🎤 Interviews
A discussion to capture insights
Table of Contents
By Tolgay B.
✏️ Definition
An interview (or user interview, or customer interview) is a qualitative method used to gather insights directly from users to understand their needs, desires, and pain points related to a specific product. These interviews usually involve one-on-one conversations between the interviewer—either you or a member of your team—and the user.
+ Benefits
In-depth understanding of user needs and behaviors: User interviews provide deep, qualitative insights into the experiences, needs, motivations, and pain points of your users. Unlike surveys or analytics, which yield quantitative data, interviews delve into the stories and reasoning behind user behaviors. This method offers a richer, more nuanced understanding of your user base, revealing subtleties that numbers alone cannot capture.
Identifying unarticulated needs and opportunities: User interviews often uncover needs and desires that users themselves might not have explicitly expressed or even fully recognized. These conversations can reveal unmet needs or new opportunities for innovation. Such insights enable you to develop features or products that deeply resonate with your target audience, often addressing issues they were not consciously aware of.
Building empathy and strengthening user relationships: User interviews establish a personal connection between the product team and users. This direct interaction enhances empathy, allowing team members to hear firsthand about users’ experiences, challenges, and feedback. Demonstrating to users that their opinions are valued not only strengthens their relationship with your product or brand but also fosters greater loyalty.
📒 Playbook
⏮️ Prepare
Define the objective: Clearly identify what you aim to learn from the interviews. Are you exploring user needs, testing product concepts, or gathering feedback on existing features? Establish specific, measurable objectives to direct your interviews and ensure they produce actionable insights.
Identify participants: Select participants who embody your target audience or key user segments. This group could include loyal users, recent users, or potential users who have not yet engaged with your product. Aim for diversity in demographics, usage patterns, and experiences to capture a broad perspective.
Prepare your interview guide: Create an interview guide filled with open-ended questions to foster discussion and deeper understanding. Steer clear of simple yes/no questions. Incorporate prompts for follow-up questions to delve into intriguing or unexpected responses. Maintain flexibility in your guide to explore productive tangents that may arise.
Set up logistics: Choose the interview format—such as in-person, video call, or phone—based on participant convenience and the setting most likely to promote open dialogue. Arrange interviews at times and locations that accommodate the participants’ schedules. Ensure the setting is quiet and suitable for conversation. Consider recording the interviews (with participant consent) to enhance data accuracy and facilitate detailed analysis.
▶️ Run
Build rapport with participants to ensure they feel comfortable enough to share honest feedback. While it’s important to stick to the interview guide, remain adaptable—allow the conversation to flow naturally to cover all essential topics thoroughly. Practice active listening: show genuine interest, take detailed notes, and ask follow-up questions to explore deeper insights.
⏭️ After
Analyze the data: If recordings are available, start by transcribing them. Analyze the conversations to uncover common themes, patterns, and unique insights. Identify both expected and unexpected findings. Emphasize quotes that distinctly illustrate user needs or sentiments. Synthesize this information into actionable insights that can guide design decisions, feature improvements, or strategic adjustments.
Document insights: Systematically record the insights gained from the interviews. Organize these insights and prioritize them in alignment with your strategic goals and user needs. Involve design and development teams in review sessions to ensure they fully understand the context and significance of the user feedback, preparing the groundwork for future implementation.
Follow up: Consider reaching out to participants to express gratitude, share how their input will influence future changes, and potentially involve them in upcoming feedback cycles. This gesture not only shows appreciation but also reinforces their integral role in your product development process.
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
Asking leading questions: Avoid asking leading questions that suggest a specific answer, such as ‘Don’t you think our product is easy to use?’ These types of questions can bias the user’s responses, leading to skewed and inaccurate feedback. Instead, frame your questions as open-ended inquiries that encourage users to express their honest and unguided opinions.
Not actively listening: When conducting an interview, actively listening to the interviewee’s responses is crucial. Interrupting or appearing disinterested can make the user feel disrespected and compromise the purpose of the interview. Ensure you give the user ample time to answer each question and demonstrate genuine interest in their responses.
Not following up on answers: When conducting an interview, it’s essential to ask follow-up questions to clarify or delve deeper into the user’s feedback. Neglecting to follow up on their responses can make users feel their feedback is unvalued. Always listen attentively and demonstrate genuine interest in their feedback by asking relevant follow-up questions that show you value their input and seek to understand their perspective fully.
👉 Example
Use Case: Interview for A Product Journal
⏮️ Prepare
Define the objective
To gain a deep understanding of the learning journey of an aspiring product manager. This includes discovering the sources from which they acquire product management knowledge, how they apply theoretical concepts to practical scenarios, and their challenges and successes along the way. The focus is also on evaluating their expectations and potential benefits from using resources like My Product Journal.
Identify participants
- Product Manager of A Product Journal (Interviewer): Brings expertise and understanding of what the platform offers and how it can benefit aspiring PMs.
- Aspiring Product Manager (Interviewee): A software engineer looking to transition into product management, actively engaged in self-directed learning about the field.
Prepare Interview Guide
- Topics to Cover: Educational background, current role, specific learning interests within product management, methods of learning (books, articles, webinars), application of learned concepts in real-world scenarios, challenges faced, and expectations from platforms like My Product Journal.
- Questions:
- Introduction and background.
- Details on the learning process and resources used.
- Strategies for applying theoretical knowledge practically.
- Experiences with applying specific product management techniques or concepts.
- Expectations from learning platforms and community engagement.
Set Up Logistics
- Schedule the Interview: Coordinate a time that is convenient for both participants. Consider time zones if applicable.
- Technology Setup: Decide on the medium of the interview (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet). Ensure all participants have access to the necessary technology and that the internet connection is reliable.
- Recording: Plan to record the interview (with participant consent) to ensure that no details are missed during note-taking.
- Pre-Interview Briefing: A short meeting or email briefing to discuss the format, main topics, and what to expect during the interview. This helps put the participants at ease and ensures a smooth flow during the session.
▶️ Interview - Understand the learning process of an aspiring PM
🎯 Goal: Gain a comprehensive understanding of an aspiring PM’s learning journey, from the sources of their product management knowledge to how they apply theoretical concepts in real-world scenarios, with a focus on identifying challenges, successes, and expectations regarding the use of platforms like My Product Journal.
🧑🤝🧑 Participants: 🤓 PM of My Product Journal | 👩💻 Aspiring PM
🤓 Thank you for joining us today. Could you start by introducing yourself and sharing a bit about your background and aspirations as an aspiring product manager?
👩💻 Of course! I’m excited to be here. My name is Sarah, and I come from a technical background with a degree in computer science. I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of technology, business, and user experience. My goal is to transition into a product management role, and I’m currently working as a software engineer. To prepare for this transition, I’ve been actively reading books, articles, and attending webinars on product management.
🤓 That’s great to hear, Sarah. Could you tell us more about your learning process? How do you decide what to read or which webinars to attend?
👩💻 My learning process is quite systematic. I usually start by identifying specific areas within product management that I want to learn more about. For example, I might focus on topics like user research, roadmapping, or agile development. Then, I search for highly recommended books and articles on these subjects. I often read reviews and recommendations from experienced product managers in the field.
When it comes to webinars, I prefer those conducted by industry experts and professionals who can share real-world insights and experiences. I also look for webinars that offer practical tips and case studies. It’s crucial for me to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
🤓 That sounds like a well-structured approach. How do you ensure that what you learn from these resources is effectively translated into your current work or any personal projects?
👩💻 It’s a bit of a challenge, but I try to apply what I learn as much as possible. For instance, if I’m reading a book on user research, I’ll find opportunities to conduct user interviews or surveys in my current projects, even if it’s not a formal part of my role as a software engineer. I think practical experience is the best teacher.
I also keep a “learning journal” where I jot down key takeaways from the resources I’ve consumed and reflect on how I can apply them. It helps me stay organized and ensures that I don’t forget valuable insights.
🤓 That’s a great approach. Can you share an example of a specific concept or technique you’ve learned through your self-study that you successfully applied in your work or projects?
👩💻 I see platforms like My Product Journal as an invaluable resource for consolidating and expanding my knowledge. Having a platform where I can access curated content, real-world case studies, and engage with a community of experienced product managers would be a huge asset. It would provide me with more practical insights and networking opportunities to learn from others’ experiences and grow as a product manager.
🤓 Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your journey and insights. Your dedication and approach to learning are truly inspiring. We wish you the best of luck in your pursuit of a career in product management!
⏭️ After
Key Insights and Follow-ups
- Structured Learning Preference:
- Insight: Sarah prefers a systematic approach to learning, focusing on specific areas within product management and seeking resources that offer practical applications alongside theoretical knowledge.
- Follow-up: Develop and curate more structured learning paths on My Product Journal that clearly categorize content into fundamental, intermediate, and advanced levels, ensuring learners can easily navigate through topics as per their current understanding and experience.
- Real-World Application:
- Insight: Sarah actively looks for opportunities to apply what she learns in her current job, indicating a gap in practical application guidance in existing resources.
- Follow-up: Introduce a series of “Apply It” challenges or case studies related to common product management scenarios that users can try to implement. This could be supplemented with guidance from experienced product managers in the form of webinars or mentorship sessions.
- Community and Networking:
- Insight: She sees significant value in platforms that offer not only learning resources but also community interaction, emphasizing the importance of peer learning and networking.
- Follow-up: Enhance community features on My Product Journal, such as setting up dedicated forums for discussions, live Q&A sessions with industry leaders, and creating networking events that allow users like Sarah to connect with peers and mentors.
🤖 ChatGPT Prompt
Hello ChatGPT, could you please consider the following elements and generate a user interview please?
- Objective of the Interview: [Describe what you aim to achieve with this user interview. For example, “Understand user satisfaction with our new interface”, “Explore challenges users face in using our service”, or “Gather in-depth feedback on feature X”.]
- Target User Profile: [Specify the type of users you want to interview. For example, “Long-term users of our platform”, “New users who joined within the last 3 months”, or “Users who frequently use feature Y”.]
- Key Questions to Include: [List specific questions you want to explore. These can include open-ended questions like, “Can you describe a typical experience you have with our product?”, “What challenges have you encountered while using our service?”, or “How do you feel about the recent changes we’ve made?”]
- Interview Format: [Mention whether you prefer a structured interview with set questions, a semi-structured format with some open-ended questions, or an unstructured, conversational style.]
- Duration of Each Interview: [Specify the expected length, like “Approximately 30-45 minutes”.]
- Any Special Focus Areas: [Include if there’s a particular aspect of your product or service you want to focus on, like usability, customer support experience, or a specific feature.]
- Preferred Method of Conducting Interviews: [Mention if you want these interviews to be conducted in person, over the phone, or via video call.]
- Availability and Scheduling Preferences: [Indicate any preferences or restrictions on scheduling, like “Weekdays only” or “Evenings after 5 PM”.]
Thank you!
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
📚 More Resources
- 📄 Article | NNGroup | User Interviews 101
- 📄 Article | UX Design Institute | How to conduct effective user interviews for UX research
- 📖 Book | “Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights” by Steve Portigal
- 📖 Book | “Observing the User Experience: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Research” by Elizabeth Goodman, Mike Kuniavsky, and Andrea Moed