Types of user interviews: Why, what, and how to conduct in 2025

User interviews are one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. They offer real, unfiltered feedback straight from the people you’re trying to serve – giving you a window into their authentic experiences, challenges, and needs.

Want to validate an idea? Fix a broken experience? Build something that truly resonates? It all starts with listening.

But user interviews can feel intimidating. They’re the UX researcher’s version of writer’s block – staring at a blank slate, unsure where to start or how to ask the right questions. Who do you talk to? What do you ask? And once you’ve got a pile of notes and recordings, how do you turn that into something actionable?

This guide is here to simplify the process. 

We’ll cover the different types of user interviews and when to use them, with step-by-step strategies to get the most out of every conversation. Whether you’re new to research or looking to sharpen your skills, this article will give you the tools you need to run interviews like a pro.

Key takeaways

• User interviews are an essential tool for uncovering user needs, validating ideas, and improving product experiences.

• Different types of interviews serve unique purposes – from exploring user goals to refining usability and gathering feedback.

• A well-structured approach ensures your interviews are efficient, insightful, and practical.

• Leveraging the right tools, like Lyssna, can simplify and enhance the entire process – from recruiting participants to analyzing results.

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What are user interviews? 

User interviews are one-on-one conversations with your target audience, designed to uncover their thoughts, behaviors, and motivations. By asking open-ended interview questions, you can gain a deeper understanding of how users interact with your product, what their needs are, and where they experience pain points.

Unlike surveys or analytics, which provide quantitative data, user interviews give you qualitative feedback – the human stories behind the numbers. Whether you're exploring new ideas, testing a feature, or improving an existing product, interviews help you get closer to the people you’re building for.

Why user interviews matter

User interviews are the best chance to understand the people behind the data. While analytics can show you what’s happening, user interviews reveal the why – the stories, motivations, and frustrations driving those numbers.

Data only tells half the story

Picture this: Your product’s analytics show that 60% of users abandon the onboarding process right after completing the third sign-up step. Without talking to users, you’re left guessing:

• Is step four unclear or overwhelming?

• Are users unsure why they need to complete the next step?

• Is a technical issue causing frustration?

A quick conversation with just a handful of users could reveal exactly what’s going wrong – and, more importantly, how to fix it.

So, how many user interviews should you do? According to Michele Ronsen, user researcher and founder of Curiosity Tank, 4 to 6 interviews per segment is often enough to uncover most usability issues in evaluative research. For generative research, a larger sample may be needed to capture diverse perspectives. The ideal number depends on participant diversity, your research goals, and when insights start to repeat.

Build empathy to drive better design

User interviews go beyond data points. When you hear users describe their experiences – the good, the bad, and the unexpected – it creates a human connection no report or dashboard can replicate. This connection inspires:

• Better designs.

• Sharper priorities.

• Solutions that resonate with users.

When user interviews become a regular part of your process, you’re not just saving time and money. You’re building products that your users will love – because you’ve taken the time to truly understand them.

Types of user interviews

User interviews are one of the most powerful tools in UX research, but not all interviews serve the same purpose. 

Some interviews help you explore a problem space, others help you generate new ideas, and some focus on testing solutions or improving existing products. Below, we break down the most common types of user interviews, when to use them, as well as how they fit into the research and product development process.

How to choose the right type of user interview

Unsure which style of interview to use? Ask yourself the following:

• Are you defining a problem or testing a solution?

  • Exploratory and generative interviews help uncover user needs and motivations.

  • Usability and customer feedback interviews refine what you’ve already built.

• Do you need deep insights or quick validation?

  • Exploratory and generative interviews reveal big-picture behavior and pain points.

  • Usability and feedback interviews test real-world interactions and expectations.

• How structured should the conversation be?

  • Unstructured interviews work best for discovery (when you “don’t know what you don’t know”!)

  • Semi-structured interviews strike a balance – giving you focus while allowing flexibility.

Bottom line: 

If you’re figuring out what to build, go exploratory. If you’re refining how to build it, go usability. If you want to find out if your design or product meets expectations, go feedback. Pick the right approach, and you’ll get data that actually moves the needle.

How to plan and conduct effective user interviews

A strong plan combined with thoughtful execution is the foundation of successful user interviews. By streamlining your approach and focusing on both preparation and your ‘in-the-moment’ techniques, you’ll gather meaningful feedback that informs your decisions. Here’s how to do it.

1. Define your research goals

Before diving in, ask yourself: What do I need to learn?

• Are you validating a feature, understanding pain points, or exploring new opportunities?

• For example: If you’re rolling out a new onboarding flow, are you trying to confirm it’s intuitive or uncover where users drop off?

It doesn’t need to be “War and Peace” – a sentence or two describing what you want to find out is all you need.

Pro tip: If your goal feels too vague, break it down into something specific and actionable. A clear goal sets the direction for your interviews and helps you focus on asking the questions that really matter.

2. Decide between in-person or remote interviews

Choosing between in-person and remote interviews depends on your research goals, resources, and participant availability.

• In-person interviews allow for richer interactions, capturing body language, tone, and real-time engagement. These are ideal when testing physical products or when deeper contextual understanding is needed.

• Remote interviews provide flexibility, enabling you to reach participants regardless of location. These are best for digital product testing and when scheduling constraints make in-person sessions impractical.

3. Recruit the right participants

Finding participants who align with your target audience is crucial. We’ll cover this step in more depth later in the guide.

4. Schedule and prepare

Make scheduling seamless for participants:

• Offer flexible time slots to enable efficient scheduling.

• Test your tools – like video conferencing software and recording tools – in advance to avoid any technical hiccups.

Set expectations:

• Confirm participants know how long the session will take.

• Inform them if they’ll need to share their screen or perform tasks.

5. Run the interview

Keep your interviews efficient and engaging:

• Start with high-impact questions: Capture meaningful information early with questions like, “What’s the first thing you noticed about this feature?” or “What did you expect to happen here?”

• Maintain a natural conversational flow: Don’t hesitate to ask follow-ups, such as, “Why did that stand out to you?” or “What would make this easier for you?”

• Leverage recording tools: If you’re running remote interviews, tools like Lyssna help you focus on the conversation while capturing every detail for later analysis, and often include built-in transcriptions.

6. Analyze and summarize findings

After the interview:

• Organize your notes and recordings to identify recurring themes and potential insights.

• Look for patterns that align with your research goals. For instance, are multiple users mentioning confusion with the same feature?

Share your findings. Summarize in a format your team can review, such as

• A short report.

• A visual map of user pain points and recommendations.

Highlight key takeaways and prioritize the next steps to drive informed decisions.

By integrating planning and execution into a cohesive process, you’ll maximize the impact of your user interviews while keeping them efficient and purposeful.

How to create a simple interview script

A good interview script isn’t just a list of research questions – it’s a tool to keep your conversation focused while allowing for exploration. Here’s how to create one that works.

1. Set the tone

Start with an introduction that’s friendly and reassuring. Explain who you are, the purpose of the interview, and why the participant's input matters. Let them know there are no “right” or “wrong” answers – just their honest thoughts and experiences.

2. Define your structure

Lay out the flow of the conversation. This could look like:

• Broad, open-ended questions to start.

• Specific questions or tasks related to the product or feature.

• Time for follow-ups or clarifications.For example: “We’ll start by discussing how you use [product/feature], then dive into specific areas like [X].”

3. Ask thoughtful questions

Keep your questions short, clear, open-ended, and free of jargon. Examples include:

• “Can you walk me through how you typically use this feature?”

• “What was your first impression of this design?”

• “What challenges have you faced when trying to complete this task?”

Amr Shawki, Growth Product Designer and co-founder at Zomra, says: “The goal of asking questions is not getting answers, the goal is opening discussions. The insights you will get from the words between the lines are far more important than the direct answers.”

4. Stay flexible

Build room for follow-up questions and spontaneous exploration. Use prompts like:

• “Can you tell me more about that?”

• “Why do you think that’s the case?”

Product Space advises keeping “an eye out for emotional responses or body language changes during certain topics. These can signal areas where deeper exploration might yield valuable insights”.

5. Close with gratitude

End by thanking your participant and summarizing the next steps. For instance: “Your feedback is incredibly valuable, and it’ll help us improve [product or feature]. Thank you so much for your time.”

Keeping your script simple but flexible will allow you to gather meaningful data while maintaining a natural, engaging conversation.

How to recruit the right participants

The feedback you gather is only as good as the people you interview.

Here’s how to find participants who represent your target audience:

• Define your ideal participant profile: Start by identifying the key traits of your target audience. Consider demographics (like age, location, or occupation), behaviors (such as how they interact with your product), and psychographics (like goals, frustrations, or values). The clearer your criteria, the easier it will be to recruit participants who align with your research goals.

• Leverage your existing network: If you already have an engaged user base, reach out to them directly. Social media, newsletters, or in-app notifications can be effective ways to invite users to participate in your research.

• Use a recruitment platform: Recruitment platforms like Lyssna are invaluable for broader reach or more specific criteria. Lyssna’s participant panel connects you with over 690,000 high-quality users across 395+ demographic and psychographic attributes. Whether you’re targeting young professionals in tech or parents balancing work and family, Lyssna helps you find the right fit – fast.

• Offer meaningful incentives: Respect your participants’ time by offering thoughtful incentives, like gift cards or discounts. Incentives encourage participation and ensure a positive experience that strengthens your brand.

• Screen carefully: If you're targeting a niche audience, ask screener questions to confirm users meet your criteria. For example, if you’re testing a fitness app, you could ask participants about their exercise habits to make sure they’re the right fit.

With the right tools and strategy in place, participant recruitment becomes easier.

How to review user interview results

Completing the interviews is only the beginning – the real impact comes from transforming raw feedback into practical, impactful changes. Here’s how to approach the review process effectively.

Centralize your data

Gather all your notes, recordings, and transcripts in one place – a research repository can be good for this. A well-organized dataset saves time when analyzing trends later.

Cluster and categorize feedback

Instead of reviewing each piece of feedback in isolation, group related comments into categories like “usability issues,” “feature requests,” or “unexpected pain points.” Use visual aids like sticky notes or tools like Dovetail to see connections between feedback.

Identify actionable patterns

Go beyond surface-level themes by prioritizing data tied directly to your research goals. If, say, your focus was improving onboarding, group feedback related to first-time user challenges, and identify recurring problems that require immediate attention.

Share findings effectively

Create a concise report highlighting key takeaways, supported by participant quotes or specific examples to make the data relatable. Include recommended next steps, so your team knows where to focus their efforts.

Refine and iterate

Remember, user research is iterative. Use the findings to implement changes, then validate those changes in your next round of research. This keeps your product evolving alongside your users’ needs.

Tips for recording interviews and taking better notes

Capturing user interviews effectively ensures no important details are missed. Whether you're analyzing feedback solo or sharing it with your team, these strategies will help you maximize the value of every conversation:

• Use transcription tools for accuracy: Manually jotting down every word is distracting (not to mention time-consuming!). Instead, rely on transcription tools – they captures every detail while allowing you to stay fully present during the interview.

• Record video and audio for context: Non-verbal cues – such as tone, pauses, or body language – can reveal as much as the words themselves.

• Apply the TFSD framework: After your sessions, utilize the Think, Feel, Say, Do (TFSD) model to categorize participant responses:

  • Think: What are the participant's thoughts?

  • Feel: What emotions are they expressing?

  • Say: What are their verbal comments?

  • Do: What actions are they taking?

This approach provides a holistic view of user experiences and uncovers deeper insights. As Michele Ronsen explains, effective note-taking, a critical skill in user research, isn’t just about recording what’s said – it’s about capturing the full spectrum of a participant’s experience.

• Focus on key takeaways: Rather than attempting to capture everything, highlight key themes and moments in real-time. Use shorthand or flag important points to revisit later. For example, if a participant mentions a critical pain point, mark it down immediately for deeper review.

• Organize findings immediately: Right after the interview, spend a few minutes organizing your notes or tagging the transcript. Exporting your data into tools like Dovetail or Notion allows you to tag, categorize, and build a clear picture of your findings.

• Prioritize action-oriented insights: Focus on insights that align with your research goals. If a user suggests a feature improvement, consider how it connects to your project objectives and overall strategy.

• Make notes available to others: If you're working with a team, make sure your notes are accessible and clear for everyone. Highlight recurring themes or quotes to bring your findings to life and make them easy to act on.

Top tools to enhance your user interview process

Using the right tools can simplify every stage of your user interview process – from recruiting participants to analyzing the information. Here are some of the best tools to consider.

1. Lyssna

Perfect for: Teams looking to simplify and scale their user research process.

Lyssna offers a practical solution for running user interviews. From online interview scheduling to participant recruitment, transcription, and analysis, Lyssna streamlines every step. With a panel of over 690,000 participants and affordable pricing, you’ll find the right audience fast.

2. Dovetail

Perfect for: Deep analysis and collaboration.

Dovetail makes it easy to organize and analyze your findings. Its tagging system lets you quickly group themes and uncover trends, while its collaboration tools ensure everyone on your team stays aligned.

3. Lookback

Perfect for: Real-time remote interviews.

Lookback allows you to observe participants as they interact with your product remotely. You can run live interviews, take notes in real time, and revisit recordings for further analysis.

4. Otter.ai

Perfect for: Automated transcription.

Otter.ai provides fast and accurate transcriptions, making it easier to review interviews and share information with your team. Its integration with other tools simplifies exporting and organizing transcripts.

5. Zoom

Perfect for: Remote interviews.

For a reliable video conferencing option, Zoom remains a favorite. Its built-in recording and chat features make it versatile for both live interviews and asynchronous reviews.

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Turning insights into action

User interviews give you more than just answers – they offer a window into the experiences, emotions, and motivations that shape how people interact with your product. But their real value lies in what you do with those insights.

Maybe you’ve uncovered a recurring frustration in your onboarding flow or heard a surprising idea during prototype testing. The next step is turning those moments into actions that improve your product and better serve your users. With the right tools, a structured process, and curiosity driving you forward, you’re well on your way.

Every interview is an opportunity to learn something new and make something better – and now, you’re ready to make the most of it.