Conducting interviews

Part of this week involved a trip to IUPUI to see the facilities there. The facilities on each campus differ, so it was useful and necessary to see that in person. Also, because team members have different specializations, the types of projects that tend to be highlighted on each campus can differ (although all 8 campuses have access to the AVL's knowledge and facilities).

Tyler demonstrating the VIVE, head-mounted display VR.

This week's big step was to start interviewing team members and collecting samples of the visualizations and media that will eventually go onto the website. So far, I have interviewed 4 team members. I have found that an informal style with some questions for guidance works for me. I like to have a conversation, eliciting the information I need that way.

Jeff showing some of his work on the IQ-Wall in the AVL's IUPUI lab.

The types of information I am gathering in these interviews involve the team members' roles and specializations, what sorts of projects they work on, and specific examples of projects. The questions fulfill 3 purposes: 

1. What are the user requirements for this portal? 
2. Who are my subject matter experts? 
3. What types of descriptors (search terms) will we need? 

So far, from the examples I have gathered, I have a list of over 100 descriptors ranging from type of media to technology tool to fields and disciplines--and I haven't looked at some of the areas the AVL works in. There is a lot that goes into building the search terms and metadata that will make this site work. I'm glad I took Representation and Organization, as that will help with building a vocabulary and creating facets.

Next week: more interviews, collecting more example work, and gathering more descriptors.

What this project is and what it isn't

Monday morning began with a meeting with my supervisor, the group manager, and the division director. We went over the work I had done so far, with me leading the discussion.

The meeting was helpful in clarifying a few questions I had encountered about what the project is and what the project isn't. The proto-personas I created were well-received, so I will continue fleshing them out as I gather more information.

We were also able to agree on the next steps, which mostly involves interviewing each of the group members and collecting some representative samples of the visual assets that the project is about. The interviews are brief, about 30 minutes each, and are helpful in gathering requirements. Part of the interview is requesting information on representative samples, as mentioned above, so I can start creating a list of descriptors. The descriptors will be useful for search terms in the eventual site.

I was able to do the first interview Monday afternoon. I have two more planned for Thursday and another planned for Friday, when I'll finally make a trip to IUPUI to see the other facilities. Interviews will take some time to complete because I have to work around everyone's schedules.

There are plenty of things I can do in the meantime. I've been reading up on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0). I have also been typing up my handwritten notes, which helps me think about what the notes mean. In typing them, I can add context and questions, and make connections.

Take away: Meetings aren't always bad. This was more of a work session than a meeting, with the goal of putting us all on the same page.