User Experience Innovation: User Centered Design that Works

Rules for Interviewing End Users

You and your colleagues may not be used to stopping people on the street to interview them. You may not be used to entering their homes. A few dos and don'ts are needed if you choose to approach your target users yourself.

You can find numerous articles, books, and blogs on the subject of interviewing. Here I will just emphasize a few key guidelines. Most of the benefit will come from the few guidelines I list here.

• Do not ask leading questions to users, such as, “Do you want gears on your bicycle?” They will most likely say yes no matter what they think. Ask open-ended questions instead, such as, “What problems do you encounter when pedalling over changing terrain?”
• Try to get under the skin of the users. Try ...