Interviewing Users (ePub)

Interviewing is easy, right? Anyone can do it... but few do it well enough to unlock the benefits and insights that interviewing users and customers can yield.

In this new and updated edition of the acclaimed classic Interviewing Users, Steve Portigal quickly and effectively dispels the myth that interviewing is trivial. He shows how research studies and logistics can be used to determine concrete goals for a business and takes the reader on a detailed journey into the specifics of interviewing techniques, best practices, fieldwork, documentation, and how to make sense of uncovered data. Then Steve takes the process even further—showing the methods and details behind asking questions—from the words themselves to the interviewer's actions and how they influence an interview. There is even a chapter on making sure that information gleaned from the research study is used by the business in such a way to make it impactful and worthwhile. Oh, and for good measure he throws in information about Research Operations.

But, hey, that's just the nuts and bolts of the book. The truly fun part is Steve's voice and how he portrays this information through amusing anecdotes about his career, fascinating examples from other practitioners, and tips and tricks that only the most experienced UX researchers, like Steve, could come up with. As a nod to the pandemic, he offers ideas for the best way to interview someone remotely, and he also discusses personal bias—how to identify and deal with it so that it doesn't affect interviews

Everyone will get something from this book. But beyond the requisite information, it's simply a good read. And if you want another good read with stories galore, pick up Steve's other book Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries.

“Clear and concise with great examples, this is quite simply the best book on when, why, and how you should conduct user interview studies. Whether you're new to interviewing or have had years of experience, there's a wealth of information here for you.”
—Elizabeth F. Churchill, Ph.D., Senior Director, Google

Who Should Read This Book?

• Anyone and everyone who is interested in finding out what makes their business tick, i.e., who their users are.
• Anyone and everyone who wants to learn how to interview and listen to people.
• Anyone and everyone, including CEOs, user researchers, designers, engineers, marketers, product managers, strategists, interviewers, and you.

Takeaways

• User research is key for companies to include in their design and development process.
• The best way to do user research is through interviewing users and determining their needs.
• Interviewing can identify what could be designed or what is actually a problem.
• Teams who meet their users face-to-face will build better products.
• Field research takes a lot of preparation to be successful—and a solid plan in advance.
• There are critical techniques and frameworks for mapping human behavior.
• A good interviewer always puts their participants at ease.
• If you ask the right questions, you'll get the right answers.
• A smart interviewer checks their worldview at the door.
• To establish a rapport with your interviewee, listen and don't be judgmental.
• Research data is a combination of analysis and synthesis.
• The importance of research analysis must be continually highlighted and emphasized to the powers that be.

Frequently Asked Questions Q: What's new in the second edition?

A: This edition features two new chapters: one about analysis and synthesis and sharing research results, and another about ensuring that your user research efforts will have an impact on your organization. There are seven new short essays (we call them sidebars) from guest contributors. Plus, you'll find updated examples, stories, and tips for leading interviews, and new sections about bias, remote research, ResearchOps, planning research, and research logistics.

Q: Why is this even a book? Isn't this really just talking to people? I already know how to do that!

A: To actually learn something new requires interviewing, not just chatting. Unskilled interviewing leads to inaccurate and misleading information that can take your business in the wrong direction. This practice is a skill that can be fundamentally different than what you normally do in conversation. Great interviewers leverage their natural style of interacting with people, but make deliberate, specific choices about what to say, when to say it, how to say it, and when to say nothing. Doing this well is hard and takes years of practice.

Q: Wait, is this book about interviewing or about user research?

A: User research is the larger practice, and interviewing is a particularly powerful method that you can combine with other research approaches. Learning how to interview prepares you with foundational skills in listening and asking questions that can be valuable in other methods as well.

Q: We don't have time in our development process to interview our users, so what should we do?

A: Sometimes “we don't have time” is a more rational-seeming way of saying “we don't need to.” A strong product vision is important, but understanding what that vision means when it leaves your bubble is make-or-break stuff.

Testimonials —Robin Beers, Ph.D, Ubuntu Culture Company

“Steve Portigal wrote the book on interviewing users, and then he made it even better. What more do you need to know?”
—Brendan Jarvis, Facilitator of Human Insights, The Space InBetween

“A complete guide to interviewing that teaches you a considerate, humane, actionable approach to learning from users.”
—Aras Bilgen,UX consultant