Introduction.
User interviews are a way to obtain valuable information that can be used to improve a product or service. However, if the proper procedures are not followed, the interview may not yield the desired results.
This article provides specific steps and pointers for conducting informative user interviews. By reading this, you will learn how to achieve the objectives of the interview and put the information obtained into practice.
How to conduct informative interviews
1. preparatory stage
Clarification of objectives
Before beginning the interview, it is important to define exactly what you want to know.
For example, setting objectives such as “how users use certain functions” and “what points need to be improved” will set the direction of the interview and clarify the questions to be asked.
Selection of Subjects
Selecting the right subject for the purpose of the research is another key to success.
Set criteria such as age, gender, and experience with the product or service, and use your company’s customer database, social networking sites, and recruiting services to find the right candidates.
Question Design
Questions will be designed around an open-ended format.
How do you feel about 00? What do you find inconvenient about it? By preparing questions that can be answered freely, such as “How do you feel about this?
2. implementation stage
Building Rapport
Begin the interview by establishing rapport with the participant. Creating a relaxed atmosphere with light banter at the beginning of the interview will help elicit natural responses.
Flexible progression
The prepared question guide should be used only as a reference and should proceed flexibly according to participants’ reactions. Avoid using leading language and create an environment in which users can freely express their opinions.
Deep Drilling Technology
Prepare questions that further explore the participant’s statements. For example, “In what specific ways do you feel this is true?” What other examples do you have?” to obtain more detailed information.
Examples of questions to avoid
Specific examples of questions to avoid in user interviews include
- You mean you mean 00, right?”
This question prevents users from verbalizing their own opinions and may lead them to the interviewer’s hypothesis. It is important to elicit the user’s own considered opinion. - Are you having trouble with 00?”
Such questions cause the interviewer to assume the issue first and thus miss what the user is really having trouble with. It is important to elicit natural responses from the user. - What do you think?”
This question may seem like a good one, but it is likely to bias the user’s opinion and may miss information that could be gleaned from actual actions and experiences. Action-based questions should be preferred. - Why?”
The question “Why?” forces the user to think and may not provide an accurate answer. It is more effective to avoid this question and ask about specific actions or situations.
Be wary of these questions, as they can hinder eliciting truthful voices and deeper insights from users. Instead, open-ended questions and asking about specific behaviors can be more informative.
3. analysis phase
data processing
The information obtained from the interviews will be visually organized using post-its and the AEIOU framework. This will help group the statements and provide a complete picture of the information.
Pattern Identification
Find patterns and themes in the organized data. For example, if several users cite the same problem, that may be a priority for improvement; the KJ method can be used to efficiently group and identify relationships.
Extracting Insights
Based on the user’s behavior and emotions, new insights are drawn from the information obtained. This process does not confuse “opinion” with “fact” and focuses on the specific actions and situations experienced by the user.
4. integration and reporting of results
Finally, propose improvements or new ideas based on the insights gained. The report should be in a clear, easy-to-understand format and include a summary of key points and specific findings.
What are common mistakes made in user interview analysis?
Common failures in user interview analysis include the following specific factors
- Unclear survey objectives: Before conducting interviews, it is important to clarify what you want to find out, or the data obtained may be wasted. If the objectives are unclear, the questions will be vague and will not elicit useful information from the participants.
- Lack of rapport: If you do not build rapport with participants at the beginning of the interview, they will be less likely to share their true feelings. It is important to create a relaxed atmosphere.
- Leading questions: If questions are leading, participants will try to meet the interviewer’s expectations and will not be able to elicit their true opinions and feelings. Open-ended questions should be kept in mind.
- Insufficient Digging: If you don’t dig deep into what participants are saying, you will only get superficial answers and miss important insights. Specific follow-up questions are needed.
- Note-taking and multitasking: Taking notes or performing other tasks during the interview may compromise your rapport with the participant. It is better to record the interview if possible and review the details later.
For audio transcription, an interview AI, for example, can transcribe an hour-long interview in as little as 15 seconds and arrange it in a natural conversational style.
These failures directly affect the quality and usefulness of the data obtained from the user interviews. Therefore, careful attention in advance and during implementation is essential.
summary
In order to conduct useful user interviews, it is essential to set clear objectives, select appropriate subjects, design high-quality questions, build rapport, proceed in a flexible manner, and organize and analyze the data obtained. By taking these steps, we can accurately understand users’ true intentions and needs, which can then be used to improve products and services.
We encourage you to use the methods described in this article in the next user interviews you conduct. Based on the results of your analysis, you should be able to achieve better results by promoting improvements that take advantage of the user’s point of view.
