Tips for Interview Questions in UX Research Process

Informal or open-ended interview main motive is to find the validity of the idea if we have to test any feature related to design then structured interview or questionnaire is often better.

Basics:

Tips for interview questions:

1. Avoid long questions.
2. Break long and compound sentence question into separate questions(easy to remember the answer).
3. Avoid jargon, and questions that cause embarrassment to admit.
4. Avoid question that had been asked depending on assumption.

Interview format:

1. In the introduction tell interviewee, why this? what is this? want to do/not? ask their permission.
2. In the warmup, basic demographic questions.
3. Main session have difficult questions at last.
4. Cool-off session if only tension arises.
5. Closing session at the end.  

Type:

Unstructured interview:

Rich data collected but time-consuming and difficult to analyze.

Tips:

1. Have an interview agenda(follow DECIDE framework).
2. Follow new lines of discussion emerge out agenda/goal.
3. Attention on ethical issues.
4. Gaining acceptance and ease the interviewees.
5. Order and analyze ASAP after the interview.

If your intentions are of recording interviewee audio or video, a consent form must be used to respect interviewee anonymity.

Structure interview:

This is similar to the Questionnaire, used when the study’s goal is clearly understood. The questions need to be short and clearly worded.

Semi-structured interview:

Feature of both structured and unstructured(Mix OPEN & CLOSE questions).The requirement of the basic script for guidance, probe the interviewee to say more until no new relevant information is forthcoming i.e more loop question like why so…, tell more…, In your opinion…  etc.

Give the person time to speak and questions like Do you want to tell me anything else?