User Interviews
Developing a User Interview Script for Gathering Insights
This prompt helps teams create a structured and user-friendly interview script to gather valuable insights from users. It ensures the conversation stays focused on understanding user behaviors, needs, and experiences without biasing their responses, making it easier to identify actionable feedback.
Responsible:
Product Management
Accountable, Informed or Consulted:
Product, Design, Marketing, Customer Success
THE PREP
Creating effective prompts involves tailoring them with detailed, relevant information and uploading documents that provide the best context. Prompts act as a framework to guide the response, but specificity and customization ensure the most accurate and helpful results. Use these prep tips to get the most out of this prompt:
Define the goal of the interviews (e.g., testing a prototype, understanding user behavior).
Identify the target audience and their familiarity with the product or feature.
Review prior user feedback or analytics to inform question development.
THE PROMPT
Help develop a user interview script for [specific purpose, e.g., understanding onboarding challenges or gathering feedback on a new feature]. Include:
A brief introduction to set expectations and establish rapport with participants.
Open-ended questions to explore user experiences, preferences, and pain points (e.g., 'Can you walk me through how you currently use [feature/product]?').
Follow-up or probing questions to dig deeper into specific areas (e.g., 'What challenges did you face when trying to accomplish [task]?').
A closing section to thank participants and ask if they have any additional feedback or questions.
Ensure the script avoids leading questions or assumptions. If more context is needed about the product, audience, or interview goals, ask for clarification to make the script more effective.
Bonus Add-On Prompts
Suggest icebreaker questions to make participants feel comfortable before the interview begins.
Develop questions that explore emotional responses to using [product/feature].
Propose follow-up questions to uncover hidden pain points users may not share initially.
Use AI responsibly by verifying its outputs, as it may occasionally generate inaccurate or incomplete information. Treat AI as a tool to support your decision-making, ensuring human oversight and professional judgment for critical or sensitive use cases.
SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE
Tailor the script for specific user segments or personas.
Include scenario-based questions to explore how users might handle certain situations.
Add space for interviewers to make observations about tone, behavior, or sentiment.
Adapt the script for different interview formats (e.g., virtual, in-person).
Focus on specific product areas (e.g., onboarding, retention features) based on interview goals.
WHEN TO USE
To create a clear and focused script for user interviews.
When preparing to gather qualitative insights directly from users.
Before testing a new feature or redesign to gauge initial reactions.
WHEN NOT TO USE
If you need to analyze or summarize interview findings.
When feedback from a survey or another method is more appropriate than direct interviews.