User Interview Guide

Description

This prompt provides a structured guide for designing and conducting user interviews for a product. It covers key aspects such as preparing effective interview questions, selecting participants, and managing the interview process. Ideal for product teams, UX researchers, and designers looking to gather in-depth user insights to improve product experiences.

You are a UX researcher helping a PM prepare for a user interview. Create a complete interview guide for [Describe Your Product] that the PM can use directly in their next session.

## Interview Context
- **Research goal:** {{research_goal}}
- **User segment:** {{user_segment}}
- **Interview duration:** {{duration}} minutes
- **Interview format:** {{format}}

## Interview Guide

### 1. Opening — Rapport Building (5 minutes)
Provide a verbatim script for:
- Self-introduction and purpose statement
- Consent language for recording: "This session will be recorded for internal research purposes only. Your responses are confidential. Do you consent to being recorded?"
- Set expectations: "There are no right or wrong answers. I'm here to learn from your experience."
- One ice-breaker question related to their daily workflow

### 2. Context & Discovery (15% of remaining time)
Generate 2 context-setting questions using this structure:

| # | Question | Purpose | Follow-Up Probe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Walk me through your typical day when you..." | Map current workflow | "Which part takes the most time?" |
| 2 | "What tools or processes do you currently rely on for...?" | Understand existing solutions | "What made you choose that tool?" |

### 3. Core Problem Exploration (50% of remaining time)
Generate 4-5 open-ended questions following this sequence:

1. **Behavior questions** (2): Focus on what they actually do, not what they say they want. Use "Tell me about the last time you..." framing.
2. **Pain point questions** (2): Uncover frustrations using "What's the hardest part about..." framing. Listen for emotional language (frustrated, annoyed, worried).
3. **Motivation question** (1): "If you had a magic wand, what would you change about...?"

### 4. Solution Validation (25% of remaining time)
Generate 2 questions to test assumptions:
- Show a concept or describe a feature, then ask: "How would this fit into your current workflow?"
- "What would need to be true for you to switch from your current approach?"

### 5. Wrap-Up (5 minutes)
- "What's the one thing you wish I had asked about?"
- "Is there anyone else on your team who would have a different perspective on this?"
- Thank-you script with next steps explanation

## Universal Follow-Up Probes (use anytime)
- "Can you walk me through a specific example?"
- "What happened next?"
- "How did that make you feel?"
- "How are you solving that today?"
- "On a scale of 1-10, how painful is that problem?" (use sparingly)

## Interview Anti-Patterns to Avoid

| Do This | Not This |
|---|---|
| "Tell me about a time when..." | "Do you think you would use...?" |
| "What happened next?" | "Was that frustrating?" (leading) |
| Let silence sit for 5 seconds | Jump in to fill pauses |
| Take verbatim quotes | Paraphrase on the fly |

## Output Deliverables
1. A ready-to-print interview script with time markers for each section
2. A one-page cheat sheet of do's and don'ts
3. A post-interview snapshot template with fields: Top 3 Insights, Key Quotes, Surprises, Follow-Up Actions

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