User interviews are a great technique for getting to know your target audience. However, sometimes people don’t feel comfortable answering questions from a researcher completely honestly. Other times they don’t know how to articulate exactly what they need, want, or feel. We will examine research from psychology and market research to understand techniques for interviews to help you uncover insights beyond people’s superficial answers. We’ll explore conversation theory, projective techniques such as image associations, collaging, and others to encourage participants to share their stories. You'll learn to uncover hidden, actionable insights to fuel your designs.

1. PREPARED BY
UNCOVERING HIDDEN INSIGHTS
THROUGH USER INTERVIEWS
Susan Mercer, Experience Research Director March 8, 2016

2. • BA and MSc in Geophysics
• 20 years in software and web UI and UX design
• Developer
• Designer
• Web Producer
• Product Manager
• Researcher
• MS Human Factors in Information Design, Bentley University
• Twitter: @susanAmercer
INTRODUCTION
Susan Mercer
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3. HxRefactored.com
Healthcare & Design Conference

4. HxRefactored.com
Healthcare & Design Conference
• Workshops:
• Design Studio: Building Design Consensus Into Your Process
• Experience Strategy: Storytelling, Journey Mapping, and Service Design
• Designing Motivational Interventions for Behavior Change: A Self-Determination
Theory Approach
• Human-Centered Design Bootcamp & User Shark Tank for Startups
• Closing Keynote:
• MA Governor Charlie Baker – Talking about the Opioid Crisis and how we can
help tackle the problem

5. DIVING DEEP:
UNCOVERING HIDDEN TRUTHS

6. Marketing Research & User Research
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Marketing Research User Research
Preferences
Attitudes
Purchasing
Behaviors
Use Behaviors
Context of Use
Actions
Usefulness
Emotional Reactions
Engagement
Motivations

7. To elicit honest stories in an unbiased manner.
INTERVIEWING BEST PRACTICES
What is our Interviewing Goal?
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8. To elicit honest stories in an unbiased manner.
INTERVIEWING BEST PRACTICES
What is our Interviewing Goal?
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Participant Researcher

9. A study found 60% of people told an average of 3 lies to a stranger in the
first 10 minutes of meeting1
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
It’s not easy being honest
91 Feldman, R.S., Forrest, J.A., and Happ, B. R. (2002) Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 24(2), 163-170.

10. INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Understatements, Exaggerations, Concealments
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http://popchartlab.tumblr.com/post/35563754790/the-map-of-truth-and-deception-a-visual

11. It’s not easy:
• We want to make ourselves sound better (Social Desirability bias)
• We want to please the researcher (Researcher Acceptance bias)
• We may not remember everything
• We may not be fully conscious of our own motivations for our
behaviors
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Eliciting Honest Stories
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12. INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Maslow’s Hierarchy
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http://liveitloveitblogit.com/2012/04/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs/

13. 1. Set the stage for the interview
2. Encourage them to tell their stories
3. Be neutral, accepting and non-judgmental
4. Help them uncover their answers
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Belonging and Safety – Make the Interview Feel Safe and Accepted
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14. An interview is a conversation…sort of
• Casual conversations have “unwritten” rules 1
• Speakers take turns
• It’s polite to balance speaking and listening
• It’s polite for both parties to ask questions
• An interview is a lop-sided conversation
• One party asks questions, the other answers them
• Explaining the process builds rapport & increases interviewee comfort2
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
1. Set the Stage for the Interview
141 Tannen, D. (2005). Conversational Style: Analyzing Talk among Friends. Oxford University Press, USA.
2 Vallano, J.P. and N.S. Compo (2015), Psychology Public Policy and Law, 21(1), 85-99.

15. • Provide a high-level focus for the interview
• “Today, I’d like to understand your experience visiting the museum.”
• “I’d like to talk about your experiences with understanding and using your health
insurance plan.”
• Don’t reveal details, so you don’t bias their answers
• If they know what you want to learn, they may change their answers to please you
• This is called Researcher Acceptance Bias
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
1. Set the Stage for the Interview
151 Randall, D.M. and M.F. Fernandes, Journal of Business Ethics, 10(11), 805-817.

16. • Let them know you are neutral and need to hear positive and negative
experiences
• “I don’t work for <company>, so feel free to tell me the good and the bad things.”
• “I didn’t design this website, so if you like it, you won’t make me feel good; if you
don’t like it, it won’t hurt my feelings.”
• This helps reduce Researcher Acceptance Bias
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
1. Set the Stage for the Interview
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17. • Explicitly acknowledge that you want to understand their personal
experience
• “We are here to learn how everyday people do their shopping. Everyone is different,
and we want to understand what works best for you.”
• “If I wanted to know how I’m supposed to use this injection pen, I would have read
the instructions. I’m here to learn how you use it in your world.”
• This helps to reduce Social Desirability Bias
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
1. Set the Stage for the Interview
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18. • Show interest
• Maintain eye contact
• Use open body language, face the interviewee and lean in slightly
• Really Listen
• “Listening is a positive act: you have to put yourself out to do it.” – David Hockney
• “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent
to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey
• Listen with your whole body
• Give the interviewee your full attention
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
2. Encourage them to tell their stories
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19. • Use conversational tokens
• “Mhmm” or “Uh huh” used in an interview situation
• Resulted in interviewees replies increasing by 31% 1
• Use body language
• Head nodding while the interviewee is speaking
• Resulted in interviewees replies increasing by 50% 2
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
2. Encourage them to tell their stories
191 Matarazzo, J.D, Saslow, G., Wiens, A.N., Weitman, M. & Allen, B.V. (1963), Psychotherapy 1(1), 54-63.
2 Matarazzo, J.D., Wiens, A.N., Saslow, G., Allen, B.V. & Weitman, M. (1964), Psychotherapy 1(3) 109-113.

20. • Use silence
• “People speak in paragraphs.” – Steve Portigal
• People generally dislike silence
• If you pause, they will continue to speak
• Sometimes that extra information will be really valuable
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
2. Encourage them to tell their stories
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1 Portigal, S. (2013) Interviewing Users, Rosenfeld Media.

21. • Ask non-leading open-ended questions
• “Who is involved with making decisions about health insurance?”
• “What is one thing you would change in your home?”
• “When was the last time you reviewed your financial portfolio?”
• “Where do you store your medications?”
• “How do you know when it’s time to renew your medications?”
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
3. Be neutral, accepting and non-judgmental
211 Tannen, D. (2005). Conversational Style: Analyzing Talk among Friends. Oxford University Press, USA.
2 Vallano, J.P. and N.S. Compo (2015), Psychology Public Policy and Law, 21(1), 85-99.

22. • Use “soft” questions to avoid judgments
• Example: Why don’t HIV patients take their medications 100% of the time?
• There are subtle emotional undercurrents here, so tread lightly
• Ask about the topic from multiple angles:
• “When was the last time you missed taking a pill?”
• “What kept you from taking it?”
• “Where are you when you take your pills?”
• “What time(s) of day do you take them?”
• “What do you think about when you take your pills?”
• Once a participant shuts down, it’s hard to get them talking again
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
3. Be neutral, accepting and non-judgmental
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23. • Being neutral is important to minimize Researcher Acceptance Bias
• Avoid responses indicating:
• Agreement - “Good”, “Great”, “Perfect”, etc.
• Disagreement - “Hmmm.”, “Really?”, etc.
• Unexpected answers – “Oh!”, “Interesting”, etc.
• Use neutral responses:
• “Mhmm”, “Uh huh”, “Continue”, “Tell me more”, etc.
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
3. Be neutral, accepting and non-judgmental
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24. • Being accepting and non-judgmental is key to building trust
• You asked them to share their story, feelings, motivations, etc.
• Their values may be different from yours, accept their truth.
• Sometimes, some self-revelation on sensitive topics can make them feel
more comfortable 1
• “I understand that it’s hard to be perfect when losing weight. I struggle with that too.”
• “I appreciate you sharing your challenges with paying your bills this month. It’s
something I’ve struggled with before too.”
• This can also help combat Social Desirability Bias
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
3. Be neutral, accepting and non-judgmental
241 Vallano, J.P. and N.S. Compo (2015), Psychology Public Policy and Law, 21(1), 85-99.

25. • Be prepared for anything
• Opinions on gun control while discussing refilling prescriptions
• Strong opinions against evolution being taught in a science museum
• An nervous gay man explaining that searching for a doctor who is gay-friendly is an
important feature on his health insurer’s website
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
3. Be neutral, accepting and non-judgmental
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26. • Sometimes we don’t remember things when asked
• Sometimes an honest answer is “I don’t know”, or “I can’t remember”
• Focus on a specific experience
• Focusing on a specific, recent experience can help people remember details
• This often provides more concrete information than generalities
• “Tell me about the last time you went grocery shopping – what was your biggest
headache?”
• “Think about the last time you went to the dentist – what were you feeling
when you walked into the office?”
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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27. • Leverage recognition over recall
• Neuroimaging shows that recognizing
information requires less brain activity than
recalling information 1
• Also, our brains store information in
networks
• So, thinking about “leaves” can quickly
remind you of trees, plants, flowers,
daisies, and the color green.
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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1 Cabeza, R., et al. (1997), Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 9, 254-265.

28. • Use photos to prompt their memory
• Show a series of photos and ask the interviewee to set aside photos related to the
topic
• Example: “Set aside any photos that remind you of taking your injections.”
• Have the interviewee tell the story of why they selected each photo
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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29. INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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30. • Key Themes (Rheumatoid Arthritis patients)
• Enjoying physical activities again – less pain means I can kayak again
• Regaining a sense of independence – I can pump my own gas again
• Enjoying Family – I can do activities with my family again
• Key Themes (Multiple Sclerosis Patients)
• Concern about Future Health - How long do I have to be healthy?
• Uncertainty that Medicine is Working – It’s a crapshoot
• Enjoying Family – I want to enjoy my family activities as long as I can
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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31. • Use collaging to help them articulate their values and motivations
• Provide photos, art supplies, flipchart paper
• Provide a focus: “Create a collage about what saving energy means to
you”
• Let them create it
• Have them tell the story of the collage
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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32. INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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33. • Key Themes
• People feel saving energy is important for the environment
• Several said they didn’t know if they were saving enough to make a difference
• Several renters wanted to save energy, but didn’t get feedback information, so they
gave up
• Many said they don’t make enough of an effort to save energy
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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34. • Use Laddering to get beyond superficial
answers
• People often have difficulty expressing their values
when asked
• People can often articulate attributes of
products/services they like
• Laddering follows the chain from attributes to
values with a series of “Why?” questions
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
4. Help Them Uncover Their Answers
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Attribute
Consequence
Value

35. • What is the most important feature on
this mobile app for ordering pizza?
• Why are deals and coupons important
to you?
• What is it about saving money that is
important to you?
• Why is it important to save for their
college funds?
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Laddering Interview Example
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• Deals and Coupons
• Because I like to save money, and not
have my wife yell at me
• We are trying to save as much as we
can for the kids’ college funds
• Education is expensive, but important. I
want my kids to have better jobs than I
do
Interviewer Participant

36. INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Laddering Interview Example
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• Deals and Coupons
• Because I like to save money, and not
have my wife yell at me
• We are trying to save as much as we
can for the kids’ college funds
• Education is expensive, but important. I
want my kids to have better jobs than I
do
Participant
Attributes
Consequences
Values

37. • Designs based on users’ values resonate better than those based on
attributes
• We could make Deals and Coupons prominent
• But, what if…
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Why use Laddering?
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38. 1. Set the stage for the interview
2. Encourage them to tell their stories
3. Be neutral, accepting and non-judgmental
4. Help them uncover their answers
INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES
Belonging and Safety – Make the Interview Feel Safe and Accepted
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39. • Avoid questions about future behavior
• People are really bad at predicting future behavior
• Ask about recent past events
• Stick to specifics and avoid generalities
• People tend to “filter” with generalities and leave out important details
• Focus on specific instances of past behavior
• Ask questions like “How many times have you forgotten your pills in the last 2
weeks?”
• Triangulate with other research methods
• Don’t use interviews and surveys alone (self-reported answers)
• Observe people in action – usability tests, ethnographic observations
METHODOLOGY
Other Ways to Encourage Honest Answers

40. • Self-Reported answers are not 100% reliable
• People have difficulty explaining why they do things
• They sometimes provide incorrect answers because they don’t know why
• But you often get very insightful information
• Triangulate with other research methods
• Don’t use interviews and surveys alone (self-reported answers)
• Observe people in action – usability tests, ethnographic observations
• Use other data sources – web analytics, purchasing data, etc.
METHODOLOGY
Other Ways to Encourage Honest Answers

41. Thank You
Susan Mercer, Experience Research Director
smercer@madpow.com