Interviewing users

What to ask stakeholders when starting a user research project?

• History with the org and the research topic

• Current beliefs about the customer, the user and the proposed solution

• Org'al or other barriers to be mindful of

• Business objectives for the project and specific questions the research should answer

• Concerns or uncertainty about the methodology

Showing and telling

Instead of asking something like "what is your process for updating playlists", you can ask "show me how you update your playlists". This leaves a lot more room for a participant to elicit reactions and give a realistic run through of their pain points.

Sometimes asking the participant to envisage their ideal tool can reveal more insights.

Sometimes using physical objects can help build a shared understanding of a problem or solution. (eg. sticky notes, drawings)

It's important to check your worldview at the door. If you have ownership of a concept you are presenting it can lead the interview astray. The candidate may start asking questions about your solution. Try to sidestep these and turn it back on them (eg. why is this important to you)

You can be creative in how you prove or disprove hypotheses. ie. show provocative concepts.

It can be helpful to assign homework.

Use open ended questions.

Embrace awkwardness, if you fill the silence too early you don't leave an opportunity for the interviewee to speak

Question types

• As about sequence: eg. desribe a typical workday etc.
• Ask about quantity: How many files do you delete a day?
• Ask for specific examples: What was the last movie you streamed?
• Ask about exceptions (when they had a problem), for the complete list (what apps do you have on your phone), relationships (how do you work with vendors), org structure (who do x report to?)
• There are also probing questions like ones for clarification (when you refer to x you mean y?), ask about jargon they use, about emotional cues (why did you laugh?), ask why, probe delicately, probel without presuming, make them explain it from first principles (like an outsider has asked), get them to explain it like they are teaching it to a child
• There are also comparison questions: Whats the difference between sending by email or fax? Do others do it this way? How has your process changed over time?

make sure to leverage your research, take the org along for the ride. It might even be worth evangelising it so it becomes more of a standard.