To build the right product you need to understand the people who use it. Good interviewing should be one of your core skills—whether you are a designer, an entrepreneur, a product manager, or an innovator. This class will show you how to get the most from your conversations with customers. In a series of mock interviews you'll learn basic techniques, mistakes to avoid, and lightweight analysis and synthesis techniques that work well in rapidly changing innovative and entrepreneurial environments. Presented at General Assembly, June 6, 2013.

1. Effective Customer
Interviewing
General Assembly, June 6 2013
Adrian Howard (@adrianh)
quietstars.com

2. Hello!

3. Eh?

4. Ask questions

5. Don't take notes
(slideshare.net/adrianh)

6. Tip: Drink!

7. ?

9. Stand up

11. A – B - C

12. A = Speaker
B = Interviewer
C = Observer

13. Speakers:
Shut your eyes

14. Interviewers:
Chat with the
speaker about their
best restaurant
experience.

15. Observers:
Watch what
happens. Write
observations on
post-it notes.

16. Interviewers:
Do not take notes.

17. 2 minutes

18. Reflection

19. B = Speaker
C = Interviewer
A = Observer

20. Speakers:
Shut your eyes

21. Interviewers:
Chat with the
speaker about their
best holiday
experience.

22. Interviewers:
One more thing.

23. Interviewers:
After the first
question – you
cannot speak
again. Shhhhh!

24. Observers:
Watch what
happens. Write
observations on
post-it notes.

25. Interviewers:
Do not take notes.

26. 2 minutes

27. Reflection

28. The opposite of talking isn't listening. The
opposite of talking is waiting.
- Fran Lebowitz

29. C = Speaker
A = Interviewer
B = Observer

30. Speakers:
Shut your eyes

31. Interviewers:
Chat with the
speaker about how
they decorate &
furnish their
home.

32. Tip:
Remember to use
silence and body
language.

33. Interviewers:
One more thing.

34. Interviewers:
After the first
question you can
only ask “Can you
tell me more about
X?”

35. Interviewers:
(where X is
something the
speaker has
previously
mentioned).

36. Observers:
Watch what
happens. Write
observations on
post-it notes.

37. Interviewers:
Do not take notes.

38. 4 minutes

39. Reflection

40. Tip:
Reflect back what
the speaker said.

41. Every clarification breeds new questions.
- Arthur Bloch

42. Relax...

43. ?

44. Interviews ≠ Quiz

45. Interviews ≠ Survey

46. Interviews ≠ Script

47. Interviews cannot
be automated

48. Rapport

49. Empathy

50. Why do we do
interviews?

51. Learn from
customers

52. Test our
assumptions

53. Test our
hypotheses

54. Finding customers

55. Recruiters

56. Hassling people on
the street

57. Tip: Bribes

58. Coffee shops

59. Tip:
Don't look scary

60. Go where your
customers are

61. Tip:
Go with somebody

62. Sales

63. Marketing

64. Customer Support

65. Online

66. craigslist

67. Ethnio.net

68. Exercise time

69. Today you found a
startup!

70. Exploring exciting
new ways to create
a great experience
eating out

71. Helping people
have the holiday of
their dreams.

72. Democratising
professional
interior decoration

73. Build Topic Maps

74. Individually write
down topics on
post-it notes

75. 2m

76. Group and label
them as a team

77. 5m

78. Write down list

79. Interviewing

80. Tip:
Remember the
person.

81. Can you tell me a
little bit about
yourself?

82. Tip:
Ask open
questions.

83. What was the last
book you read?

84. Can you tell me
about the kind of
books you read?

85. Tip:
Ask for stories.

86. Can you tell me
about the last
time...

87. Tip:
No leading
questions.

88. Do you want to use
this at work?

89. Where do you use
this?

90. A = Speaker
B = Interviewer
C = Observer

91. Interviewers &
Observers:
Write down the key
points that the
speaker says

92. Tip:
Observations vs
insights

93. Tips:
- Silence.
- Reflect back.
- Remember the person.
- Ask open questions.
- Ask for stories.
- No leading questions.
- Observations vs Insights.

94. 5m

95. Tips:
- Silence.
- Reflect back.
- Remember the person.
- Ask open questions.
- Ask for stories.
- No leading questions.
- Observations vs Insights.

96. Reflection

97. B = Speaker
C = Interviewer
A = Observer

98. C = Speaker
A = Interviewer
B = Observer

99. Synthesis

100. Affinity
Diagramming

101. Further Reading

104. If you're keen

107. If you're really
keen

108. Ch 7 of “Mental Models” by Indi Young
Ch 9 & 10 of “User and Task Analysis for
Interface Design” by JoAnn T. Hackos, Janice C.
Redish
Ch 6 of "Observing the User Experience" by
Mike Kuniavsky, Elizabeth Goodman & Andrea
Moed
Ch 4 of "Contextual Design" by Hugh Beyer and
Karen Holtzblatt

109. @adrianh
quietstars.com
slideshare.net/adrianh
adrianh@quietstars.com
Thank You