Tool details
Group Interview
You can come to a quick understanding of a community’s life, dynamics, and needs by conducting a group interview.
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When to use
If you’re looking to get smart quickly on what is valuable to a community, Group Interviews are a great place to start.
Why you should
To get a compelling look at how a larger set of the people you’re designing for operates.
What you get
A list of insight according to your observations of the group. Both what they say, how they interact and what topics they are engaged in and agree on.
Steps to take
Identify the sort of group you want to interview. If you’re trying to learn something specific, organise the group so that you have the best chance at hearing it.
Convene the Group Interview on neutral ground, perhaps a shared community space that people of all ages, races, and genders will have access to.
In a Group Interview, be certain to have one person asking the questions and other team members taking notes and capturing what the group is saying. It's also valuable to note down their non-verbal communication (See Observation while interviewing)
Come prepared with a strategy to engage the quieter members of the group. This can mean asking them questions directly or finding ways to make the more vocal members of the group recede for the moment.
Further reading
Group Interviews are a great setting to identify who you might want to go deeper with the group and how much you want to involve them in the ideation phase.
The best Group Interviews seek to hear everyone’s voice, get diverse opinions, and are strategic about group dynamics. For example, an all-female group might give you insight into the role of women in a society whereas a mixed group may not. At least 2 members of the design team should be present, and 7-10 interviewees.