User Interview Guide

User Interview Guide creates structured research artifacts that produce actionable insights rather than interesting conversations that go nowhere.

Research Planning

Starts with the research question, not the interview questions. The skill clarifies what decision the research will inform, what the team already knows, and what assumptions need validation. This shapes the participant criteria and discussion guide.

Participant Screener

Designs a screener survey with qualifying questions that identify participants matching the target profile: behavioral criteria (have done X in the last 6 months), situational criteria (currently experiencing Y problem), and disqualifiers (competitors, industry insiders).

Discussion Guide

Produces a guide structured as: warm-up (current behaviors, context), core topic exploration (open-ended, non-leading), concept or prototype reactions (if applicable), and wrap-up (priorities, referrals). Uses the TEDW probe framework: Tell me more, Explain, Describe, Walk me through.

Synthesis

Analyzes provided transcripts using affinity mapping: extracts quotes, tags them with themes, and groups themes into higher-level insight clusters. Produces a synthesis document with key findings, supporting quotes, and recommended next steps.