User Interviews

What problem does User Interviews solve?

User Interviews helps you find, screen and schedule people for a study. For a repair-shop appointment app, you could look for people who recently handled a real rescheduling request and ask them to walk through how it worked.

An interview can show you what happened for the people you met. A few sessions can uncover questions worth testing again, while purchase interest and how common the problem is need separate evidence.

Where would the people come from?

Recruit finds candidates from the service’s panel. Research Hub supports studies with your own participant list. Choose a source by whether it can reach people who have done the task you need to understand.

A screener is a short set of questions people answer before a session. You can set criteria and choose manual review in the project builder. For a specific workflow, read each answer for evidence of recent experience before approving anyone. Approval can send an invitation.

How would you plan a first interview?

On paper, plan a short conversation about one recent appointment change. Leave the plan in your notes while you test the questions and the demo.

1. 1
   Ask about the work

   Try “Tell me about the last time you had to move a repair appointment.” Ask what they did next and where they got stuck. Leave out real customer names, messages and booking details.
2. 2
   Rehearse with a fake booking

   Before opening the demo, confirm it uses a separate booking store with only invented data. Check that reminders and payments use test services or are disconnected. If you cannot verify those settings, stay on paper. Once the checks pass, rehearse the fake booking before sharing the demo.
3. 3
   Set the session boundaries

   Write what you would tell a participant about the purpose, who will see notes, and how long you will keep them. Decide whether you need a recording and ask permission before starting one. Use a notes-only option if appropriate.
4. 4
   Choose a decision the answers can inform

   Write what would make you revise the prototype. If participants explain different workarounds, record when each one matters and which question you would test next.

How is a small study priced?

Recruit Pay As You Go prices one completed interview or task with one participant as one session. In a group with four participants, budget for four sessions.

Budget separately for incentives, the payment participants receive for taking part. Incentives are required for Recruit studies. The public price page lists a 3% processing fee on the incentive portion if User Interviews distributes those payments. Advanced targeting and paid screening can add costs.

Check the rules for cancelling confirmed sessions and record attendance promptly. The service documents separate researcher cancellation fees and can mark an unrecorded session completed after ten business days.

What research records can you take with you?

A project owner or an editor can request a participant CSV, a spreadsheet file. The usual export includes contact details only for confirmed participants. Premium screening can expand that scope.

Decide in advance which data you actually need and who can open it. Keep contact details separate from the summary you use to make a product decision. Check your meeting or recording tool separately for its recording and transcript export.