#18: Conducting User Interviews: A Refresher.
...because sometimes you need to return to the basics.
Back to the Basics: User Interviews
So, we've all been interviewed at one point or another, right? When applying for jobs, companies conduct interviews to assess your fit and qualifications. And it's not just in the job market, either. Journalists interview witnesses to gather detailed accounts of events. And when you're saying goodbye to a company, they interview you to understand your experience and areas where they can improve. Interviews have proven to be a reliable and trusted means of understanding people, events, and activities. In User Research and Product Development, interviews hold equal importance.
Designers, Marketers, Product Managers, and Researchers all over the world heavily rely on interviews to gain insights into their users. User interviews allow us to delve into the needs and pain points of our users, observe how they interact with our product, and identify areas for improvement in the user experience. What makes interviews particularly valuable is the qualitative feedback we get from it. This type of feedback helps us answer the crucial “why” questions and gain insights into user behaviour and their underlying rationale. And when we understand user behaviour, we can focus on the important stuff, like helping customers successfully use our products, which, in turn, makes us more competitive and positively impacts our product metrics around retention and adoption, and ultimately profitability.
Considering the numerous benefits of user interviews, it’s no wonder that product professionals have grown to love and rely on this methodology. However, it’s essential to strike a balance. While interviews provide valuable information about user behaviour and motivations, it isn’t always the best method for gathering data, and overusing them can lead to misleading insights. Steve Portigal, in his book "Interviewing Users," highlighted three prime situations where interviewing users is beneficial:
Identifying new opportunities (when you’re unsure what to build)
Refining design hypotheses (when you have some idea of what you’ll build)
Redesigning and relaunching existing products and services (when you have a marketplace history)
One key aspect to remember before opting for interviews is that interviews favour depth over breadth. It's not about getting superficial feedback from many users, but rather gaining detailed insights from a few. This is why I'm personally not a fan of focus groups. I mean, wouldn't it make more sense to engage with one person across five different sessions than trying to juggle five people all at once? It might require more time, but trust me, the value and quality of the insights gained will be significantly higher.
As with any journey, you should map out your route before setting off on your interview expedition. And by "map," I mean a plan. A plan is just a guide to help you stay on track and steer your project. This plan should include what you already know, the questions that need answering by the end of the project, and what you hope to learn. I highly recommend creating a plan for all research efforts as proper preparation is crucial to ensuring your success. And contrary to popular belief, a plan doesn’t have to be a daunting task that consumes days of your time. In fact, I’ve personally crafted research plans in as little as an hour. Here’s a template to help you get started.
Another essential consideration when preparing for interviews is recognizing and addressing your biases. We all possess biases, whether conscious or unconscious, and they can influence our research outcomes. While biases aren't inherently bad, they can hinder the objectivity of research. As the saying goes, "If you torture the data, it will tell you what you want to hear." The same applies to interviews, particularly when it comes to asking the right questions. My personal strategy to counter biases is to approach each interview like an adventure—a journey with a visible path but an unknown destination. So while I remain aware of what I aim to learn, I don't fixate on it. Instead, I approach each interview with curiosity about the person and their perspectives, allowing their interests and concerns to guide the conversation. The key to doing this is being empathetic in your approach.
Empathy, though often considered a buzzword and difficult to quantify, plays a significant role in interviews. To be empathetic, you need to put yourself in the shoes of the user, focusing on their experience rather than your preconceived notions or product goals. An effective way to grow your empathy is to actively listen. As an interviewer, listening goes beyond keeping your mouth shut; it involves actively listening for cues, observing body language. You have to pick up on cues and be an active listener. Active listening not only helps in building rapport with your users but also improves the quality of feedback received.
In conclusion, user interviews are an invaluable tool for understanding users and their experiences. They offer us a peek into the minds of our users, help us comprehend their needs, and present opportunities to elevate their experience. But like any tool, they require skillful handling, conscious planning, and a mindful approach to avoid biases. As you venture into your next interview, remember these tips, infuse active listening into your conversations, and always aim for depth over breadth. With these in hand, you're poised to make every interview an opportunity to learn, grow, and create better experiences.
Happy interviewing, and may your insights guide you towards creating exceptional user experiences!
If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comments or shoot me a message.
On an unrelated note:
Here are three of my favourite reads this week:
UXR Course:
Lade and I just opened up our User Research course. If you are a product professional looking to level up your user research skills, our comprehensive UX Research Course is designed just for you. We’ve had two cohorts so far and everyone that has taken it has had great things to say. So, if you’re interested, you can sign up here.
Bowing out:
That’s all folks! I hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter and found it informative.
If you liked what you read, make sure to spread the word and share it with your friends. And if you haven't already, hit the subscribe button so, you don't miss out on any of the fun.
And speaking of fun, if you have a product that you want to share with the world, I'd love to feature it in my newsletter. Just shoot me a message on Twitter [@LongLiveDumi] or drop me an email at dumss@vizible.africa. I'm always open to hearing about new and exciting products.
Now, if you have any questions or just want to chat, don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always happy to hear from you, and I'm looking forward to meeting more people from this wonderful community.
And lastly, if there's anything I can do to make the newsletter even better, please let me know. I'm always looking for ways to improve and make your experience even more enjoyable. So, don't be shy, send us your feedback and let's make this newsletter the best it can be.
I hope the rest of your week goes great! See you in the next issue!
Yours in Product Discovery,
Dumss.
Great piece.
Would really love a follow-up on how to handle uncomfortable situations, how to probe like a pro and ways researchers who are neurodivergent could pick up when they get distracted.🥹🥹