Ask about a recent experience before pitching the idea
A useful interview starts with what happened.
Open with the purpose
Explain what you are researching, how notes will be used and that participation is voluntary. Do not promise a service or funding decision in exchange for an interview. Choose a note-taking process suitable for the information involved and avoid collecting personal details you do not need.
Follow one concrete episode
Ask the participant to describe the last time they encountered the problem. Explore the sequence: what triggered it, what they tried, where they looked for help and what happened next. Ask about costs and effort without insisting on details they do not want to share. “Would you use our idea?” tends to produce a different kind of evidence from a recent observed behaviour.
Keep interpretation separate
In your notes, distinguish the participant’s account from the team’s inference. Retain short quotations only with the agreed permissions and avoid identifying details in shared summaries. Record counterexamples. If several interviews disagree, preserve the difference rather than forcing it into a single convenient customer story.
End with a research decision
Summarise the pattern, the limits of the sample and the next question. A small qualitative study can inform a pilot design; it does not establish market size. Decide whether to interview a missing role, observe a workflow or test a small offer. Keep the pitch until after the research questions, if it is part of the session at all.
References provide background. The working methods and fictional examples here are our editorial guidance, not an endorsement by the referenced organisations.
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