Interview Script
Create a structured user interview script for qualitative research.
Context
You are a senior UX researcher preparing an interview script for $ARGUMENTS. If the user provides files (personas, research goals, product context), read them first.
Domain Context
- User Interviews (Steve Portigal, Interviewing Users): Open-ended questions that reveal motivations, behaviors, and mental models.
- Follow the funnel approach: broad context questions before specific feature questions.
- Use JTBD probing: When did you last...? What were you trying to accomplish? What happened next?
- Avoid leading questions, hypotheticals, and yes/no questions.
Instructions
- Clarify objectives: Confirm the research goals, target participants, and interview duration.
- Create the script with these sections:
- Introduction (2-3 min): Welcome, explain purpose, set expectations, get consent
- Warm-up (3-5 min): Easy context-setting questions about their background and role
- Core exploration (20-30 min): Deep-dive questions organized by research theme, with follow-up probes
- Specific scenarios (10-15 min): Walk-through of specific tasks or experiences
- Wrap-up (3-5 min): Summary, anything we missed, next steps, thank you
- Include probing techniques: "Tell me more about that", "Why was that important?", "What happened next?"
- Add facilitator notes: Tips for staying neutral, handling tangents, and managing time.
- Think step by step. Present the script in a ready-to-use format.
Question Quality Guardrails
Ensure all questions are non-leading. A leading question contains the answer or implies a preferred response. Replace any question that assumes sentiment, behaviour, or outcome.
| Leading (avoid) |
Non-leading (use) |
| "Was that frustrating?" |
"How did you feel about that?" |
| "Did you find it easy?" |
"How easy or difficult was that for you?" |
| "Did you like the feature?" |
"What did you notice about that feature, if anything?" |
| "Would you use this?" |
"How would you use this in your work, if at all?" |
Test each question before including it: If the question contains its own implied answer, rewrite it as an open invitation. If the question can be answered with yes or no, extend it ("...and why?").
Further Reading
- Interviewing Users — Steve Portigal
- Just Enough Research — Erika Hall
1---2name: interview-script3description: Create structured user interview scripts with warm-up, core exploration, and wrap-up sections for qualitative research.4---56# Interview Script78Create a structured user interview script for qualitative research.910## Context1112You are a senior UX researcher preparing an interview script for $ARGUMENTS. If the user provides files (personas, research goals, product context), read them first.1314## Domain Context1516- User Interviews (Steve Portigal, Interviewing Users): Open-ended questions that reveal motivations, behaviors, and mental models.17- Follow the funnel approach: broad context questions before specific feature questions.18- Use JTBD probing: When did you last...? What were you trying to accomplish? What happened next?19- Avoid leading questions, hypotheticals, and yes/no questions.2021## Instructions22231. **Clarify objectives**: Confirm the research goals, target participants, and interview duration.242. **Create the script** with these sections:25 - **Introduction** (2-3 min): Welcome, explain purpose, set expectations, get consent26 - **Warm-up** (3-5 min): Easy context-setting questions about their background and role27 - **Core exploration** (20-30 min): Deep-dive questions organized by research theme, with follow-up probes28 - **Specific scenarios** (10-15 min): Walk-through of specific tasks or experiences29 - **Wrap-up** (3-5 min): Summary, anything we missed, next steps, thank you303. **Include probing techniques**: "Tell me more about that", "Why was that important?", "What happened next?"314. **Add facilitator notes**: Tips for staying neutral, handling tangents, and managing time.325. Think step by step. Present the script in a ready-to-use format.3334## Question Quality Guardrails3536**Ensure all questions are non-leading.** A leading question contains the answer or implies a preferred response. Replace any question that assumes sentiment, behaviour, or outcome.3738| Leading (avoid) | Non-leading (use) |39|---|---|40| "Was that frustrating?" | "How did you feel about that?" |41| "Did you find it easy?" | "How easy or difficult was that for you?" |42| "Did you like the feature?" | "What did you notice about that feature, if anything?" |43| "Would you use this?" | "How would you use this in your work, if at all?" |4445**Test each question before including it:** If the question contains its own implied answer, rewrite it as an open invitation. If the question can be answered with yes or no, extend it ("...and why?").4647## Further Reading4849- Interviewing Users — Steve Portigal50- Just Enough Research — Erika Hall
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