Introduction.
Depth interviews are an effective method for exploring users’ deep psychology and reasons for their behavior, but beginners tend to have trouble with the difficulty of proceeding and constructing questions. In this article, we will introduce how to proceed with a two-person team, how to devise questions utilizing 5W1H, and how to proceed flexibly without being bound by a list of questions, along with specific examples.
Preferably with two people.
Advantages of a 2-person team
Interviews are of better quality when conducted by two people rather than one; ideally, one person should serve as the main interviewer and focus on the questions, while the other person should serve as a sub-interviewer and take stock of the entire situation.
- Sub-interviewer perspective: While the main focuses on the questions, the sub can objectively assess the situation and help keep the proceedings on track.
- Broaden the range of questions: Sub-interviewers can interject questions from a different perspective, increasing the likelihood of gaining new insights.
Sub roles that don’t end with note-taking alone.
Sub-interviewers are not just recorders, but can also contribute to
- Responsible for time management and organizing the prioritization of questions.
- When the main interviewer digs too deep, interject questions from a new perspective.
- Complement questions that were missed and balance the overall
Good/Bad Case Study: Two people in a product interview
Topic: Interviews about the use of new products
Good Case Study
Main Question: “How did you feel about this product?”
Respondent: “It was very convenient, but I was concerned about the weight.”
Sub-questioner: “Specifically, in which situations was the weight inconvenient?
→ The sub can include supplementary questions to clarify detailed issues related to usability.
Bad Case Study
Main Questioner: “How did you find this product?”
Respondent: “It was useful.”
Sub-questioner: (did not ask a question, remained silent)
→ Customer responses were shallow and did not elicit specific issues.
Solution for one person to proceed
Nevertheless, there are times when it is not possible to secure two people as interviewers, a main and a sub. However, a one-person interviewmakes it easier to miss important information because you have to concentrate on both questions and notes. There is also the risk of not being able to keep up with what the other person is saying and not being able to dig deeper. However, when facilitated by a one-person team, the following techniques may solve this problem.
- Record the interview with a voice recorder app and review and transcribe it later.
- Use the automatic transcription feature in the online interview to focus on the questions.
- Prioritize questions in advance and reserve time for important questions.
Dig deeper into the question with 5W1H in mind
Why utilize 5W1H?
The 5W1H (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How) guides questions to understand the background of the subject’s behavior and choices from multiple perspectives.
Good/Bad interview examples : why customers chose the product
Good Example
Interviewer: “Why did you choose this product?” (Why)
Customer: “I chose it because it was cosmetically good.”
Interviewer: “What specifically did you find cosmetically pleasing?” (How)
Customer: “Other products cost 3,000 yen per month, but I chose this one because I could use the same functions for 1,000 yen.
→The background of the choice was clarified by the interviewer’s in-depth exploration of the “Why” and “How.
Bad Case Study
Interviewer: “Why did you choose this product?”
Customer: “Because it was cosmetic.”
Interviewer: “I see.”
→The questions are shallow and do not elicit deep information.
However, asking in-depth questions in a flexible manner on the spot is easier said than done, and requires daily training.
Role-play impromptu interviews with a team or a friend and immediately ask “Why?” and “Why?” in response to the answers. or “Why? or “Why?” in response to responses, or practice breaking down news articles and case studies into their 5W1H elements.
For example: ask yourself “Why is the background of this event?” and “When did it happen?”.
Don’t get too caught up in the list of questions, but be flexible in your progression.
Pitfalls of the list of questions
When conducting an interview, you probably make a list of questions in advance. However, when it comes time to conduct the interview, it is easy to feel that you have to follow the flow and ask all of the questions.
However, if you stick to a list of questions, you may not dig deep enough into the other person’s answers. In addition, the rush to “move on to the next question as soon as possible” may cause the conversation to become mechanical and fail to elicit the other person’s true feelings.
Flexibility
- Use the list of questions only as a “guideline” and modify it according to their responses.
- Do not be afraid to skip questions or change the order if necessary.
- In the list of questions, pick up two or three questions or themes that you want to ask about, and leave the other questions to be better if you can ask them in the flow.
- The interviewer focuses on “themes that the other person wants to talk about” and develops questions accordingly.
Good/Bad Case Study: Interviews about online shopping experience
Topic: Customer Online Shopping Challenges
Good Case Study
Interviewer: “Was the ordering process smooth?”
Customer: “I got a little lost, but I managed to move forward.”
Interviewer: “Where did you get lost?”
Customer: “The payment screen was complicated and I made a lot of mistakes.
→ Although not on the list of questions in advance, the questions were changed flexibly based on the customer’s response.
Bad Case Study
Interviewer: “Was the ordering process smooth?”
Customer: “I got a little lost.”
Interviewer: “Next, tell me about your product selection. (Looking at the interview list, I was in such a hurry to finish the rest of the questions that I moved on to the next one.)”
→ Missed the opportunity to dig deeper into the customer’s answers.
After the interview is completed, the interview needs to be transcribed into an article. Interview AI can transcribe an hour of audio in just 15 seconds and automatically revise the interview content into a natural conversational style. We invite you to try it for free.
summary
For a successful depth interview, it is effective to take advantage of the two-person team and have the sub-interviewer actively ask questions. In addition, it is important to construct questions with an awareness of the 5W1H and to proceed flexibly without being bound by a list of questions. These points will help to achieve interviews that provide deeper insights.
