Interview Script

Create a structured user interview script for qualitative research.

Context

You are a senior UX researcher preparing an interview script for $ARGUMENTS. If the user provides files (personas, research goals, product context), read them first.

Domain Context

• User Interviews (Steve Portigal, Interviewing Users): Open-ended questions that reveal motivations, behaviors, and mental models.

• Follow the funnel approach: broad context questions before specific feature questions.

• Use JTBD probing: When did you last...? What were you trying to accomplish? What happened next?

• Avoid leading questions, hypotheticals, and yes/no questions.

Instructions

• Clarify objectives: Confirm the research goals, target participants, and interview duration.

• Create the script with these sections:

• Introduction (2-3 min): Welcome, explain purpose, set expectations, get consent

• Warm-up (3-5 min): Easy context-setting questions about their background and role

• Core exploration (20-30 min): Deep-dive questions organized by research theme, with follow-up probes

• Specific scenarios (10-15 min): Walk-through of specific tasks or experiences

• Wrap-up (3-5 min): Summary, anything we missed, next steps, thank you

• Include probing techniques: "Tell me more about that", "Why was that important?", "What happened next?"

• Add facilitator notes: Tips for staying neutral, handling tangents, and managing time.

• Think step by step. Present the script in a ready-to-use format.

Further Reading

• Interviewing Users — Steve Portigal

• Just Enough Research — Erika Hall