CONDUCTING INSIGHTFUL
 USER INTERVIEWS Thi Nguyen nguyenhuuthi208@gmail.com July 2019

UX, UI, UXR, UXD, PO, PM uxmastery.com

UX Peoplevendor, 2019

AGENDA 1. When 2. How 3. Let’s try 4. Take-away “Thời - Thế - Thử - Thu” 4T

1. WHEN DO WE USE INTERVIEW?

1. WHEN Tomer Sharon, 2016

1. WHEN Tomer Sharon, 2016

1. WHEN POPULAR UX RESEARCH METHODS Usability testing Interviews Heuristic Reviews Survey Card Sorting Focus Groups Analyzing Metrics Market Research 45% 90% 24% 28% 39% 52% 53% 75% 78% 82% UPA biennial survey

1. WHEN 1. UNDERSTANDING Deeply studying people, ideally in their context 2. EXLORING Exploring not only their behaviors but also the meaning behind those behaviors 3. SENSE Making sense of the data using inference, interpretation, analysis, and synthesis 4. INSIGHTS Using those insights to point toward a design, service, product, or other solution

WHAT DO YOU THINK? “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.” Henry Ford Sustainable Evolution

# SESSION 2 2. How 3. Let’s Try 4. Take Away

2. HOW Full steps of one UX Research Project

2. HOW Identify goals Identify Target Users Research questions Hypotheses Prepare Questions Recruit Target Users DEPENDS …

2. HOW: ACTIVITY – 15 MINS Get into groups of 4-5 Select any topic/app Take a moment to DRAFT your RESEARCH PROPOSAL: ! Background: current situation, competitor analysis, etc., ! Goals: Business goals/objectives ! Target Users: Core, medium, light users (user segmentation) ! Research questions: at least 3 questions ! Hypothesis: Propose any assumptions to answer research questions

EXAMPLE – RESEARCH QUESTIONS Understanding users by follow “research questions” Sooho Choi, 2018

2. HOW: FIND RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS How many? Criteria/screening How long? Set expectations How to interview (method) ! In-person (IDI, pair, FGD,…) ! Street intercept ! Remotely video/live stream or phone Content of interview

2. HOW: STEPS INVOLVED IN INTERVIEWS Design interview questions Develop an interview guide Plan and manage logistics • WHO you will interview • WHAT kind of information you want to obtain • WHY you want to pursue in-depth information around your research topic • Introduction • Devise questions • A sequence to your questions by grouping them in themes • Can easily move back and forth between questions • Questions are clear and easy to understand • Avoid leading questions • Other people (interviewer, note-taker) • Devices

2. HOW: BUILDING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Pick & Choose questions (Sequence, comparison, …) 2. Have an arsenal of follow-up questions (clarifications) 3. Build an arc (start slow & relax, then core questions, calm down, wrap-up) 4. Consider time & priorities 5. Uncover and fix biased questions 6. Eliminate bad questions Tomer Sharon, 2016

2. HOW: TYPE OF QUESTIONS WE SHOULD AVOID 1. Questions about opinions 2. Questions that speak to “average” behavior 3. Questions that are too general 4. Yes/no questions 5. Quantitative questions

2. HOW: ACTIVITY – 15 MINS Get into groups of 4-5 Keep the same topic/app that already selected Take a moment to DRAFT your INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: ! General: introduction, objective of interview, length of interview, etc., ! Main: App use, behavior, deep-dive questions, wrap-up ! Usability (if any): Task assignment/flow test and observation ! Closing: Wrap-up, thank you

EXAMPLE – INTERVIEW QUESTIONS Lim Zhiyang, 2018

EXAMPLE Lim Zhiyang, 2018

EXAMPLE Lim Zhiyang, 2018

2. HOW: INTERVIEW STRUCTURE Start Open-ended Specific “Why?” Closing

3. LET’S TRY – 25 MINS 
 Take a moment to REVISE your interview brief - plan for 5 minutes CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW WITH FOLOW ROLES ! Person A: Interviewer ! Person B: Note taker ! Person C: Interviewee (User) ! Person D, E: Observer (Product Owner) 
 Interview! Observer to give feedback after Swap positions, if any

3. LET’S TRY Have you learn something today?

4. TAKE AWAY ✓LISTEN BY ASKING QUESTION ✓ANSWER QUESTION BY QUESTION ✓DO THE PILOT ✓COMBINATION WITH OTHER METHODS/TECHNIQUES “Interviewing can be used to help identify what could be designed, to help refine hypotheses about a possible solution that is being considered, or to guide the redesign of an existing product that is already in the marketplace” (Steve Portigal, 2013)

THANK YOU