Study first
Review the ideas behind the questions
Review the research decision before writing interview questions. Focus on what the team needs to learn, who can answer it, how prompts shape the conversation, and what interview evidence can honestly support.
Start With A Decision And Research Question
Research is strongest when it starts with a clear decision and the assumptions that need evidence.
- Turn unfounded assumptions into research questions before choosing a method.
- A research plan should be updated as the team learns more about users.
- Research objectives should help the team make a specific next decision.
In Practice
Name The Decision
Before asking for feedback, write the decision the research will inform and the assumption most likely to change it.
Keep The Scope Narrow
A goal like learning about customers is too broad. A useful goal names the behavior, attitude, stage, or problem the team needs to understand.
Common mistakes
Starting with a list of interview questions before agreeing what decision the answers will affect.
Start with the research question and decision, then write the interview guide around that learning need.
Q&A
What should come before the interview guide?
A clear research goal or research question tied to the decision the team needs to make.
Recruit People Who Can Answer The Question
Participant quality matters more than convenience. The right people should match the audience, experience, or need being researched.
- Participants should be actual or likely users of the service, product, or experience being studied.
- Recruitment criteria should clearly specify who the research needs to include.
- Interview or usability rounds usually need a small focused group, not hundreds of people.
In Practice
Screen For Experience
If the question is about a recent buying problem, recruit people who have actually faced that problem recently.
Include Different Needs
Research plans should avoid only hearing from easy-to-recruit customers when the audience has different access needs or digital skills.
Common mistakes
Recruiting the easiest available contacts even when they cannot answer the research question.
Define the target users, relevant experience, and spread of needs before recruitment begins.
Q&A
Why is a convenience sample risky?
It may be easy to recruit, but it may not include people who can answer the research question.
Separate What People Say From What You Can Prove
Interviews are useful for experiences, motivations, and mental models, but they do not replace observed behavior or quantitative measurement.
- Interviews are useful for learning about experiences, pain points, motivations, and perceptions.
- Interviews are attitudinal, so they collect reported behavior rather than observed behavior.
- Leading interview questions can weaken the validity of what the team learns.
In Practice
Use Open Prompts
Ask people to describe a recent experience in their own words before offering labels or explanations.
Add Behavior Evidence
When the question is what customers actually do, pair interviews with observation, usability testing, analytics, or another behavioral source.
Common mistakes
Reporting a few interview comments as proof that most customers behave a certain way.
Treat interviews as qualitative evidence and use a suitable quantitative or behavioral method for prevalence or behavior claims.
Q&A
What is an interview best at revealing?
It is strong for understanding experiences, motivations, pain points, and perceptions.
What should an interview not be treated as?
It should not be treated as direct proof of what most customers do.