So, I could be a stronger interviewer. I know this to be true about myself. I do alright, but I struggle with the responsibility to guide the conversation in a structured yet-organic path. In writing my script for my current project’s research interviews, I am still developing the skill to ask the right questions. And from there, I learned how to respond to information or responses I did not anticipate.
Over ten days, I conducted eight user interviews following an initial survey that had 44 responses. It was a rewarding endeavor, and I learned a lot about myself in the process. I spent no small amount of time feeling uncomfortable as I stepped outside my comfort zone. I could observe myself failing to follow many of the principles I had read up on. My biggest challenge? Resisting the urge to say “awesome” after every response. Here I was supposed to remain neutral, and I, without fail, would offer the automatic positive affirmation to my interviewee. As I noticed myself failing again and again, I tried to remind myself that:
“Sucking at something is the first step to being sort of good at something.”
– Jake the Dog
My Three Biggest Take-Aways
With this in mind, looking back on my interviews, I noted the following three items to be my biggest hurdles to overcome.
1. DO ask open-ended questions; DON’T use leading questions or statements.
This was incredibly challenging for me whenever the conversation moved off-script. In my attempt to empathize with my interviewee, I sometimes offer a leading commiseration. Something like: “Oh, that must have been frustrating,” instead of a more neutral response, “I see. What did you feel when this happened?”
2. DO make it clear that you are listening; DON’T issue a judgment to anything they say, positively or negatively.
This is similar to the item mentioned above, focusing on attention. When there was silence following their response, I would quickly offer an “awesome” or a story of my own. Not only did this eat into our precious 30-minute time slot, but it may also have biased their answers to the following questions.
3. DO steer the conversation back on track when necessary. DON’T feel bad about doing this, as you are the interview facilitator.
I often feel as though I am being rude or cold when being neutral. Due to a delightful mixture of social anxiety and societal conditioning, I sincerely need to be liked. This results in me spending a substantial amount of brainpower to assess what the other person is thinking of me continuously. Consequently, I lack confidence in presenting like a professional and still being “liked.” I believe that the only way to improve upon this, unfortunately for me, is through practice. Practice feeling uncomfortable and realizing that it’s all okay.
Conclusion
In doing this, I gained a massive appreciation for interviewing, and a new fire has been lit within me to develop my soft skills. To accomplish this, I intend to:
- Push myself to network with other UX designers by reaching out and requesting 30-minute video chats. My personal goal is at least one call every 1–2 weeks with someone I don’t know well, if at all.
- Focus on asking better questions in not just my professional life but my personal life as well.
References Used & Recommended Reading:
Pernice, K. (2018). User Interviews: How, When, and Why to Conduct Them. Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/user-interviews/