A UX Designer wants to conduct customer interviews as part of discovery research. Which best practice should be followed while conducting these…

Customer interviews are a qualitative research method that allows the UX Designer to understand

the needs, goals, pain points, and behaviors of the target users. To conduct effective customer

interviews, the UX Designer should follow some best practices, such as:

Engage in a friendly and informal way: The UX Designer should try to establish rapport and trust with

the interviewee, and make them feel comfortable and relaxed. This can help elicit honest and candid

responses, and encourage the interviewee to share more details and stories. The UX Designer should

use a conversational tone, smile, and show interest and empathy12

Ask open-ended questions: The UX Designer should avoid asking yes/no questions, or questions that

lead or suggest a specific answer. Instead, the UX Designer should ask open-ended questions that

allow the interviewee to express their thoughts and feelings in their own words. The UX Designer

should also probe deeper by asking follow-up questions, such as “why?”, “how?”, or “can you tell me

more about that?” 12

Listen actively and attentively: The UX Designer should focus on listening to the interviewee, and

avoid interrupting, judging, or correcting them. The UX Designer should also use verbal and non-

verbal cues, such as nodding, eye contact, and paraphrasing, to show that they are paying attention

and understanding the interviewee. The UX Designer should also take notes or record the interview,

with the interviewee’s permission, for later analysis12

Ignore vague or general answers: This is not a best practice, because vague or general answers can

indicate that the interviewee is not comfortable, engaged, or clear about the question. The UX

Designer should try to clarify the question, or ask more specific or concrete questions, to elicit more

meaningful and relevant responses12

Analyze findings in the moment: This is not a best practice, because analyzing findings in the

moment can distract the UX Designer from listening to the interviewee, and bias their interpretation

of the data. The UX Designer should wait until the interview is over, and review the notes or

recordings, before analyzing the findings and identifying patterns, insights, and opportunities12

Reference:

Customer Interviews: The Ultimate Guide - User Interviews

How to Conduct User Interviews - Interaction Design Foundation