Interview 1
After we were assigned with our case owner, we only knew their name and their general problem, which is neck pain. To understand their situation better, we conducted an interview with a broad range of topics with specific questions. While the main focus was the neck pain, we also wanted to learn more about their personal live including their family, work and hobbies. Additionally, we prepared a consent form to ensure their privacy and safety throughout the process.
Daily routine
The case owner starts their day at 5:45 in the morning with a walk in the forest with their dogs, followed by some work at home and tending their horses. Early morning movements benefits their greatly.
By 7:30, they head to work, usually by car. Their workday lasts 8 to 10 hours. During this time, they sit for long periods, often looking down at their laptop, causing neck pain. They often take breaks and stand up to move around to ease their pain.
After work, they stay active for another 1 to 2 hours before having dinner and going to bed early to ensure they get enough rest.
Key Insights
Our case owner has a very active lifestyle. They spend time riding horses, walking their dogs and stays physically active for at least one to two hours daily to ease their pain. They suffers from chronic neck pain due to a past horse-riding accident that led to osteophytes (C3-C7), as well as hernia (C5-C6) from working out. Their pain worsens when looking down or sitting for long periods of time. This also affects their shoulders and lower back, sometimes causing nausea. Due to their condition, the biggest challenge they faces is using a laptop. The screens are too low and raised arms cause discomfort. they visit a musculoskeletal medicine doctor once a month, undergoes MRI’s twice a year, and has previously received injections but do not use medication. To manage their pain, they use cushions in the car, prefers a rocking chair and finds relief in horseback riding, which helps with core stability. When working, they adjust their posture frequently, sitting with a tucked in chin and standing up when needed. However, finding a solution to a comfortable laptop set up is still the biggest problem for them.
For the full transcript, inquire with request. For the consent form, use the link below.
For the interview, we prepared some templates for visual notetaking (see below). With the goal to make the conversation feel more interactive rather than a formal questioning session. However, our case owner felt these were unnecessary, so we chose not to use them to ensure they feel comfortable and not pressured during the interview.
After the interview, we took the information we gained and made a visual of their daily routine and made a visual summary of the interview (see below).
Visual Notes
Visual Summary
This visual provides a summarized representation of the key insights from the interview. It highlights the challenges the case owner faces, the adaptations they have made to their daily life due to pain, and their specific needs and wishes for a solution.
After gathering insights from our interviews, we analyzed our key findings and defined an initial design challenge that best aligned with the case owner's needs and preferences.