Interviews

An interview is a conversation where you talk to someone first-hand to find out their views and experiences. It can be a formal interview, with planned questions asked in a set order, or an informal chat, where the conversation flows more freely. Either can happen face to face or remotely, such as over a video call or by phone.

Why interviews are useful

Interviews let you adapt your questions as you go. If someone's answer is unclear or surprising, you can ask a probing follow-up question to dig deeper, which gives you richer detail than a fixed set of questions can.

In person, you can also read body language — a pause, a frown or a shrug can show that an answer needs exploring. People can also give more open, honest answers when they are talking to someone rather than typing into a form, because they can explain themselves and check that they have been understood.

For example, imagine you are testing a weekend dog-walking service. You interview six dog owners in a park. One says, "I'd want updates while you're out." You follow up: "Would a text when you arrive help, and would you pay extra for it?" That quick change of direction is only possible in a live conversation.

Drawbacks of interviews

Interviews are time-consuming: each one may take 20 minutes or more, plus arranging it and writing up what was said. They can also be costly, particularly if you pay for travel, a room or staff time. Because you can only speak to a small number of people, their views may not represent the wider market — six dog owners in one park are not all dog owners in your town.