/
Zoom - Moderated user research interviews

Zoom - Moderated user research interviews

Owned by Helen Devine (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jul 12, 2021 by Steve Perry (Deactivated)

When conducting moderated research interviews, especially with participants that we have recruited ourselves (see confluence page on using Ethnio for participant recruitment), Zoom is the best tool for this. We have plenty of accounts already within Shelter, users are usually familiar with it, Zoom works well on both mobile and desktop, users can easily share their screen and so can moderators and we can have a few observers without it feeling intrusive.

 

The process you should follow is:

Before the research session

  1. Agree research goal(s), participant profiles, recruitment method, research method, discussion guide upfront.

  2. When you recruit participants, if you will want them to share their screen during the research session, let them know this upfront.

  3. For each participant recruited, ensure that they have completed and returned a consent form

  4. Agree a date and time with the participant

  5. Book this date and time as a meeting in Zoom, allowing some additional time at the start for you to login early and some additional time at the end in case the discussion runs over (this shouldn’t really happen as you should always manage the time carefully and book the session for a little longer than you need).

  6. E-mail the Zoom meeting details (link plus passcode) to the participant and make a calendar invite which includes the details for any observers

  7. IF sharing screen be sure to allow respondents in settings here: How to allow sharing in Zoom

  8. Brief the observers that when they join the meeting, they should be a few minutes early, they should have camera off and microphone muted. You should have a maximum of 3 observers on the day.

During the research session

  1. Join a minimum of 5 minutes early and encourage observers to do the same

  2. Ensure that you have your discussion guide where you can see it so that you cover everything that you need to

  3. Ensure that you have a clock/timer in sight so that the interview does not take longer than scheduled

  4. When the participant joins the call, double check with them that they are happy for you to record the call and then click the record button

  5. Be kind and patient if participants have any issues with the technology

  6. Conduct the interview/session as you would any other research session - remember to do plenty of affirming nods/gestures and phrases to encourage the participant - it can feel a little odd to do this online/ remotely!

  7. At the end, thank the participant and let them know when and how you will be paying their incentive (if applicable)

After the research session

  1. Save the recording in a secure folder and do not provide access to anyone outside of the product/project team

  2. Process the participant’s incentive

  3. Analyse collaboratively with the team

  4. And relax…