Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) addresses problems of interaction design: understanding user
needs to inform design delivering novel designs that meet user needs and evaluating new and
existing designs to determine their success in meeting user needs. Qualitative methods have an
essential role to play in this enterprise particularly in understanding user needs and
behaviours and evaluating situated use of technology. Qualitative methods allow HCI researchers
to ask questions where the answers are more complex and interesting than true or false and may
also be unexpected. In this lecture we draw on the analogy of making a documentary film to
discuss important issues in qualitative HCI research: historically films were presented as
finished products giving the viewer little insight into the production process more recently
there has been a trend to go behind the scenes to expose some of the painstaking work that went
into creating the final cut. Similarly in qualitative research the essential work behind the
scenes is rarely discussed. There are many how to guides for particular methods but few texts
that start with the purpose of a study and then discuss the important details of how to select
a suitable method how to adapt it to fit the study context or how to deal with unexpected
challenges that arise. We address this gap by presenting a repertoire of qualitative techniques
for understanding user needs practices and experiences with technology for the purpose of
informing design. We also discuss practical considerations such as tactics for recruiting
participants and ways of getting started when faced with a pile of interview transcripts. Our
particular focus is on semi-structured qualitative studies which occupy a space between
ethnography and surveys-typically involving observations interviews and similar methods for
data gathering and methods of analysis based on systematic coding of data. Just as a
documentary team faces challenges that often go unreported when arranging expeditions or
interviews and gathering and editing footage within time and budget constraints so the
qualitative research team faces challenges in obtaining ethical clearance recruiting
participants analysing data choosing how and what to report etc. We present illustrative
examples drawn from prior experience to bring to life the purpose planning and practical
considerations of doing qualitative studies for interaction design. We include takeaway
checklists for planning conducting reporting and evaluating semi-structured qualitative
studies.
