Interviews are a crucial element of human-centered design, as they offer a chance to dive deeply into people’s lived experiences. These conversations open up stories and insights that might otherwise remain hidden in everyday life, allowing designers and researchers to connect directly with individuals’ unique perspectives, needs, and challenges. By treating these interactions as opportunities to understand, we can build designs that resonate more genuinely with the people they’re meant to serve.
Reflecting on our first interview, it was both insightful and eye-opening, especially in understanding the financial side of running a business. One of the biggest takeaways was hearing first hand experiences about the challenges of managing finances, especially when using traditional spreadsheets, which can be difficult to navigate for more complex business models. The interviewee shared that because their business operates with multiple income streams, a simple spreadsheet doesn’t fully capture their financial picture. This got me thinking about can traditional tools be adapted or replaced to support businesses with unique needs and more layered revenue structures. Is it even possible to have a generic adaptable system that fits all?
Another insight was how small business owners manage to pay themselves, which adds complexity to financial planning. This is something I’d like to explore further, as it’s a critical part of balancing business and personal needs for entrepreneurs. How do small business owners prioritize paying themselves while managing operational costs and growth needs? What financial strategies help support both personal and business sustainability?
Additionally, the interview highlighted that spreadsheet, while useful for organization and required by banks for projections, might not be as central to daily operations as we had initially assumed.
In terms of what went well, the interview gave us some practical insights into current practices. However, it also showed that we still need to clarify the specific issues we want to address in our research. More conversations with entrepreneurs will be valuable to help refine our focus.
