Why interviews matter
Interviews are the most common research method named in design adverts, from fintech companies in Accra to remote startups. A good interview tells you what people actually do, why they do it and what frustrates them. A bad interview just tells you what people think you want to hear.
Ask about the past, not the future
The golden rule: ask about real past behaviour, not opinions or predictions.
- Weak: "Would you use an app to track your sales?" Most people say yes to be polite.
- Strong: "Tell me about the last time you checked how much you sold in a day. What did you do?"
The strong question gets a story, and stories contain the details you need.
Open, not leading
Open questions start with what, how, tell me about, or walk me through. Closed questions get yes or no. Leading questions push an answer, such as "Don't you find mobile money confusing?" Avoid leading questions completely. Use closed questions only to check a fact.
Useful follow ups: "Why was that?", "What happened next?", "Can you show me?" Then stay quiet. Silence gives people time to add the important part.
Running the session
- Start with easy questions about their day or work to build trust.
- Have five to eight main questions written down, but follow interesting answers.