Aligning around design goals

Method 1: Stakeholder and user interviews

What

This research method involves semi-structured interviews with experts who have an interest in a project's success. This can include stakeholders and users.

Why

Find agreement and disagreement about the problem statement and project objectives.

How to do it

1. Create a guide for yourself of some topics you would like to learn more about. Outline specific questions. Questions might concern the individual's role, their needs from the project or solution, and what a successful solution looks like. Be sure to consider how the interview could harm the participant, and adjust your questions to avoid those hazards. For example, might your questions trigger thoughts of painful experiences?
2. Sit down one-on-one with the participant, or two-on-one with a note-taker or joint interviewer, in a focused environment.
3. Introduce yourself. Explain the premise for the interview as far as you can without biasing their responses.
4. Follow the conversation where the participant takes it. They will focus on their priorities and interests. Be comfortable with silences, which allow the participant to elaborate.
5. To keep from getting entirely off course, use your interview guide to make sure you cover what you need to.
6. Ask lots of “why is that” and "how do you do that" questions.
7. Consider asking if there are ways the service or product could cause harm to its users if not done carefully, or what assumptions are being made.

If there are other products they use or your product does not have constraints imposed by prior work, observe the stakeholders using a competing product. Consider a comparative analysis or contextual inquiry.

Time required

1 to 2 hours per interviewee

Method 2: Stakeholder influence mapping

What

Stakeholder influence mapping is a visual representation of:

• Who the stakeholders are
• How much influence and impact they may have on a project or service system

Why

This approach helps reveal and describe power dynamics that can impact project outcomes. It also helps you to:

• Prioritize which stakeholders to engage with and how
• Inform communication and engagement approaches

How to do it

1. Gather the team. Include at least one stakeholder familiar with their organization and how it works from both a technical and an interpersonal point of view.
2. Using a whiteboard or virtual collaboration tool, divide the board into a grid with four sections. Label the horizontal axis influence and the vertical axis interest.
3. Write down names of people, groups, communities, or organizations that your work may impact. Organize them into the four quadrants based on your understanding of their relative influence and interest.
4. Look at each quadrant to determine who to engage with and how. For stakeholders that are:.
   1. Both interested and influential, collaborate closely with them
   2. Either influential or interested, keep them informed
   3. Neither influential nor interested, allow them to drive their own involvement
5. If your map reveals power dynamics that route around policy, consider whether the information poses personal or professional risk to any stakeholders..

Avoid possible harm by sharing this map with only the people who need to understand it. Consider the consequences of those you do share with — or share an edited version. Be sure to review and update the map as you understand the situation better.

Time required

1 to 3 hours