wehub-resource-sync
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Interview Guide Template
A structured template for in-depth research interviews. Customize the sections to your topic. Length: typically 60 to 75 minutes.
Pre-interview prep
Participant info:
- Name:
- Role / context:
- How they were recruited:
- Anything noteworthy from screener:
Research question being answered: [The specific question this interview is helping answer]
Top 3 things I'm trying to learn: 1. 2. 3.
Hypotheses I'm holding loosely:
- [What I think I'll find. Naming this helps me notice when I confirm vs disconfirm it.]
Recording setup:
- Audio recorder tested
- Video recorder (if applicable) tested
- Notetaker confirmed (or not present)
- Consent form sent
Section 1: Welcome and rapport (5 to 10 minutes)
Goal: Put the participant at ease. Start collecting context.
Opening
"Thanks so much for joining today. As I mentioned, we're [purpose: studying how people do X / learning about Y / etc.]. There are no right or wrong answers; I'm here to learn from your experience.
Before we start, do you have any questions?
A few practical notes: I'll be recording so I can focus on listening rather than note-taking. The recording stays internal and is used only for our research. I'll never quote you by name without permission. You can ask me to stop the recording any time. Sound good?
Great. Let's start with something easy."
Easy opener
"Tell me a little about yourself. What's your role, what does a typical [day / week / project] look like?"
[Listen for context: industry, role, scale, constraints. Take notes on anything you want to come back to.]
Section 2: Context (10 to 15 minutes)
Goal: Understand the world the participant lives in. Establish the context that shapes their decisions and behavior.
Probes (pick 3 to 5 that fit your topic)
"Walk me through how you handle [task] today, from start to finish."
"What's the last time you [specific behavior or event]? Tell me about that."
"Who else is involved when you [activity]? What's their role?"
"What tools do you use? Why those specifically?"
"What's typical, and what's unusual about how you approach this?"
"Where does your [organization / team] stand on [topic]? Any constraints I should understand?"
Listening notes
- Look for specific examples, not generalities. "I've never been frustrated by X" is less reliable than "Tell me about the last time X frustrated you."
- Watch for emotional tone: where do they perk up, get quiet, or shift body language?
- Note any language they use that's different from how the team frames things.
Section 3: The core question (20 to 30 minutes)
Goal: Address the heart of the research.
Sample probes for common research goals
If exploring problems / unmet needs
"Tell me about the last time you had to [specific situation related to research]."
"What was hardest about that?"
"What did you try? What worked, what didn't?"
"If you had a magic wand and could change one thing about how this works, what would it be?"
"When you think about [topic], what frustrates you most?"
If exploring mental models
"How would you explain [concept] to someone who's never heard of it?"
"When you hear [term we use], what comes to mind?"
"Can you draw or sketch how you think about [process]?"
"What's the goal when you [action]? What does success look like?"
If exploring evaluation behavior
"Walk me through the last time you decided to [action]. How did you decide?"
"What were you comparing? How did you compare them?"
"What information would have helped you decide?"
"What made you confident in your decision? What made you nervous?"
If exploring product or feature use
"Tell me about a time you used [product / feature]. Why? What happened?"
"When does [product] work well for you? When does it fall short?"
"What's the first thing you do when you open [product]?"
"What would have to be true for you to [action: recommend, expand use, switch]?"
Probe library (use as needed)
"Tell me more about that."
"What was that like for you?"
"Why does that matter to you?"
"Give me an example."
"Help me understand what you mean by [term]."
"Earlier you said X, now you're saying Y. Help me understand."
"What were you thinking at that moment?"
"What did you do next?"
Things to avoid
- Leading questions ("Don't you think it would be better if...?")
- Hypothetical questions about future behavior ("Would you pay for...?")
- Multi-part questions
- Filling silence too quickly
- Defending the product
- Selling the product
- Asking "why" more than 2 to 3 times in a row (becomes interrogation)
Section 4: Reactions to specific stimuli (optional, 10 to 15 minutes)
Goal: Get specific reactions to a concept, prototype, message, or design. Skip if research is purely generative.
"I'd love to show you something we're thinking about. There are no wrong reactions - whatever comes up for you is helpful. Take a look [share screen / show prototype / read description]."
[Wait. Don't fill the silence.]
"What's your initial reaction?"
"What questions does this raise?"
"If you saw this in [context], what would you do next?"
"What's confusing or unclear?"
"Is there anything that doesn't fit your situation?"
[Be especially alert to confused expressions, silences, and "I'm not sure what this is for." These are signal.]
Section 5: Wrap-up (5 to 10 minutes)
Goal: Capture anything missed. Leave the participant feeling good about the experience.
Catch-all questions
"Is there anything I should have asked but didn't?"
"Is there anything you'd want me to know about this topic that didn't come up?"
"If you could give one piece of advice to the team building this, what would it be?"
Closing
"This was incredibly helpful. Thank you for the time and the candor. The [incentive] should arrive [timeline]. If you think of anything else after we hang up, my email is [email]; happy to hear from you.
Last question: would it be okay if I reached out for follow-up research? I won't bombard you, but if something specific comes up and your perspective would be helpful, I'd love to be able to ask."
Post-interview (within 1 hour)
While memory is fresh:
- Write down 3 to 5 most surprising or vivid moments
- Note any quotes worth coming back to
- Note any new questions raised by this interview that should change subsequent ones
- Add to the running synthesis (don't wait to start synthesis until all interviews are done)
Common interview pitfalls and recoveries
| Pitfall | Recovery |
|---|---|
| Participant gives short, surface answers | "Tell me more about that." Or wait silently. Often produces depth. |
| Participant goes far off-topic | "That's interesting. Let me bring us back to [topic]." |
| You realize the question was leading | "Let me ask that differently. What's been your experience with [topic], in your own words?" |
| Participant asks what you're working on | "I want to hear your unbiased thoughts first. Happy to share more at the end." |
| Participant tries to give you the "right" answer | "Honestly, the more frank you can be, including frustrations or criticisms, the more valuable for us." |
| You realize you're 20 minutes over | Wrap promptly. Ask the most important remaining question. End on time. |
| Participant has emotional reaction | Pause. Acknowledge. "That sounds like it was really frustrating. Take your time." Don't rush past. |
Customization notes
This template is a scaffold. Adapt:
- The sections to fit the topic
- The number and type of probes
- The amount of time per section
- Whether to include stimuli (Section 4)
What stays constant:
- Open with rapport, not the research question
- Use specific recent examples, not abstract opinions
- Use silence
- Don't lead
- Wrap on time, with grace