I was very comfortable taking part in user interviews as I had a lot of experience of it during my placement. I find it quite easy to talk to people on their level and can build a fast rapport with people allowing me to get them to open up . When conducting user interviews its probably the most important skill to not interrupt. simply listen and allow the person you are interviewing to flow and spill every detail they possibly can as the little nuggets of information that inform design can be hiding anywhere. Another reason to simply listen is to ensure the purity of the interview, interviewees can be influenced by what the interviewer says and therefore damaging the integrity of the interview. To get my questions sorted I looked at my desk research and saw a lot of thing I wanted to validate with real people, such as the challenges of those with ADHD and those who help them. I also wanted to validate the need for my product without actually mentioning the product at first so the interviews wouldn’t be guided by.

Once I had gathered data from the interviews I listen back to the ones I was able to record. And then looked at the answers to look for patterns in my key findings.

Interview 1 (Leanne, Classroom Assistant for 20 years)

Introduce myself.

Explain the purpose of the chat.

Ask if its okay to record the call.

1. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your background?

started in a private daycare nursery over 20 years ago, noticed a lot of kids coming in with behavior problems, designated at the time as badly behaved. Wasn’t satisfied with just looking after children went into education then worked for the YMCA, where she first learned about ADHD, trained through the YMCA and got a job later in high school working with autistic children.

1. What do you find most challenging or frustrating about assisting in the classroom? The most challenging aspect is often dealing with limited resources and time constraints. It can be frustrating when additional support or tools are needed, but budget constraints make it difficult to access them.
2. Can you share any positive experiences or successes you've had while doing your job? Small victories, like seeing a student with ADHD successfully complete a task or engage in a lesson, are truly rewarding. Building a rapport with students and being a consistent, supportive presence makes a positive impact.
3. Negatives? Challenges arise when there's a lack of understanding among students or when certain teaching methods prove less effective for a student with ADHD. Managing disruptive behaviors can be demanding, requiring consistent strategies and patience, which can be challenging in a busy classroom.