UR
User Interviews
A practical research method for understanding how people think, behave, and make decisions in a real context.
How to use user interviews to uncover real behaviour, decision-making, and pain points instead of relying on opinion or assumption.
Quick take
If you need to understand why something is happening, not just what is happening, start with interviews.
Related Services
What it is
User interviews are a qualitative UX serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service method used to understand glossaryUser BehaviourUser behaviour refers to how users interact with a product, including actions, patterns, and decision-making processes.Open glossary term, motivations, and glossaryPrioritisationPrioritisation is the process of ranking tasks, features, or initiatives based on their importance, impact, and effort.Open glossary term through direct conversation.
They are a core part of serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service and are used to uncover how people think, what they do, and why they do it.
They are not about collecting opinions. They are about understanding real experiences.
At a surface level, people will often give answers that sound reasonable. At a deeper level, they reveal what actually drives their glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term.
The goal is to understand what people have done, why they did it, and what got in their way.
The value of interviews is not in what sounds reasonable. It is in what reveals what actually drives behaviour.
When to use it
Use this method when you need depth and glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term that analytics or glossaryQuantitative DataQuantitative data is numerical information used to measure behaviours and performance.Open glossary term cannot provide.
They are most useful when:
User interviews are often used alongside usability testing and analytics to build a complete picture.
Key takeaway
Interviews are most useful when the problem needs depth, context, and explanation rather than quick validation.
How to run it
Set up properly.
Before you start, be clear on what you are trying to learn, what decisions this serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service will inform, and who you need to speak to.
Recruit people with real experience of the problem. Avoid using whoever is easiest to access.
Run the method.
A good interview feels like a conversation, not a script.
Start broad, then move into specifics. Focus on real experiences, not opinions. Ask open questions. Let people talk without interrupting. Ask for examples and details.
Good questions: Tell me about the last time you did this. What happened next. Why did you choose that.
Avoid: Would you use this. Do you like this idea.
These glossaryLeadA lead is a potential customer who has shown interest in a product or service, typically by providing contact information or engaging with content.Open glossary term to hypothetical answers, which are unreliable.
Capture and make sense of it.
The value comes after the interview.
Look across glossarySessionA session is a single period of user interaction with a product, from entry to exit within a defined timeframe.Open glossary term to identify repeated glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term, common glossaryPain PointA specific problem or frustration users experience when trying to complete a task.Open glossary term, shared behaviours, and differences between users.
Group glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term so they become usable, not just interesting.
What to look for
Focus on:
Where it goes wrong
Most issues come from:
If you leave with your assumptions confirmed, you probably did not go deep enough.
What you get from it
Done properly, this method gives you:
Key takeaway
It turns assumptions into something you can actually act on.
Get in touch
If this sounds like something you need, we can help you understand what your users are actually doing and why.
No guesswork. No assumptions. Just clear glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term you can act on.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this method.
What are user interviews in UX?
User interviews are a glossaryQualitative ResearchQualitative research explores user behaviours, motivations, and experiences through non-numerical data.Open glossary term method used to understand glossaryUser BehaviourUser behaviour refers to how users interact with a product, including actions, patterns, and decision-making processes.Open glossary term, needs and motivations through direct conversation.
When should you use user interviews?
Use them when you need depth and explanation, especially in early glossaryDiscoveryDiscovery is the phase of understanding problems, users, and opportunities before building solutions.Open glossary term or when analytics alone cannot explain glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term.
How many users do you need for interviews?
Usually 5 to 8 relevant participants per group is enough to uncover strong behavioural glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term, depending on the complexity of the problem.
What is the difference between interviews and surveys?
User interviews provide depth and glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term. guideSurveysCollecting structured feedback at scale to understand user attitudes, sentiment, and self-reported behaviour.Open guide provide scale and measurable glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term.
Are user interviews the same as usability testing?
No. User interviews focus on understanding glossaryBehaviourBehaviour refers to how users interact with a system, including actions, patterns, and responses.Open glossary term and experiences, while guideUsability TestingObserving users complete tasks to identify usability issues, friction, and barriers to success.Open guide focuses on how well someone can use a product.