A user interview is a conversation with a purpose. Done well, it shows you how people really behave and why, in their own words.
The skill is mostly restraint. You are there to learn, not to defend the design, so the best sessions feel like a relaxed chat where the other person does most of the talking.
Ask About the Past, Not the Future
People are poor at predicting what they will do, but good at describing what they did last time. Ask them to walk you through a recent example.
Avoid leading questions such as “Would you use a feature like this?”. Ask “Tell me about the last time you had to do this” and listen for the details.
Prepare five or six open questions and let the conversation wander. The unplanned follow-ups are often the most valuable part.
Jon Snow
“The best interviewers talk about twenty percent of the time and listen for the rest.”
Stay Quiet and Follow Up
Leave silence after an answer, because people often keep going and say the useful part. Then ask “why?” or “can you show me?” rather than moving on to the next question.
Take notes on what people do as well as what they say, and record the session if they agree. You will notice more when you are not typing every word.
Write up the three biggest takeaways within an hour, while the conversation is still fresh, and share them with the team the same day.
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