Engagement
Photojournal
A Photojournal is a powerful tool that provides a visual insight into a person's life and enables them to share their own stories. By following a simple prompt and a few instructions, you can gain a unique perspective on someone's life that would be impossible to obtain otherwise. This approach goes beyond traditional interviews, allowing us to better understand a person's context, community dynamics, and how they use a product or service. Photojournals serve as a foundation for more meaningful discussions, as they prepare individuals for interviews and encourage them to reflect on the subject in advance.
Workshop steps
Implement this technique over a few days before a planned interview, ensuring you have sufficient time. Aim to record daily interactions and dynamics.
Provide the individual you're designing for with a camera (if they don't already own one) and a specific task. For instance, if you're creating a financial service, request them to capture photos of everyone who impacts their financial choices. Alternatively, instruct them to photograph all the locations where they manage their finances.
After the individual you're designing for captures the photos, ensure they develop them or send them to you digitally before the planned interview.
Using photojournals lets you preview a part of your interview. Take time to examine the images and create a few questions to ask based on your observations.
While you're together, request the individual to guide you through their captured photos and their significance. Delve into the "why" behind each image, explore their emotions towards the pictures, and remember to inquire about any excluded photos and the reasons behind it.
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