificskillortechnique.Usethesameapproach
that I suggested for the dialogue examples, as they'll be more beneficial to you.
Review your notes from the discussions you held at the beginning of the interview before
you ask your first question. You want to determine whether anything you've already dis-
cussedisrelevanttothesampleyou'reabouttodiscuss.Inoneofthepreviousdiscussions,
for example, a participant indicated that part of his job is to keep track of all the organiza-
tion's customers. Using that statement as a starting point, you could ask him how he uses
this particular data collection sample to perform that task.
“You mentioned in a previous discussion that you keep track of
all the customers. How does this screen help you to carry out that
task?”
This is a well-phrased question. It begins with a statement that focuses on a particular sub-
ject and then continues by bringing the participant's attention to the sample. The question
is open enough to elicit a clear and complete response.
Now, assume the participant provides this response:
“This screen allows metoenter newcustomers, aswell asmodify
and maintain all the information we have on existing customers.”
If this reply answers the question to your complete satisfaction, use it as the basis for
a description of the sample. On the other hand, if the reply does not completely answer
the question, continue with an appropriate line of questioning until the participant clearly
identifies the purpose and use of the sample. You must supply descriptions for all of your
samples because you'll use them again later in the design process.
A sample's description should be succinct, yet clear enough to indicate the sample's pur-
pose and how it is used. Write the description on a slip of paper and attach it to the sample.
Here's an example of a description you might use for the sample in Figure 6.7 :
This screen is used to collect and maintain all customer data.
It's necessary for you to understand the sample as completely as possible so that you can
write a clear and concise description. If there are aspects of a given sample that you don't
understand, ask the participant to clarify them for you. For example, assume you're work-
ing with the report sample shown in Figure 6.8 .
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