Helpful Interviewing Techniques

Isabelle Peyrichoux, of CESART (recently acquired by Bell Canada, and now called Bell Web Solutions) in Montreal, wrote a fabulous article last month (April 2007) in UXmatters about 10 things to be aware of when interviewing users. She begins her article with the argument that pure observation during usability testing can be misleading and limiting, thus a user interview comes into play. These interviews can either be part of the flow of a usability test, or standalone sessions. Her background in psychology provides the foundation for the 10 tips she has to offer. When Observing Users Is Not Enough: 10 Guidelines for Getting More Out of Users’ Verbal Comments Her tips are excellent for mental model interviews, as well.