Successful products aren’t built overnight. They take time, effort, and a sh*t ton of user research. How else are you gonna understand your users’ needs and wants? The best way to get to the heart of their burning desires is by conducting user interviews.
User interviews are a key part of any product development process, but they can be tricky to get right. To get the maximum benefit from your user interviews, you need to make sure you’re asking the right questions and that your users feel comfortable giving candid answers. Let’s face it: if they’re answering the wrong questions, or if they’re not answering at all because they feel uncomfortable, then you’re just wasting your time.
Bad user interviews are as useless as no user interviews.
@tldv.io Imagine if we could give the user feedback #product #tech #productmanagement #productmanager #ui #uxdesign ♬ original sound – tldv.io – AI Meeting Recorder
But before we dive into the nitty gritty of how to conduct user interviews, let’s cover the basics.
What is a User Interview?
User interviews are conversations that you have with your users in order to learn more about them. This can be done in person, over the phone, or even via chat or email. The important thing is that you’re talking to your users directly and getting their feedback on your product.
User interviews are different from user surveys in that they’re usually more open-ended. This means that you’ll ask your users questions and then let them answer however they want. You’re not necessarily looking for specific answers, but rather trying to get a better understanding of how your users think and feel about your product.
The goal is to get into the shoes of your target audience, walk around in them and see things from a new perspective. Of course, they can provide invaluable information about how you can fix a certain problem, but that’s not their only function.
Why Do We Conduct User Interviews?
Usually, user interviews are important in the field of UX design. They allow you to experience your product from your audience’s point of view.
User interviews are important because they give you user insights that you can’t get from surveys or other research methods. When you talk to your users directly, you can ask follow-up questions on the spot, allowing you to probe deeper into their answers. This helps you to understand their thought process and see things from their perspective.
User interviews also help to build relationships with your users. If your users feel like they’re being listened to and that their feedback is valuable, they’re more likely to be engaged with your product.
When Should You Conduct a User Interview?
You can conduct user interviews at any stage of your product development process. However, they’re usually most useful early on, when you’re still trying to understand your users’ needs.
User interviews can also be conducted after you’ve launched your product. This can help you to get feedback on how your product is being used and what areas need improvement.
If you’re struggling to work out how many user interviews to conduct, it’s a wise idea to stick to 5, fix any issues that arise, and then run another 5. Though there is some debate about which is the best number of user interviews to perform.
Preparing for User Interviews
If you don’t consider a user interview to be as crucial as a recruitment interview, you’re looking at it the wrong way.
User interviews are just as important, if not more important, than regular interviews. They give you the understanding needed to modify your entire strategy. We’re not talking about hiring your next designer here. We’re talking about building the foundation for a designer to be required in the first place.
For your users’ interviews, you’ll want to have some kind of script handy with all the questions you want to ask on there.
Here are a few pointers for making a standout script:
- Begin by stating the interview’s goal – what do you wish to accomplish.
- Also, discuss how you’ll use the interviewee’s data.
- It’s usually better to avoid asking leading questions. Instead of “How often do you use Snapchat?”, ask “Do you utilize instant messaging?”.
This allows you to learn more about the user because it focuses on what they actually do. - Keep it concise. If your script is longer than 10 minutes when read aloud, it’s almost definitely too long. Ideally, your user interviews should last no more than 1 hour and 30 minutes, with the interviewee talking and the researcher listening for most of that time.
Don’t forget that scripts are a helpful resource rather than a holy text. If you come across something intriguing in an interview and there are no questions on the script to pursue it, go ahead and explore. This isn’t a rigid and inflexible plan, it’s a little helper to make sure you stay on topic. Modify the script as needed for future applications.
It’s a good idea to schedule your interviews 30 minutes apart, allowing the interviewer time to take more notes and organize their ideas while everything is still recent in their mind.
How Do You Conduct User Interviews?
When you’re conducting user interviews, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you want to make sure that your users feel comfortable. The last thing you want is for them to inhibited. Be polite, professional and respectful, while also engaging the interviewee and making them feel welcome, and you’ll be fine.
User interviews are most useful when analyzed thoroughly for key insights. And what’s the best way to analyze a meeting? Rummaging through barely legible notes just doesn’t cut it in the twenty-first century. No, no, no. We now have the technology to record meetings… Amazing, right?
And with tl;dv, that’s just the start. This powerful meeting recorder also empowers you to edit, timestamp, and tag colleagues in at important parts of the meeting so they don’t have to attend the entire thing. It works perfectly as a remote UX research tool as a designer won’t necessarily be the one doing the interviewing, but he may want to see what was said about a specific feature. Now, he can jump on the fully-integrated Slack messenger, click a link to the exact minute of the meeting where the relevant information is located, and voila – solve the problem.
What’s better is that tl;dv has automatically generated transcripts for your recorded meetings allowing you to focus on words uttered without the distraction of video.
Because of how easy it is to take notes with tl;dv, it’s recommended to record all user interviews and use tl;dv (which is free, by the way) to extract deeper insights, capture more details, and back up your conclusions and recommendations with evidence to win the buy-in of all stakeholders.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to conducting user interviews:
1. Before the user interview begins, introduce yourself and explain the purpose of the conversation. It’s also a good idea to give the user an overview of how the conversation will be conducted.
For example, you might say something like, “I’m going to ask you some questions about your experience with our product. I may follow up with some clarifying questions, but for the most part, I just want to hear what you have to say.”
2. Start by asking some general questions about the user’s background and their experience with your product. This will help you to get a better understanding of who they are and how they use your product.
3. Once you’ve covered some basic background information, you can start asking more specific questions about the user’s experience with your product. In particular, you may want to ask about their pain points and what they think could be improved.
4. Towards the end of the user interview, it’s a good idea to ask the user if they have any suggestions for how your product could be improved. This gives them an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas, and it also shows that you’re interested in what they have to say.
5. Finally, thank the user for their time and let them know how they can get in touch with you if they have any further questions or suggestions.
Conducting user interviews can be a great way to get insights into your users’ needs and pain points. However, it’s important to remember that user interviews are just one part of the user research process. You should also consider other methods, such as surveys and focus groups, to get a well-rounded view of your users’ opinions.
Asking strategic questions is a top priority when it comes to user interviews. The way the question is framed is vitally important. In most cases, people are subconsciously influenced by how a question is asked and this influence could could reveal a less natural answer.
The Mom Test
When you depend on customer responses, you have to go the extra mile to ensure that the responses you get will contribute positively to your business growth. Otherwise you’re just wasting money and time. The Mom Test was designed by Rob Fitzpatrick to make the interviewee give useful information rather than try to please you.
It proposes a simple but efficient way of conducting user interviews using “the mom” as a potential user. By focusing on more generic questions that bring out the natural ideas of the user, your responses will be better and more useful.
Questions to Ask During a User Interview
When you’re conducting user interviews, there are a few key questions that you should make sure to ask. These questions will help you to understand the user’s needs and pain points, and they’ll also give you some ideas for how your product could be improved.
1. Could you tell me about your experience with our product?
2. What do you think of our product?
3. What are your pain points with our product?
4. What could we do to improve our product?
5. Do you have any other suggestions for how we could improve our product?
6. Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience with our product?
7. Would you be interested in talking to us again in the future?
8. Thank you for your time. How can we get in touch with you if we have any further questions?
Conducting user interviews is a great way to get insights into your users’ needs and pain points. However, it’s important to remember that user interviews are just one part of the user research process. You should also consider other methods, such as surveys and focus groups, to get a well-rounded view of your users’ opinions.
When you’re conducting user interviews, there are a few key questions that you should make sure to ask. These questions will help you to understand the user’s needs and pain points, and they’ll also give you some ideas on how
How to Analyze Your User Interview Data
Once you’ve conducted your user interviews, it’s time to evaluate the data you gathered. This will assist you in identifying any trends or themes in the user feedback, as well as provide some suggestions for how your product might be improved.
There are a few different ways that you can analyze your user interview data. One method is to simply read through all of the transcripts which tl;dv generates for you automatically and take notes on anything that stands out to you. Another method is to create a coding system, which involves assigning codes to different topics or themes that emerge from the data. Once you’ve coded all of the data, you can then look for patterns and trends in the codes.
Another method for analyzing your user interview data is to utilize a tool like Google Sheets or Excel. You may create a spreadsheet containing all of the user comments and then use the filter function to sort and categorize the information. This might be a useful technique for spotting any patterns or tendencies in the user comments.
Once you’ve analyzed your user interview data, you should take some time to brainstorm ways that you could improve your product based on the user feedback. In some cases, you may find that there are small changes that you can make to improve the user experience. In other cases, you may find that there are bigger changes that you need to make. Either way, user interviews can be a valuable part of the product development process.
Analyzing data goes with our human tendencies of making quick conclusions. The most important thing to look out for in analyzing your user interviews is to be absolutely certain about your results. This means not jumping to conclusions, not making unnecessary assumptions, and putting the integrity of your findings in jeopardy due to your personal biases. Approach the entire project with an open mind until you have secured irrefutable evidence or reason for your conclusions.
Strategies to Get the Best Out of User Interviews
Now that we’ve discussed why user interviews are important, let’s talk about how to conduct them.
Here are a few tips:
Choose the right format
You can conduct user interviews in person, over the phone, or via chat or email. In recent times, the use of video conferencing through Zoom and Google Meet is helping businesses with small budgets meet their ideal audience and get useful insights from them. These sessions should be recorded so that the team can extract all the key insights and highlights from them. tl;dv is your interview buddy to record, transcribe and highlight key segments of the video. Reviewing transcripts is one of the ways to analyze user opinions. tl;dv makes it easy and automatic. Choose the format of the interview that will work best for you and your users.
Send A User Interview Guide
Once you’ve decided on the format, send your interviewees a user interview guide. This guide should include information on what you’ll be talking about and what you’re hoping to learn.
Make Sure Your Questions Are Open-Ended
As we mentioned before, user interviews are different from user surveys because they’re usually more open-ended. This means that you’ll want to ask questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no.
Probe Deeper
If you’re not getting the answers you’re looking for, don’t be afraid to probe deeper. Follow up with additional questions until you understand your user’s thought process.
Let Your User Talk
It’s important to let your user do most of the talking. You want to hear their thoughts and opinions, not yours! User interviews are meant for users, and your only responsibility is to ask the right questions and let them tell you what they think. This helps you not only get the best insights from them but also build rapport and relationships. They will feel heard after your session increasing loyalty. To be able to focus and listen, record all sessions with tl;dv. This will free you up and help you listen at the moment, knowing when to ask a follow-up question instead of simply going through your list of questions till you are done.
Take Notes
Be sure to take notes during the user interview so that you can refer back to them later. You may also want to record the conversation if you think it would be helpful. tl;dv is right there for you when you need to take notes or highlight segments of the video for review later on. It is tiring to review long hours of video. But with tl;dv, you can leave notes with timestamps that allow you to jump to segments that have the best of insights so that you don’t have to watch a full session only for a few minutes of real insights during your analysis stage.
Thank Your User
After the user interview, be sure to thank your user for their time. This will help to build a good relationship and ensure that they’re willing to provide feedback in the future.
User interviews are an important part of any product development process. By following these tips, you can make sure that you’re conducting user interviews effectively and getting the most out of your users.
User Interviews Done Better Through Online Meetings
At the beginning of this article, we mentioned user interviews could be held via several media and platforms. The basic tenet is to communicate with your real users and get their feelings and thoughts about your product.
In the world of digital interviewing, using Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams are some of the most convenient ways to conduct user interviews. If you happen to be using them, you can get your work done faster and have a more natural feeling interview with tl;dv, a free browser extension that records and transcribes meetings.
It is easy to use; all you have to do is click record and the bot will automatically join the meeting and record every bit of it for later detailed review. And oh, tl;dv is free. Install now to conduct better user interviews.
Conclusion
User interviews are an excellent approach to getting a sense of your customers’ thoughts and feelings about your product. You may use the advice in this article to ensure that you’re doing user interviews successfully and getting the most out of your users. Thank you for taking the time to read this post! Don’t forget to try tl;dv.
