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Interview Protocol and Best Practices

Document Information

Version: 1.0 Last Updated: December 2025 Status: Active Owner: Product Team Audience: Researchers, Product Managers, UX Designers conducting user interviews

Table of Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Pre-Interview Preparation
  3. Interview Logistics
  4. During the Interview
  5. Post-Interview Process
  6. Interview Best Practices
  7. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
  8. Privacy and Ethics
  9. Quality Standards

Overview

This document establishes the standard protocol for conducting user research interviews for the Fawkes platform. Following this protocol ensures consistency, quality, and ethical practices across all research activities.

Purpose

  • Establish consistent interview practices across the team
  • Ensure ethical treatment of research participants
  • Maintain high-quality research standards
  • Protect participant privacy and confidentiality
  • Enable efficient synthesis and analysis of insights

Scope

This protocol applies to:

  • Discovery interviews
  • Usability testing sessions
  • Feedback interviews
  • Onboarding interviews
  • Stakeholder interviews
  • Any formal user research conversations

Pre-Interview Preparation

1. Recruitment and Scheduling

Timing: Schedule interviews at least 3-5 business days in advance

Steps:

  1. Identify target participants using screener questions from interview guides
  2. Send calendar invite with:
  3. Clear agenda and objectives
  4. Expected duration (typically 45-60 minutes)
  5. Video conferencing link (if remote)
  6. Any preparation materials or pre-read
  7. Contact information for questions
  8. Confirm participation 24 hours before the interview
  9. Send reminder 2 hours before the interview

Participant Selection Criteria:

  • Diverse roles and experience levels
  • Representative of target personas
  • Active platform users (unless testing new user experience)
  • Willing to provide honest, critical feedback
  • Available for 45-60 minute session

2. Research Materials Preparation

Required Materials:

  • [ ] Interview guide for specific persona/topic
  • [ ] Consent form (printed or digital)
  • [ ] Recording equipment tested (if recording)
  • [ ] Note-taking template or system ready
  • [ ] Any demo environments or prototypes accessible
  • [ ] Backup communication method (phone number, alternate video link)

Optional Materials:

  • [ ] Incentive or thank-you gift (gift card, swag)
  • [ ] Visual aids or reference materials
  • [ ] Screen sharing capability tested
  • [ ] Observer invitation sent (with participant permission)

3. Interviewer Preparation

Review Before Interview:

  • [ ] Participant background (role, team, experience)
  • [ ] Research objectives for this interview
  • [ ] Interview guide questions
  • [ ] Any previous research with this participant
  • [ ] Recent platform usage data (if available)
  • [ ] Relevant context about their team or projects

Mental Preparation:

  • Clear your calendar for 15 minutes before and after
  • Arrive in a quiet space with minimal distractions
  • Set intention to be curious, not defensive
  • Prepare to listen deeply and follow interesting threads
  • Review any personal biases you might bring

Interview Logistics

Setting and Environment

Remote Interviews (most common):

  • Use reliable video conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams)
  • Ensure stable internet connection
  • Use headphones to improve audio quality
  • Have good lighting and camera position
  • Mute notifications and close unnecessary applications
  • Have backup connection method ready (phone, alternate app)

In-Person Interviews:

  • Book quiet meeting room with minimal interruptions
  • Arrange comfortable seating (avoid across-desk positioning)
  • Have whiteboard or paper for participant to sketch
  • Ensure good lighting and comfortable temperature
  • Position yourself to take notes without constant eye contact breaking

Roles and Responsibilities

Primary Interviewer:

  • Leads questions and conversation flow
  • Maintains rapport with participant
  • Probes deeper on interesting topics
  • Manages time and covers key topics
  • Takes high-level notes on key points

Note-Taker (optional but recommended):

  • Captures detailed notes and direct quotes
  • Tracks body language and emotional reactions
  • Notes which questions were asked
  • Flags areas for follow-up
  • Allows interviewer to focus on conversation

Observers (optional, requires participant permission):

  • Stakeholders or team members interested in research
  • Must stay muted and camera off during interview
  • Can submit questions via chat for interviewer to ask
  • Limit to 2-3 observers maximum to avoid intimidation

Recording Guidelines

When to Record:

  • For detailed analysis and transcription
  • When note-taker is not available
  • For usability testing to capture screen interactions
  • When you want to capture exact wording and tone

When NOT to Record:

  • Participant declines or seems uncomfortable
  • Discussing sensitive or confidential topics
  • Legal or compliance concerns
  • Building initial rapport or warm-up conversations

Recording Best Practices:

  • Always ask permission explicitly
  • Explain how recording will be used and stored
  • Start recording after consent is given
  • Announce when recording starts and stops
  • Store recordings securely (not in public repositories)
  • Delete recordings after transcription (per retention policy)

During the Interview

Opening the Interview (5 minutes)

Build Rapport:

  • Start with casual conversation (weather, weekend, recent events)
  • Thank them for their time
  • Express genuine interest in learning from them
  • Use their preferred name

Set Context:

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I'm [Your Name]
from the Product Team, and I'm conducting research to understand
[research objective].

We're here to learn from your experience and perspective. This isn't a
test—there are no wrong answers. We want to understand your workflows,
challenges, and needs so we can improve the platform.

Your responses will be anonymized, and we won't share anything that
identifies you personally. The insights will inform platform improvements.

[If recording:] With your permission, I'd like to record this session
for note-taking purposes only. The recording will be deleted after we
transcribe it. Are you comfortable with that?

We have about [45-60 minutes]. I'll ask questions and would love to hear
examples, see demonstrations, or anything else you'd like to share.
Feel free to be candid—we value honest feedback.

Do you have any questions before we start?"

Obtain Consent:

  • Get explicit verbal (or written) consent to participate
  • If recording, get explicit consent to record
  • Confirm they understand confidentiality measures
  • Give them opportunity to ask questions

Conducting the Interview (35-45 minutes)

Follow the Interview Guide:

  • Use prepared questions as a framework, not a rigid script
  • Be comfortable deviating to explore interesting topics
  • Return to key questions to ensure coverage
  • Adapt language and detail level to participant

Active Listening Techniques:

  • Maintain eye contact (if video/in-person)
  • Use non-verbal encouragement: nodding, "mm-hmm", leaning in
  • Don't interrupt: Let them finish thoughts completely
  • Embrace silence: Pause after answers to allow elaboration
  • Paraphrase: "So what I'm hearing is..." to confirm understanding
  • Reflect emotion: "That sounds frustrating" to show empathy

Effective Probing:

  • Ask for specifics: "Can you give me a recent example?"
  • Use the 5 Whys: Dig deeper with "Why?" or "What led to that?"
  • Request demonstrations: "Can you show me how you do that?"
  • Explore feelings: "How did that make you feel?"
  • Investigate workarounds: "What do you do instead?"
  • Understand impact: "How does this affect your work?"

Time Management:

  • Track time discreetly (clock visible, not timer)
  • Allocate time per section from interview guide
  • Be flexible to spend more time on rich topics
  • Give 10-minute warning before end
  • Ensure you cover critical questions even if you skip others

Note-Taking During Interview:

  • Capture direct quotes (mark with quotation marks)
  • Note emotional reactions or body language
  • Star or highlight key insights
  • Use shorthand for efficiency
  • Don't let note-taking distract from conversation
  • It's okay to say "Hold on, let me write that down" for important points

Closing the Interview (5 minutes)

Wrap-Up Questions:

  • "Is there anything we haven't covered that you think is important?"
  • "What's one thing you wish we had asked about?"
  • "Can we reach out if we have follow-up questions?"

Thank Participant:

  • Express genuine gratitude for their time and insights
  • Explain what will happen next with their feedback
  • Mention how their input will be used (generally)
  • If appropriate, mention when they might see changes

Next Steps:

  • Confirm contact information for follow-up
  • Ask about willingness to participate in future research
  • Distribute any incentives or thank-you gifts
  • Send calendar invite for any follow-up sessions

Post-Interview Debrief (if multiple researchers):

  • Spend 5-10 minutes immediately after to discuss
  • Share initial impressions and surprises
  • Identify key quotes and insights
  • Note any urgent issues or action items

Post-Interview Process

Immediate Actions (Within 1 Hour)

  1. Save Recording (if applicable):

  2. Download from video platform

  3. Store in secure location (not Git repository)
  4. Name with convention: YYYY-MM-DD-{role}-{topic}-{participant-ID}.mp4

  5. Backup to redundant storage

  6. Capture Key Insights:

  7. Write down most memorable quotes while fresh

  8. Note strongest emotional reactions
  9. Identify 3-5 key takeaways

  10. Flag any urgent issues that need immediate attention

  11. Send Thank-You:

  12. Email or message within 1 hour if possible
  13. Express appreciation
  14. Reiterate confidentiality
  15. Mention next steps if any

Within 24 Hours

  1. Transcribe and Clean Notes:

  2. Expand shorthand into full sentences

  3. Organize by interview guide sections
  4. Add context where memory is fresh

  5. Include timestamps for video/audio (if recorded)

  6. Anonymize Participant Information:

  7. Remove names, replace with role descriptors

  8. Remove team names, replace with general descriptions
  9. Remove any personally identifiable information (PII)

  10. Remove company-specific data if external participant

  11. Highlight and Tag:

  12. Direct quotes: Mark verbatim statements with quotation marks

  13. Pain points: Tag specific frustrations or problems
  14. Jobs to be Done: Identify goals and desired outcomes
  15. Workarounds: Note what they do instead of ideal solution
  16. Feature requests: Capture specific capability requests

  17. Emotional reactions: Flag moments of frustration, delight, confusion

  18. File Interview Notes:

  19. Save in docs/research/interviews/
  20. Use naming convention: YYYY-MM-DD-{role}-{topic}.md
  21. Include metadata section at top (role, experience, date, interviewer)
  22. Cross-reference related personas or journey maps

Within 1 Week

  1. Synthesize Insights:

  2. Identify patterns across multiple interviews

  3. Update insights repository with new findings
  4. Add data points to existing personas

  5. Create or update journey maps with new information

  6. Share Findings:

  7. Send anonymized insights to relevant stakeholders

  8. Post summary in research channel (#product-research)
  9. Add to research shareout presentation

  10. Update confluence or notion pages

  11. Update Research Artifacts:

  12. Add quotes to quotes library

  13. Update pain points list
  14. Add to feature request backlog

  15. Tag issues or epics with research insights

  16. Plan Follow-Up:

  17. Identify questions that need more research
  18. Recruit participants for follow-up sessions
  19. Plan validation studies for findings
  20. Schedule additional interviews if needed

Interview Best Practices

Building Trust and Rapport

✅ Do:

  • Be warm, authentic, and curious
  • Show empathy for their challenges
  • Use their terminology and language
  • Validate their feelings and experiences
  • Be transparent about research purpose
  • Keep your commitments (punctuality, follow-up)

❌ Don't:

  • Be overly formal or scripted
  • Treat them as data sources rather than people
  • Dismiss their concerns or frustrations
  • Rush through personal connection
  • Make promises you can't keep

Asking Effective Questions

✅ Do:

  • Ask open-ended questions ("How...?", "What...?", "Tell me about...")
  • Request specific examples ("Can you walk me through the last time...?")
  • Explore context and motivation ("Why is that important to you?")
  • Follow interesting threads even if off-script
  • Use silence to encourage elaboration

❌ Don't:

  • Ask leading questions ("Don't you think...?", "Wouldn't it be better if...?")
  • Ask yes/no questions when you want detail
  • Ask multiple questions at once (compound questions)
  • Use technical jargon unless participant uses it first
  • Assume you understand without clarifying

Staying Neutral and Objective

✅ Do:

  • Accept all feedback without judgment
  • Explore negative feedback as deeply as positive
  • Stay curious about perspectives different from yours
  • Acknowledge their experience without agreeing or disagreeing
  • Take notes on what they say, not what you think

❌ Don't:

  • Defend platform decisions or features
  • Explain why things are the way they are
  • Correct their "misunderstandings"
  • Show disappointment in their answers
  • Guide them toward "correct" responses

Managing Difficult Situations

Participant is off-topic:

  • Listen respectfully for a moment
  • Acknowledge their point
  • Redirect: "That's interesting. I'd like to get back to..."
  • Be gentle but firm with time boundaries

Participant is negative about everything:

  • Explore the root cause of frustration
  • Ask for specific examples
  • Look for what would improve their experience
  • Thank them for candid feedback

Participant is giving one-word answers:

  • Ask follow-up questions
  • Request examples or demonstrations
  • Share what you're trying to understand
  • Acknowledge this might not be the right time; offer to reschedule

Participant wants to solve problems in the interview:

  • Acknowledge the desire to improve things
  • Explain your role is to understand, not implement
  • Offer to connect them with appropriate team
  • Capture their ideas as feature requests

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Leading the Witness

Pitfall: Asking questions that suggest the answer you want

  • ❌ "Don't you find deployments frustrating?"
  • ✅ "How do you feel about deployments?"

2. Solving Instead of Learning

Pitfall: Jumping to solutions or explaining features

  • ❌ "Oh, we have a feature for that! Let me show you..."
  • ✅ "Interesting. Tell me more about what you're trying to accomplish."

3. Confirmation Bias

Pitfall: Only hearing evidence that supports your beliefs

  • ❌ Ignoring data that contradicts your hypothesis
  • ✅ Actively seeking disconfirming evidence

4. Cherry-Picking Data

Pitfall: Only sharing feedback that supports your position

  • ❌ Highlighting positive feedback and burying negative
  • ✅ Sharing all findings, positive and negative

5. Asking Hypothetical Questions

Pitfall: "Would you use a feature that...?"

  • ❌ People are bad at predicting their future behavior
  • ✅ Ask about actual past behavior and current needs

6. Ignoring Workarounds

Pitfall: Missing the creative solutions users have built

  • ❌ Dismissing workarounds as "wrong"
  • ✅ Exploring workarounds reveals unmet needs

7. Over-Relying on Self-Reported Behavior

Pitfall: Trusting what people say they do, not what they actually do

  • ❌ "How often do you deploy?"
  • ✅ "Tell me about the last time you deployed."

Privacy and Ethics

Requirements:

  • Participants must understand the research purpose
  • They must know how their data will be used
  • They must consent voluntarily, without coercion
  • They must be able to withdraw at any time

Consent Process:

  1. Explain research purpose and use of data
  2. Describe what will be recorded (audio, video, screen)
  3. Explain how data will be stored and who has access
  4. Clarify retention and deletion policies
  5. Get explicit verbal or written consent
  6. Offer opportunity to ask questions

Consent Form: See Consent Form Template

Confidentiality and Anonymization

Data Protection:

  • Remove all personally identifiable information (PII)
  • Use role descriptors, not names (e.g., "Senior Backend Developer")
  • Anonymize team or project names
  • Store raw recordings separately from transcripts
  • Limit access to anonymized notes only

What to Remove:

  • Names (first, last, nicknames)
  • Email addresses, phone numbers
  • Specific team or project names (use generic terms)
  • Customer names or identifiable business data
  • Location information (office, city if small)
  • Any unique identifying characteristics

What to Keep:

  • Role and level (e.g., "Senior Platform Engineer")
  • General experience (e.g., "7 years in DevOps")
  • Technology stack (e.g., "Java and Kubernetes")
  • General team size (e.g., "Team of 5-8 developers")

Data Retention

Retention Policy:

  • Raw recordings: Delete after 3 months (or after transcription)
  • Anonymized transcripts: Keep indefinitely for research
  • Research insights: Keep indefinitely
  • Contact information: Keep only with participant permission

Storage Guidelines:

  • Store recordings in secure, access-controlled location (not Git)
  • Use encryption for sensitive data
  • Limit access to research team only
  • Backup critical research artifacts
  • Document data retention in research repository

Ethical Considerations

Respect:

  • Value participants' time and expertise
  • Honor their boundaries and comfort levels
  • Don't manipulate or deceive participants
  • Give them control over their participation

Fairness:

  • Recruit diverse participants (role, experience, demographics)
  • Compensate participants fairly for their time
  • Share insights broadly, not just with certain stakeholders
  • Don't exclude voices that disagree with your hypothesis

Transparency:

  • Be clear about research purpose and methods
  • Share how insights will be used
  • Acknowledge limitations of research
  • Correct misunderstandings about the research

Quality Standards

Interview Quality Checklist

Before conducting an interview:

  • [ ] Research objectives are clear
  • [ ] Appropriate interview guide selected
  • [ ] Participant recruited using screener criteria
  • [ ] Consent form prepared
  • [ ] Recording equipment tested
  • [ ] Note-taking system ready
  • [ ] Calendar invite sent with agenda
  • [ ] Reminder sent 24 hours before

During the interview:

  • [ ] Obtained informed consent
  • [ ] Built rapport and trust
  • [ ] Asked open-ended questions
  • [ ] Probed for specific examples
  • [ ] Maintained neutrality
  • [ ] Took detailed notes
  • [ ] Covered key topics from guide
  • [ ] Allowed time for participant questions

After the interview:

  • [ ] Sent thank-you within 24 hours
  • [ ] Transcribed notes within 24 hours
  • [ ] Anonymized participant information
  • [ ] Filed notes in research repository
  • [ ] Tagged pain points, JTBD, workarounds
  • [ ] Shared insights with stakeholders
  • [ ] Updated research artifacts (personas, journey maps)

Research Validity

Ensure Valid Insights:

  • Interview at least 5-7 participants per persona
  • Recruit diverse participants (experience, role, team)
  • Cross-validate findings with usage data
  • Look for patterns across multiple interviews
  • Distinguish individual preferences from systemic issues
  • Triangulate with other research methods (surveys, analytics)

Red Flags:

  • Only interviewing friendly or accessible participants
  • Asking only leading questions
  • Ignoring disconfirming evidence
  • Cherry-picking quotes out of context
  • Generalizing from one or two participants

Resources

Interview Guides

Forms and Templates

Additional Resources

  • Research Repository README
  • Persona Templates
  • Journey Map Templates
  • "The Mom Test" by Rob Fitzpatrick
  • "Interviewing Users" by Steve Portigal
  • "Just Enough Research" by Erika Hall
  • "Rocket Surgery Made Easy" by Steve Krug (for usability testing)

Changelog

Version 1.0 - December 2025

  • Initial protocol documentation
  • Comprehensive guidelines for all interview stages
  • Privacy and ethics guidelines
  • Quality standards and checklists

Document Owner: Product Team Last Review: December 2025 Next Review: June 2026 or as needed based on feedback