Interviews are a good way to understand better the complexities of a project and dig deeper. In general, you'd like to interview the people closest to the land or to the problem, the people who are most affected by it will be the experts. Sometimes, academics, scientists or businesses are experts.

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> Informed consent: ask for consent for audio/video recording, photographs and confidentiality.

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1. Make sure you are showing up honest, genuine and sensitive towards the interviewee. We strongly suggest you read about Design Research Ethics here and here.

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2. Prepare a set of questions you’d like to ask. Consider breaking the ice by asking broad questions about the person’s life before asking more specific questions that relate directly to your challenge. Also, be comfortable with just letting the interview flow, not necessarily following your initial plans.

 

> Ask smart questions that reflect that you have conducted secondary research first.

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3. Make sure that the interviewee is comfortable, decide on a time limit that suits the interviewee. Consider refunding the interviewee for travel costs and/or food (if applicable). Offer food and a drink if you can. Consider offering a gift or koha if the interviewee is an indigenous person. 

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4. Introduce yourself properly, who you are, where you come from, what is this research for, who is funding it, etc. Be transparent.

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5. Copy the interview transcript into the template or store the files separately as appropriately following the confidentiality practices agreed upon.

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6. Think of ways that you can keep engaged with the people that shred their knowledge with your team, give back to their communities, cite them properly, share the finished research, etc. 

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