user-interview-prep

name	user-interview-prep
description	Prepare a complete user interview guide including screener, discussion guide, objectives, warm-up questions, and synthesis framework. Outputs interview materials ready to run.
argument-hint	["research question","user type to interview","product stage","what decisions the research will inform"]
allowed-tools	Read, Write

User Interview Prep

A user interview is only as good as its preparation. Poorly designed questions produce validation-seeking answers. Well-designed guides surface genuine behavior and unmet needs. This generates a complete interview package — screener, discussion guide, and synthesis framework.

Process

1. Define the research question — what specific question does this research need to answer? Not a topic — a question.
2. Identify the right participants — who has the behavior or experience you need to understand?
3. Write the screener — criteria to include and exclude the right participants.
4. Build the discussion guide — open questions that surface behavior, not opinions.
5. Plan synthesis — how will you analyze findings across multiple interviews?
6. Prepare logistics — recording, notes, time allocation.

Output Format

# User Interview Guide: [Research Question]

**Research question:** [Specific question this research will answer — e.g., "Why do users abandon the onboarding flow before connecting their first integration?"]  
**Decisions informed:** [What product or roadmap decision will this research support?]  
**Target interviews:** [N sessions — enough for pattern recognition without over-investment]  
**Interview format:** [Remote video / in-person / contextual inquiry]  
**Duration:** [45–60 minutes recommended]  
**Prepared by:** [Name]  
**Date:** [Date]

---

## Screener

*Send to potential participants before scheduling. Recruit people who have the behavior, not just the profile.*

**Include if:**
- [ ] [Behavior criterion — e.g., "Currently uses a tool in the [category] space, at least 3x/week"]
- [ ] [Role criterion — e.g., "Responsible for [job function] at their company"]
- [ ] [Company size — e.g., "Works at a company with 25–500 employees"]
- [ ] [Recent experience — e.g., "Has evaluated or switched tools in this category in the last 12 months"]

**Exclude if:**
- [ ] [Works at a competitor]
- [ ] [Already a customer of your product — interview separately]
- [ ] [Has not personally experienced the workflow you are researching]
- [ ] [Decision-maker only, no hands-on usage of the product]

**Screener questions:**
1. [Question to confirm inclusion criterion 1]
2. [Question to confirm inclusion criterion 2]
3. [Open question: "Briefly describe how your team currently handles [workflow]"]

---

## Discussion Guide

### Before the interview (your notes)

**Hypotheses to test:** [List 2–3 hypotheses you have going in — so you notice when evidence supports or refutes them]
- Hypothesis 1: [e.g., "Users abandon because they cannot find the API key in their other tool"]
- Hypothesis 2: [e.g., "Users are confused about which integration to connect first"]

**Behaviors to observe:** [What to watch for beyond just answers]
- [Observable signal 1 — e.g., "Do they say 'I' or 'we' when describing the workflow — individual or team behavior?"]
- [Observable signal 2]

---

### Opening (5 min)

*Build rapport; set expectations for the session.*

1. "Thank you for making time. Before we start, a few things: there are no right or wrong answers — I am trying to understand your experience, not test you. I will be taking notes, and with your permission, I will record the session. Is that okay?"

2. "Can you start by telling me a bit about your role and what your day-to-day looks like?"
   *(Listen for: what they prioritize, what tools they mention, where [your product category] fits in their workflow)*

3. "How long have you been in this role, and what brought you to it?"

---

### Context (10 min)

*Understand their world before diving into the specific workflow.*

4. "Walk me through a typical week when it comes to [the workflow area you are researching]. What does that actually look like?"  
   *(Probe: "Then what happens?" "Who else is involved?" "How often does this happen?")*

5. "What tools do you use for [workflow]? How did you end up using those?"  
   *(Listen for: evaluation process, switching moments, what they tolerate)*

6. "Can you show me — or describe in detail — how you [do the specific task]? Walk me through the last time you did it."  
   *(The best user research is behavioral, not attitudinal. Get them to describe a specific instance.)*

---

### Core Topic (25 min)

*Dig into the specific behavior or experience that answers your research question.*

7. "Tell me about the last time you [specific behavior related to research question]. What prompted it? What did you do?"  
   *(Do not lead. Let them tell the story in their own order.)*

8. "What was the hardest part of that? What slowed you down?"  
   *(Probe: "How did you eventually solve it?" "Is there a workaround you use?")*

9. "What have you tried that did not work? What did you give up on?"  
   *(The attempts before the workaround reveal what they actually want)*

10. "When things go well with [workflow], what does that look like? What made the difference?"  
    *(Success stories reveal the conditions users need — and often what they do not have)*

11. "If you could change one thing about how you do [workflow] today, what would it be?"  
    *(Open, not product-specific. Listen for the underlying need, not the proposed solution.)*

12. "Have you looked at other tools for this? What made you choose / not switch?"  
    *(Evaluation criteria — what actually matters to them in a buying decision)*

---

### Product Exposure (if applicable) (10 min)

*Only if you are testing a specific concept or prototype — skip for pure discovery research.*

13. "I want to show you something and get your honest reaction. This is early and nothing is final."  
    *(Show prototype / concept)*

14. "What is your first impression? What do you think this is for?"

15. "Walk me through what you would do if you were using this for [their specific use case]."  
    *(Watch behavior, not just words. Note where they hesitate, click wrong, or express confusion.)*

16. "What would need to be true for you to actually use this?"

---

### Wrap-Up (5 min)

17. "Is there anything important about [topic] that I have not asked about — something you think I should understand?"

18. "If you were advising a company building a product for [your target user], what would you tell them not to miss?"

19. "Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?"

*Thank them. Confirm incentive delivery.*

---

## Synthesis Framework

### Per-interview notes template

Participant: [Code — do not use real names in notes] Date: Duration: Segment: [Role / company size / user type]

KEY QUOTES (verbatim — preserve their words):

• "[Quote]"
• "[Quote]"

BEHAVIORS OBSERVED (what they do, not what they say):

• [Behavior 1]
• [Behavior 2]

PAIN POINTS:

• [Pain] — [Evidence / quote]

WORKAROUNDS:

• [What they do instead of a good solution]

SURPRISES (things you did not expect):

• [Surprise]

HYPOTHESES SUPPORTED/REFUTED:

• H1: [Supported / Refuted / Inconclusive] — [Evidence]
• H2: [Supported / Refuted / Inconclusive] — [Evidence]

### Cross-interview synthesis

After [N] interviews, look for:

1. **Patterns** — what appears in 3+ interviews?  
2. **Outliers** — what appears in only one but is striking?  
3. **Hypotheses tested** — what did the research confirm, challenge, or complicate?  
4. **Jobs to be done** — what underlying need are all the surface behaviors pointing toward?  
5. **Quotes to anchor the report** — 3–5 verbatim quotes that capture the core finding  

---

## Interview Logistics

- **Recording:** [Tool — Zoom / Otter / Rev.ai] — always get consent first
- **Note-taker:** [If using a second person — describe their role]
- **Incentive:** [$X gift card / professional acknowledgment] — send within 48h
- **Schedule buffer:** 15 min after each session to write notes while fresh
- **Report format:** [When and how findings will be shared]

Do's and Don'ts

Do	Don't
Ask about past behavior ("last time you...")	Ask about hypothetical behavior ("would you ever...")
Follow the interesting answer, not just the guide	Read questions verbatim and move on
Probe with "then what?" and "tell me more"	Accept the first answer to a vague question
Note verbatim quotes immediately	Paraphrase quotes from memory after
Start with context, end with product	Start by showing the product
Invite them to show you (screen share)	Rely on verbal descriptions of behavior
Say "that's interesting, tell me more"	Nod and say "that's great!" (primes them)
Ask one question at a time	Bundle 2 questions in one turn

Rules

• Research question before interview guide — the guide exists to answer a specific question.
• Past behavior over future intention — "what would you do" answers are unreliable; "what did you do" is evidence.
• Open questions only in the guide — yes/no questions produce yes/no answers.
• Silence is a tool — uncomfortable silence prompts elaboration. Do not fill it.
• Listen for workarounds — they reveal the gap between what users need and what exists.
• Do not show the product until you understand the problem — early product exposure primes users to give feedback on your solution instead of describing their actual need.
• N=5 reveals most patterns — you do not need 30 interviews for qualitative research; 5–8 done well reveals the major patterns.
• Separate observation from interpretation — note what they said and did, separately from what you conclude.
• Share raw notes with the team — it builds shared understanding that a report cannot.
• Act on the research — user interviews that never influence a decision were a waste of the participant's time.