Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Interpretation sessions are another immersive experience, providing a context for the
team to understand the data from a user interview in depth. An interpretation session is a
group meeting consisting of the interviewer plus 2-5 team members. Each participant con-
tributes insight from their own unique perspective, leading to a richer understanding of the
user than one person alone would have been able to provide. As team members run inter-
viewsandparticipate ininterpretation sessions,asharedunderstandingoftheusersandthe
important design issues evolves naturally.
Figure 3.4:
Interpretation session notes are captured in a document. Each note captures one key point from
the interview and is self-contained—it can be understood without reference to the notes on either side.
In an interpretation session, the interviewer tells the story of the interview, using hand-
written notes and memory. The interpretation session is conducted within 48 hours of the
interview so that the interviewer's memory is still reasonably detailed. Team members ask
questions about the interview, drawing out details that the interviewer might have over-
looked and indicate what is important to capture. One person acts as recorder, typing notes
in a document. Other participants capture Contextual Design models, representing the life
andworkcontextoftheuser.Whenthediscussionsparksdesignideas,theyarecapturedin
the notes.
Thenotesaredisplayedsothateveryonecanseethem.Theycapturekeypracticeissues,
identity and cultural observations, tool and activity successes and breakdowns, task pat-
terns, the use of time, place and different devices, design ideas, and any other issues that
have relevance to the project. Later these notes are transferred to sticky notes and used to
build the Affinity Diagram.
Simultaneously,otherteammemberscapturethestructureoftheuser'sactivitiesatwork
and for life on the Contextual Design models, adding to the model as they hear relevant
elements revealed by the interviewer. Each model is a simple representation of one aspect
of the user's practice.
The
Day in the Life model
shows the different places in the user's life, the activities un-
dertaken in that place, the devices which support the activities, and the content accessed
there.
The
Relationship model
shows the important relationships in the user's life as it relates
to the target activity—it's a cleaned up version of the model captured in the interview.
