Field Interviews

We want to begin with general questions then tailor them to personalities. Follow the tracks as they occur.

(Note: these questions are for the preliminary interviews. After the prelims we will have a better feel for the direction these are taking us. Please recall that depending on this ethnographic research, we will build our five scenarios...)

Start here.

• Do you have a car?

• Why did you choose your car? (Aesthetics, economics, practical use, etc.)

• What do you do in your car? (commute to work, business, recreation, pick up the kids, friends, etc.)

This should give you some indication of the person. Where they live? Suburbs? City? What they do? Do they work in their car? If not, ask.

• How much time do you spend in your car? (per day) Does this change on weekends?

• What kind of work do you do in your car?

• Do you eat in your car?

• Have you added any extras to the car? Upgrades?

• What is your favorite car?

• Are you into vintage cars? What do you like about them?

By now you should be getting some indication of the person. If not begin to personalize the questions more. What is your background, work, play etc? Personal relationships - are you single? Do you have Kids? Seeing or hearing impairment?

• Tell me about the things you did in driving to work today, from the time you got in the car at home, to the time you got out of the car at work. I’m interested in everything, not just the making-the-car-go actions. (Can ask this question about other driving scenarios and similarly drill down on any of the activities identified in response.)

• What your kids do when you go for a ride in the car? Please start from when you tell them you’re going somewhere and end when you arrive back home. (captures in-car plus preparation activities—such as grabbing an iPod)

• Other than the making-the-car-go actions, what kinds of things do you give your attention to while you drive?

• Do you like being entertained while you are in your car? Do you need to entertain someone else while you are driving? How much control over entertainment do you want? As driver? As passenger in the front or back seat?

• Do you use cd's? Do you have an MP3 player?

• Is the quality of the sound an issue? More bass, greater amps? Do you like listening to your music loud? (Do you like being the center of attention in your car?)

• Do you use the phone much in your car? If so how much?

• Do you travel places where you require navigational aids? Do you like navigational aids?

• Is design an issue?

• What do you want your car to feel like?

• Do you care about what stuff is made of? (Materials: plastic, leather, wood, metal, etc.)

• Do you like screens in your car?

Tailored questions

• Business person: How important is information on the move? What kind of information do you need?

Use the visual aids! Orient these to the person.

• Depending on car favorites, do you like this Toyota Prius interior? This SUV interior?

• Do you like dials, screens, electronic displays, 'old school' gauges etc.? Get into some specifics, but not too many?

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