Discovery Operations Guide

Setting Up the Room

Setting up the room

Correct positioning in the room allows for quick relationship-building with participants.

When your team walks into the interview space, whether it’s a coffee shop, an office, or a person’s home, you need to be able to quickly set up the room to optimize the interview time. This means understanding how to work with the architecture of the room in order to use sight lines, team member placement, and body language to your best advantage.

Note: In scenario 4, it is unavoidable that the Notetaker is in eyeline view of the Interviewee. In this situation, the Interviewer should lean slightly forward, while the Notetaker leans back in their chair. In this way, you work as a team to focus the attention of the Interviewee onto the Interviewer, keeping the Notetaker in the background.

The Interviewer should be positioned about 45 to 35 degree angle from the Research Participant. This is so that they have the option to meet eye-to-eye, but do not have to do so all the time. If the reasoning for this confuses you, think of the conversations you might have had while driving in a car. Sitting side-by-side, instead of face-to-face, often makes it easier to have difficult conversations. Participating in a shared activity, such as driving, means there is less pressure to talk to fill silence. You can also look away from your conversation partner without injecting meaning into the movement. That space allows for thought and consideration before speaking.

The Notetaker should be positioned out of the sight line of the Interviewee. As Notetaker, deflect attention after initial introductions. Acknowledge any attention from the Interviewee, but gently drive the attention back to the Interviewer. Always encourage the Interviewee to focus solely on the Interviewer.

Whenever possible, notes should be handwritten on pad or notebook. A tablet without keyboard is also acceptable. When taking notes, some people like to write single words or short phrases; some people like to write whole sentences. Ensure that you can read your handwriting. The Notetaker is responsible for quickly transcribing the notes after the post-interview meeting for distribution to the larger team.