User interview questions: a 30-minute script
A short interview script that gets stories, not opinions: what people did, what got in the way and what they tried instead.
Short answer: ask about what people actually did, recently, and let them tell the story. Avoid “would you use…” and “do you like…” questions; they get polite guesses. The script below fits in 30 minutes.
The script
Template
Warm-up (3 min)
- What does your role look like day to day?
The last time (12 min)
- Tell me about the last time you {did the job your product helps with}.
- What happened just before that?
- What was the hardest part?
- What did you use? What did you try that didn’t work?
The cost (5 min)
- What happens when this goes wrong?
- How much time or money does that cost you?
Your product (7 min)
- Show me how you did {task} in {product}.
- Where did you hesitate?
Wrap-up (3 min)
- Is there anything I should have asked?
- Who else should I talk to?Rules that keep answers honest
| Ask | Instead of |
|---|---|
| “Tell me about the last time…” | “Would you use…?” |
| “What did you try?” | “Do you like this feature?” |
| “What happened next?” | “Is this a problem for you?” |
| “Show me” | “How would you do it?” |