Interviewing Users

1. Interviewing users is crucial for understanding their needs and driving innovation

To design for users, you must begin with a deep understanding of users. If you don't already have that understanding, you need to do some form of user research.

User-centered design is now the norm in many industries, but truly understanding users requires going beyond assumptions and directly engaging with them. Interviewing allows designers and researchers to:

• Uncover unmet needs and pain points that users may not explicitly state
• Gain context around how products or services fit into users' lives
• Challenge internal assumptions and biases about users
• Generate innovative ideas based on real user insights

Effective interviewing involves more than just asking questions - it requires careful preparation, active listening, and synthesis of findings. When done well, user interviews can provide invaluable insights that drive product strategy and innovation.

2. Embrace the participant's worldview and check your own at the door

Check your worldview at the door.

Suspend judgment and approach each interview with an open mind. This allows you to:

• Truly hear and understand the participant's perspective
• Notice details and insights you may have otherwise missed
• Build rapport and trust with the participant

Practical ways to embrace the participant's worldview:

• Use their language and terminology, even if it differs from your own
• Ask about their processes and reasoning without presuming you know the answers
• Be curious about apparent contradictions rather than trying to resolve them
• Restrain the urge to educate or correct the participant

By setting aside your own assumptions and expertise, you create space to learn something genuinely new and unexpected from each interview.

3. Prepare thoroughly but remain flexible during interviews

Leading the interview successfully comes down to you. Go ahead and refer to the field guide as you need to, but don't let it run the interview.

Balance structure and spontaneity in your approach:

• Develop a detailed interview guide with key questions and topics
• Allow the conversation to flow naturally, following interesting threads
• Use the guide as a reference, not a strict script

Key preparation steps:

• Define clear research objectives with stakeholders
• Create a screening process to recruit appropriate participants
• Prepare any stimuli or activities to use during the interview
• Plan logistics like location, recording equipment, and consent forms

During the interview, be prepared to deviate from your plan. The most valuable insights often come from unexpected directions, so remain attentive and follow up on intriguing comments or behaviors.

4. Ask open-ended questions and follow up to uncover deeper insights

You need a broad set of question types in order to make this happen.

Craft questions strategically to elicit rich, detailed responses:

• Start with broad, open-ended questions to understand context
• Follow up with more specific probes to clarify and expand on key points
• Use a variety of question types to explore different aspects of the topic

Effective question types:

• Descriptive: "Can you walk me through how you typically...?"
• Comparative: "How does this compare to...?"
• Hypothetical: "If you could design the ideal solution, what would it look like?"
• Reflective: "Looking back, what would you do differently?"

Remember to listen actively and allow silence after asking a question. Often, participants need time to reflect and will provide more thoughtful, detailed responses if given space to think.

5. Create a comfortable environment and build rapport with participants

Building rapport is what makes for great interviews.

Establish trust and comfort to encourage open, honest responses:

• Be warm and approachable in your demeanor
• Explain the purpose and process of the interview clearly
• Respect the participant's time and perspective

Practical rapport-building techniques:

• Start with easy, non-threatening questions to warm up
• Use appropriate self-disclosure to create connection
• Demonstrate active listening through body language and verbal cues
• Acknowledge and validate the participant's experiences and emotions

Remember that building rapport is an ongoing process throughout the interview. Continuously monitor the participant's comfort level and adjust your approach as needed to maintain a positive, productive dynamic.

6. Document interviews effectively using various methods

Although you might be tempted to try, you simply can't catch everything by taking notes.

Use multiple documentation methods to capture a comprehensive record:

• Audio or video recording for complete verbal exchanges
• Note-taking for key points and initial impressions
• Photography for visual context and artifacts

Documentation best practices:

• Obtain informed consent for all recording methods
• Test equipment before the interview to ensure quality
• Take photos discretely to avoid disrupting the conversation
• Conduct a debrief immediately after the interview to capture fresh insights

While recording provides a complete record, active note-taking during the interview can help you stay engaged and identify key themes in real-time. Find a balance that works for you and allows you to remain present with the participant.

7. Analyze and synthesize data to generate actionable insights

Working with research data is a combination of analysis, or breaking larger pieces into smaller ones (for example, interviews and transcripts into anecdotes and stories) and synthesis, or combining multiple pieces into something new (for example, building themes, implications, and opportunities).

Transform raw data into meaningful insights through a structured process:

1. Initial review: Skim transcripts and notes to identify emerging themes
2. Detailed analysis: Code and categorize data into relevant topics
3. Pattern recognition: Look for recurring themes and unexpected findings
4. Synthesis: Combine insights to form higher-level conclusions
5. Ideation: Generate potential solutions or opportunities based on insights

Effective analysis techniques:

• Create affinity diagrams to group related ideas
• Use journey maps to visualize user experiences over time
• Develop personas to represent key user archetypes
• Craft "How Might We" statements to frame design challenges

Remember that analysis is an iterative process. Be open to revisiting and refining your insights as you dig deeper into the data and discuss findings with your team.

8. Optimize interviews by troubleshooting common problems and improving skills

An interview is an interaction between two humans. Or throw in a colleague and a spouse, and now it's an interaction between four humans—irrational, emotional, language-using, unpredictable humans.

Adapt to challenges that arise during interviews:

• Reticent participants: Build trust gradually and adjust questioning style
• Overly talkative participants: Gently redirect to key topics
• Unexpected contexts: Remain flexible and find opportunities in surprises
• Safety concerns: Trust your instincts and prioritize personal safety

Continually improve your interviewing skills:

• Practice active listening in everyday conversations
• Seek feedback from colleagues or mentors
• Review recordings of your interviews to identify areas for improvement
• Stay current with industry best practices and emerging techniques

Remember that even experienced interviewers face challenges. Approach each interview as a learning opportunity, reflecting on what worked well and what could be improved for next time.

9. Use research to drive organizational change and product development

You want to be sure that data becomes insights, and insights become opportunities—for new products, features, services, designs, and strategies, but also new opportunities for teams to embrace a user-centered approach to their work.

Translate insights into action within your organization:

• Craft compelling narratives from your research findings
• Connect insights to specific business goals and metrics
• Involve stakeholders throughout the research process to build buy-in
• Advocate for ongoing user research as a core business practice

Strategies for driving change:

• Create visually engaging presentations and reports to share findings
• Facilitate workshops to apply insights to current projects
• Develop a repository of user insights accessible to the entire organization
• Measure and communicate the impact of user research on business outcomes

Remember that driving organizational change takes time and persistence. Continuously demonstrate the value of user research through both small wins and long-term strategic impact to build a user-centered culture.

Last updated: March 11, 2025