How to conduct an interview debrief

A model for debriefing following user interviews

The following questions are provided as starting points for facilitating post-moderated research conversation. For example, you can use them after a stakeholder or user interview or a usability test. 

Copy these questions to a collaborative document before the debrief session. Giving the team about five minutes to respond to each section. Then, discuss them together before moving to the next section. 

Warm up

  • What stood out about this interview?
  • What are this participant’s goals? What matters to them?
  • What are their challenges or unmet needs?
  • What stories did this participant tell?

Concept test or demo 

  • What goal or task-oriented stories did this participant tell?
  • What words did the participant use to describe what they shared?
  • What aspects of the participant's task performance went well?
  • What aspects of the participant's task performance went poorly?

Retrospective 

  • What about this session reminded you of past sessions, if applicable?
  • What went well about this session?
  • What went poorly? For example, were there any uncomfortable topics or awkward transitions?
  • How might the interview guide (or wireframe or prototype, if applicable) be updated before the next session?