6 Mistakes When Crafting Interview Questions
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“Before reading this article, keep in mind that UX is not an inflexible set of rules.”
UX research is a crucial part of the design process, as it helps to gather information about users and their needs, behaviors, and preferences. One of the most important methods for conducting UX research is through interviews, but crafting the right questions can be challenging. In this blog, we’ll be discussing six common mistakes that researchers make when crafting interview questions for UX research.
#1 Starting with Questions That Should Be Asked in a Screener Survey
A screener survey is used to pre-qualify participants for an interview. It is essential to ask questions that are relevant to your research objectives. However, many researchers make the mistake of asking questions that should be part of the screener survey in the interview. This can lead to lengthy and repetitive interviews, wasting the time of both the participant and the researcher. To avoid this mistake, make sure that the questions you ask in the interview are unique and relevant to the research objectives.
#2 Asking Only Questions About Typical Behaviors
UX research is about understanding the context and motivations behind users’ behaviors, not just their typical behaviors. Asking only questions about typical behaviors can lead to a limited understanding of the user experience. To get a better understanding, researchers should also ask questions about users’ goals, motivations, and emotions. This type of information can help to uncover deeper insights into the user experience.
#3 Asking Hypothetical Questions
Hypothetical questions can be difficult for participants to answer, as they often involve imagining scenarios that may not align with their actual experiences. This can lead to unreliable and inaccurate answers. Instead of asking hypothetical questions, researchers should focus on asking about actual experiences and behaviors.
#4 Using Clarifying Questions That Introduce an Interpretation
When conducting an interview, it’s important to avoid leading the participant in a specific direction. This can be done by asking clarifying questions that introduce an interpretation of the participant’s answer. To avoid this mistake, researchers should ask open-ended questions that allow the participant to provide their own interpretation and insights.
#5 Asking Compound Questions
Compound questions are questions that contain multiple parts and can be difficult for participants to answer. This can lead to inaccurate and unreliable answers. To avoid this mistake, researchers should focus on asking one question at a time and allowing the participant to fully answer before moving on to the next question.
#6 Asking Ambiguous Questions
Ambiguous questions can lead to confusion and misinterpretation, resulting in unreliable and inaccurate answers. To avoid this mistake, researchers should focus on crafting clear and specific questions that are easy for participants to understand and answer.
In conclusion, crafting effective interview questions for UX research is critical to the success of the research. By avoiding these six common mistakes, researchers can ensure that their interviews are reliable, accurate, and provide valuable insights into the user experience. The goal is to understand the motivations, behaviors, and experiences of users, so it’s essential to craft questions that provide the information you need to achieve that goal.
“I am grateful for your time spent reading my article on the 6 mistakes in creating interview questions. Your feedback is highly valuable to me and I would appreciate hearing your thoughts. The information shared I hope was helpful, and I look forward to continuing the conversation. Thank you for your consideration.”
