Nothing beats a one on one qualitative interview to get insights on user needs, desires, and behaviors. But – your insights are only as good as the questions you ask.
Here’s my tips on how to ask better questions:
1. Say NO to 'Yes' and 'No'.
Challenge yourself to only ask open-ended questions that give participants the freedom to share their inner thoughts and experiences. Frame your questions to make users spill the beans, provide detailed info, and share their thought processes.
Here’s an example of a closed ended question:
“Would you click on that?”
Here’s examples of good open-ended questions:
“How did that make you feel?"
"What do you think when you see this?”
"Can you tell me about another time when you did this?"
2. Beware the bias you share.
It’s hard to ask questions in a way that doesn’t reflect what you already think, but leading questions can manipulate participants and sabotage your results. Stay neutral, my friend! Your questions should never steer users toward a particular answer, and when presenting two options, both should sound equally neutral or positive.
Biased questions can sound like:
“I see you struggled to navigate Design A. Can you tell me more about that?”
This question will influence the user to provide only negative feedback about Design A and positive feedback about Design B.
“Would you say you value innovation and growth or keeping things stable in your business?”
Who wants to say they don’t value innovation and growth? The second option seems judgmental.
Here’s a better way to frame those questions:
“Share with me how you felt as you navigated Design A.”
“Would you say that your goal is fast growth or predictable growth in your business? Why is that?
3. Don’t rush to fill the pauses.
We know you’re thinking about getting through the research guide before the end of the session, but often if you just wait a beat or two after a participant shares something, they will follow up with a meaningful connection.
Wait for the pause in the conversation, and don’t rush to fill it with another question. The participant may fill it with a connection you would not have made.
For instance, a participant could say:
"I don’t know that I would click “purchase” on this page. It seems expensive and I’m not sure I really need this that much.”
(Several seconds pass…)
“But sometimes I buy things like this anyways when I’m sad or bored just to make me feel good.”
Wow - something totally new to dig into here!
Drop us a line if you'd like to talk more about UXR best practices. Happy researching!
About Christy
Dr. Christy Tabors is an experienced UX Researcher with a background in fintech and ads monetization. She enjoys delivering highly impactful, actionable insights throughout the product development and design process, and has a proven track record of increasing user onboarding and adoption of products.
Christy lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and two dogs, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart "Wolfie" and Pumpkin Boo. In her freetime, she likes to read, hike, and sew.
