Ask About Specific Behavior, Not About Opinions

The chapter “Instrument Each Transition on the Path” says interviews offer explanations, and that people describe their behavior imperfectly. Interview after you observe, and tie every question to something you saw or measured.

Openers#

• “Tell me about the last time you [did the task].”
• “Walk me through what you did after you got the confirmation email.”
• “What were you doing right before you opened the product?”

When you saw a stall#

• “At about [time] you stopped on this screen. What were you looking for?”
• “You went back to the previous page. What happened there?”
• “What did you expect to see next?”

Promise questions#

• “What did you expect this to do when you first heard about it?”
• “Where did you first hear about it, and what did it say?”
• “Is that what you found?”

Buyer and user questions#

• “Who else had a say in choosing this?”
• “Who uses it every day, and how do they feel about it?”
• “If nobody required it, would you use it?”

Value questions#

• “What would you do if this product went away tomorrow?”
• “What did you do before, and what have you stopped doing?”

Do not#

1. Ask people to predict what they or others will do.
2. Ask leading questions such as “Did you find it easy?”
3. Take praise as evidence. Ask for the last time they used it, and what they did.
4. Interview only the people who volunteered. Write down who declined.