User interviews (Part 3) — How to conduct user interviews?

User interviews can be divided into three parts namely pre-interview preparation, during interviews and post interview processes. During my initial days as a researcher, I use to focus a lot on how I am going to conduct the interview during the presence of the user and neglect many of the steps that needs to be performed before and after the interview. Due to my lack of preparation prior and post to the interview, I end up messing up with the research output. This includes minor things like,

• Not checking if the recording devices are properly working.
• Not following up with the user on the day or one day prior to the interview. I presume that the user will definitely turn up as they were informed in advance.
• Forgetting some minor yet crucial information provided by the user as I missed filling up incomplete notes immediately after the interview.

These minor blunders will turn out into costly mistakes and affect quality of the research outcome.

So, it is equally important to perform pre and post interview processes as much importance we give while conducting an interview. Preparing and planning for user interviews is crucial to ensure that the research is successful and that the insights gathered are relevant and useful. And, after conducting user interviews, there are several steps to be followed to ensure that the insights gathered are analysed and used effectively. Now, let’s look at pre interview preparations, points to remember while conducting the interview and post interview processes in detail.

Pre interview preparations:

Here are some steps to follow before conducting user interviews:

Define research objectives:

Clearly define the research objectives and the questions you want to answer through the user interviews. This will help you stay focused and ensure that the interviews are productive.

Identify participants:

Determine the target audience for the research and recruit participants who represent that audience. Consider demographics, behaviours, and attitudes when selecting participants.

Develop interview guides:

Develop interview guides with open-ended questions that will help you gather insights on user needs, behaviours, and pain points related to the product or service. Make sure the questions are clear and unbiased.

Choose a suitable location:

Choose a location that is comfortable and private for the interview, such as a quiet conference room or a private office. If you are conducting contextual interviews, choose a location where users typically interact with the product or service.

Choose recording equipment:

Choose a recording device, such as a microphone or camera, to record the interview. Make sure to obtain consent from the participants to record the interview.

Schedule and confirm interviews:

Schedule the interviews and confirm the time and location with the participants. Send them a reminder email or message a day or two before the interview.

Train the interviewers:

Train the interviewers on the interview guide and the goals of the research. Make sure they understand the importance of being objective and unbiased during the interview.

Points to remember while conducting an interview:

Build rapport:

Start the interview by introducing yourself and building rapport with the participant. Make them feel comfortable and encourage them to speak openly and honestly.

Listen actively:

Listen actively to the participant’s responses and ask follow-up questions to clarify their answers or explore new topics. Pay attention to their body language and tone of voice to understand their emotions and feelings.

Stay objective:

Avoid leading or biased questions that may influence the participant’s responses. Stay objective and focus on gathering insights that will inform the design of the product or service.

Respect the participant’s time:

Respect the participant’s time by starting and ending the interview on time. Avoid overrunning the scheduled time, as this may cause the participant to lose focus and become less engaged.

Take detailed notes:

Take detailed notes during the interview to capture the participant’s responses and insights. Use a structured format that will allow you to easily analyze the data later.

Record the interview:

Record the interview with the participant’s permission, so that you can review the conversation later and ensure that you captured all the important insights. Make sure the recording equipment is working properly before the interview starts.

Thank the participant:

Thank the participant for their time and contribution to the research. Let them know how their feedback will be used to improve the product or service.

Post interview processes:

Conduct a retrospective:

After each interview a retrospective can be conducted to reflect on how well the interview was managed and what can be done to improve the quality of the interviews in the future.

Process and organise the data:

• Segregate, properly name and store the audio and video recordings in an easily accessible storage device or in cloud.
• Complete all the incomplete notes or observations that were taken during the interview.
• Transcribe the notes or recordings from the user interviews. This will make it easier to analyse the data and identify patterns and trends.

Structure the information:

A massive amount of data — dozens of notes, video recordings, and personal impressions would have been collected during the interviews. Most of this data will be qualitative rather than quantitative. As a result, it might feel overwhelming. Two common tools that can help structure the data are;

• A report with specific sections. The goals that were stated at the beginning of user interview project and the discussion guide prepared can be good foundations for the reports — they will help filter through the key data.
• Mind maps. This type of diagram can help structure and present the data in a visual and easily accessible format. It can help to quickly identify links between topics and spot connections that may not have been obvious before.

Analyse the data:

Analyse the data to identify patterns and insights related to user needs, behaviours, and pain points. Use visual aids, such as charts and graphs, to illustrate the findings.

Combine interviews with other techniques

After analysing the interview results, there might be a feeling like there is a pretty good understanding of what needs to be done with the product being studied upon, and it might be tempting to start implementing the insights right away. But it’s better to resist this temptation, because it’s essential to first validate the results identified. The great thing about user interviews is that they can be combined with other research methods, such as usability testing or user surveys. By combining interviews with other techniques, it is possible to either validate or disprove the identified hypothesis while also gaining additional insights about the objective results.

Follow up with participants:

Follow up with participants to thank them for their contribution to the research and to share the insights and findings with them. This will help to build a relationship with the users and increase their engagement in the design process.

In conclusion, I learnt that to conduct successful user interviews, it is important to carefully plan and prepare your interview questions, recruit participants that represent your target user group, and create a comfortable and safe environment for the interview.

During the interview, it is essential to actively listen to the participant’s responses, probe deeper with follow-up questions, and avoid leading questions that may bias the results. After the interview, it is crucial to analyse and synthesise the data gathered, identify patterns and themes, and translate these insights into actionable design recommendations.

By following these best practices for conducting user interviews, designers can create products and services that meet the needs and expectations of their users, ultimately leading to a positive user experience and improved business outcomes.

User interviews is a four part series in which I have covered various aspects of user interview research method, coupled with some of the experiences I had during the interview processes, under the following topics;

1. User interviews (Part 1) — An introduction
2. User interviews (Part 2) — Why, when and when not!
3. User interviews (Part 3) — How to conduct user interviews? (Your are at the end of this article)
4. User interviews (Part 4) — Tools used and artefacts created