User Interviews

Goal: understand the user.

Find out…

• Motivation
• Context
• Deeper need?

The goal of user interviews is to understand the user even if they know what they want!

Good User Interviews

• Make person feel welcome/safe/appreciated

• Ask open-ended “questions”

  • Describe a time that…
  • Tell me more about..

• Leave space: awkward silences (not too awkward)

• Really listen!; repress the urge to think of what you want to say next

• Repeat statements back to people

• Ask about examples, context, etc.

A roadmap

• 1: create a comfortable entry point
• 2: go wide, deep into more personal and complex questions
• 3: focus on the problem, not the solution
• 4: focus on feelings—feelings matter, how nice matters
• 5: end with conclusions and statements for what you

User Story

The user story should contain….

• A main character (your user)
• Character background (motivation)
• A plot (context)
• Climax and Resolution

Framework

1. describe the user; who are they; what do they like or not like
2. an iStudio classic need statement
3. finish with a description of the emotional impact of using our software