I’ll never forget one of my first attempts at a user interview. I was part of a team tasked with improving an internal software platform, and I was convinced I had it all figured out. I had my list of questions, my clipboard, and my very serious “researcher” persona. I sat down with a colleague, an intended user, and launched into my scripted interrogation. Ten minutes in, I could see her eyes glaze over. Her answers were short, her body language was closed off, and I was getting nothing of value. I walked away with a page full of yes or no answers and a profound sense of failure.
What did I do wrong? I asked all my questions. The problem was, I wasn’t having a conversation. I was conducting a transaction. I was so focused on my agenda that I failed to make a human connection. That day, I learned a crucial lesson that has shaped my approach ever since: a great user interview is not about asking questions; it’s about creating a space for stories to be told.
In the world of Design Thinking, user interviews are a foundational tool. We use them to gather rich, qualitative information about people’s thoughts, feelings, motivations, and daily routines. They are our window into the world of the user, allowing us to build empathy and uncover the unarticulated needs that lead to truly groundbreaking solutions. But knowing what a user interview is and knowing how to conduct one effectively are two very different things.
This guide is my attempt to share what I’ve learned, often through trial and error, about moving beyond transactional questions and into the realm of transformative conversations.
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When to Choose Conversation Over a Questionnaire
Table of Contents
Before we dive into the “how,” it’s critical to understand the “when.” User interviews are a powerful tool, but they’re not always the right one. How do you decide between an in depth interview versus a broad survey or a fly on the wall observation?
As a Tool for Deep Exploration
I’ve found that interviews are most powerful in the early, exploratory phase of a project. When you have a big, ambiguous problem space, interviews allow you to understand the landscape. What are the real pain points people face? What are their deepest needs, aspirations, and moments of joy related to a product, service, or process? The rich, narrative insights from these initial conversations provide a solid foundation for all subsequent research and design.
To Access What a Survey Can’t See: Non Verbal Cues
An interview is a live performance. It allows you to observe the powerful language of the body. A person leaning in when they talk about a particular feature, a sigh when they describe a frustrating process, a smile that lights up their face when they recall a positive experience. These non verbal cues, when combined with their words, give you a holistic understanding that a sterile online survey simply cannot capture. These cues are your signposts, telling you when to probe deeper and ask, “I noticed you leaned in there. What’s on your mind?”
To Test an Idea or Prototype in a Tangible Way
Interviews aren’t just for the beginning of a project. They are incredibly useful for getting feedback on an early prototype. As a researcher, I’ve learned that asking people to speculate about a future idea is often a waste of time. The insights are abstract and unreliable. Instead, give them something to interact with, even if it’s a rough sketch on a piece of paper or a simple clickable model. Then, use a structured interview to capture their immediate reactions and feedback as they experience it.
When Memory Needs a Gentle Nudge
User interviews often involve asking people to remember past experiences. The challenge is that human memory is notoriously fallible. Asking a vague question like “How was your last experience with our service?” will likely yield a vague and unhelpful answer. In cases where precise recall is crucial, direct observation might be better. However, a powerful interview technique called the “Critical Incident Technique” can be used to jog memory effectively. I’ll explain this in more detail shortly.
Once you’ve decided that an interview is the right tool for the job, the real work begins. Effective execution is everything. Below is the checklist I’ve refined over years of practice.
A. Before the Interview: The Art of Preparation
The success of your interview is often decided long before you sit down with the user. Meticulous preparation is non negotiable.
Prepare Your Team: The Power of Two
I have a golden rule: never interview alone. Always work with a partner. This isn’t just about having an extra set of hands; it’s about creating a more effective dynamic. One person can focus on being the lead conversationalist, maintaining eye contact and staying fully present with the interviewee. The other can focus on being the dedicated note taker, capturing not just the words but also the crucial non verbal cues. After the interview, your combined reflection will uncover far more insights than you would have alone.
That said, avoid overwhelming the user with a crowd. A team of two is ideal. You might also choose to use a recording device, but always, always get the explicit consent of the interviewee beforehand.
Plan How You Will Process the Data
This is a step many people skip, to their later regret. Before you collect a mountain of data, you need a plan for what you’ll do with it. As a design thinker, you need to know what information you are trying to collect and which tools are best to capture it (audio, video, detailed notes). Equally important is thinking through how you will analyze that data. How will you find the patterns, the themes, and the actionable insights that will drive your project forward? We’ll touch on this in the “After the Interview” section.
Prepare Your Questions: Your Compass, Not Your Cage
Crafting your questions is the heart of your preparation. Your interview guide should feel like a compass that gives you direction, not a cage that restricts you. Here are some of my most important tips:
Avoid Closed Ended Questions
These are questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” They are conversation killers.
For example:
Instead of asking: Do you like this perfume?
Ask: What kind of fragrances do you typically prefer, and why?
Instead of asking: Did you visit our store before?
Ask: Tell me about your previous experiences visiting our store.
Open ended questions, often starting with What, When, How, Why, or Tell me about…, invite stories, not just answers.
Avoid Leading Questions
A leading question is one that subtly pushes the user towards a particular answer. You are inserting your own biases and assumptions into the conversation.
For example:
Instead of asking: Do you use M pay or VTM for online payments? (This assumes they use one of these two.)
Ask: When you’re paying for things online, what options do you prefer to use? Tell me about that.
Instead of asking: How often do you use Travelmax or Rideit when traveling?
Ask: When you need to get around the city using a cab, what’s your process for that?
Your job is to learn from the user, not to validate your own assumptions.
Use the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) for Specific Experiences
As I mentioned earlier, memory can be tricky. CIT is a fantastic way to help users recall specific details about a past event. The technique involves asking them to focus on a single, “critical” incident.
For example:
- Think about the last time you were absolutely delighted with a meal you ordered at a restaurant. Tell me everything about that experience.
- Walk me through a time when a last minute request was handled exceptionally well by hotel staff.
- Can you recall a specific situation when getting your car serviced was a deeply frustrating experience?
CIT’s real power comes from the follow up probes you use to gently pull out more details and uncover the user’s feelings and motivations. For instance, after the car servicing question, you could follow up with:
- What was the original reason for the service?
- What exactly happened that made you so upset?
- What were you expecting to happen instead?
This technique helps ground the conversation in concrete reality rather than vague generalities.
Also Read: Presenting with Impact
B. During the Interview: The Dance of Conversation
You’ve done your homework. Now it’s time for the interview itself. This is where preparation meets presence.
Provide a Proper Introduction
Start by setting the stage and making the interviewee feel comfortable and informed.
- Introduce yourself and your partner.
- Clearly explain the purpose of the interview and how their insights will be used.
- Explain your policy on data privacy and get their consent, having any necessary documentation ready.
Make Your Interviewee Feel at Ease
Remember, this is a human conversation. Your energy will set the tone. From your friendly demeanor to your open body language, your goal is to make the user feel relaxed and safe. A wary user will only give you surface level answers.
- Embrace a Conversational Style: Use your interview guide as a reference, but be willing to go off script. If the user says something interesting, follow that thread with curious follow up questions. This keeps the conversation engaging and often leads to the most unexpected and valuable insights.
- Maintain Eye Contact: Avoid burying your head in your notes or constantly looking at your phone. Your attention should be on the person in front of you.
- Embrace the Silence: This is a tough one for many people. We often feel the need to fill every moment of silence. Resist that urge. A pause can be a powerful tool. It gives the interviewee time to gather their thoughts and reflect more deeply on what they’ve shared. Some of my most profound insights have come right after a moment of silence.
- Listen More Than You Talk: Do not interrupt your interviewees when they are speaking. Let them finish their thoughts completely. Your role is to listen and gently guide, not to dominate the conversation.
Also Read: Active Listening
Thank Your Interviewee
Finally, end the conversation with gratitude. Thank them for their time and their valuable insights. I always like to ask, “Is there anything else you think we should have talked about, or any questions you have for me?” You would be amazed at the gems that can surface in these final moments. Also, ask for their permission to contact them again in the future if any follow up questions arise.
C. After the Interview: From Chaos to Clarity
You’ve finished your interviews. Now you have a mountain of notes, recordings, and observations. This is where the magic of synthesis happens.
The most crucial task at this stage is to organize your observations. My favorite tool for this is the Affinity Diagram, also known as affinity mapping. It’s a simple but incredibly effective way to find the signal in the noise.
Here’s how it works. You and your partner take all of your individual observations and write each one on a separate sticky note. Then, you put all the notes up on a wall or a whiteboard. As a team, you begin to group the notes into natural themes and patterns. You’re not looking for pre defined categories; you’re letting the categories emerge from the data itself. This process helps you to move from individual data points to broader insights about your users’ needs, goals, and pain points.
This synthesis is the bridge between your research and your design. It’s how you turn a collection of stories into a clear, actionable direction for your project.
Also Read: How To Spark Creativity at Workplace
The Takeaway: Empathy as a Strategic Advantage
With this comprehensive checklist, I hope you feel more equipped to plan and execute your user interviews. But more than just a set of steps, I hope you see this as a practice in empathy. The workplace challenge many organizations face is a fundamental disconnect; a gap between what leaders think their employees need and what they actually need. User interviews, when done well, are the most powerful tool we have to close that gap.
By taking the time to truly listen to people’s stories, we do more than just gather data. We build trust, we foster a culture of inclusivity, and we gain the deep human insights that are the bedrock of innovative and meaningful solutions. Whether you are designing a new product, a new service, or a new employee experience program, it all starts with a conversation.
At FocusU, we believe that Design Thinking is a powerful methodology for solving complex challenges. Our hands-on Design Thinking workshops can help you and your team master skills like user interviewing, empathy mapping, and prototyping to drive innovation in your organization.
