Interview guide

# Interview guide

**Project:**
**Session length:** 30 to 45 minutes
**Interviewer:**
**Note-taker:**

## Before the session
- [ ] Consent form ready and recording tested
- [ ] Questions printed or on a second screen
- [ ] Notes document ready, one per participant

## Introduction (about 3 minutes)
> Thank you for joining. I'm [name] and I'm learning about how people [topic]. There are no right or wrong answers; we are interested in your experience. We are not testing you. You can skip any question or stop at any time. Is it all right if I record the session so I can take accurate notes? The recording stays private and is deleted after the project.

## Warm-up (about 5 minutes)
1. Tell me a little about yourself and what a typical week looks like.
2. How does [topic] fit into your week?

## Recent experience (about 15 minutes)
Ask about real, recent events, not opinions about hypothetical futures.

3. Think about the last time you [did the task]. Can you walk me through what happened, from the beginning?
4. What were you trying to achieve?
5. What happened next?
6. What was the hardest or most annoying part?
7. What did you do about it?
8. What tools, apps, people or workarounds did you use?

## Deeper dive (about 10 minutes)
9. How do you decide [a key decision in the task]?
10. What would you lose if [current tool or method] disappeared tomorrow?
11. What have you tried that did not work?

## Wrap-up (about 3 minutes)
12. Is there anything about [topic] I should have asked but didn't?
13. Is there anyone else you think I should speak to?

> Thank you. This has been really helpful.

## Neutral follow-up prompts
- Tell me more about that.
- What happened next?
- Why was that important?
- What do you mean by "[their word]"?
- How did that make you feel?
- Can you show me?

## Avoid
- Leading questions: "Wouldn't it be easier if…?"
- Asking people to predict the future: "Would you use…?"
- Asking two questions at once.
- Explaining or defending your design.