User interviewing skills

Learn how to generate clearer, more thoughtful answers from your qualitative research participants.


Overview

This (real-time, not pre-recorded) course is focused on understanding how the discussion guide (sometimes known as an interview scripts) can help conduct stronger interviews, and how to interact with participants in the session to get powerful, precise answers.

This course will benefit most the people who have a base understanding of the end-to-end research process, and some experience conducting user interviews. Available in person or remote.

We have deliberately designed this course in 2 separate sessions to give time to the skills to "gel" before practice and review and to ensure participants have the opportunity to reflect on their learning and have a window of opportunity for clarification with the instructor.

Curriculum

  • Choosing your session posture as a research moderator

  • Practicing Active Listening

  • Using clarifying questions

  • Non-verbal moderation techniques

  • Bias awareness in participant, moderator note-takers and "watchers"

  • Managing "difficult" participants when none of the above worked

  • Real-world practice of the techniques learnt. We will run a mock research session with external people (so not practicing on each other) for course participants to test their skills in a fail-free, consequences-free environment.

Course format and fees

2 sessions of 3 hours each with preparation work (about 1 hour's worth) in-between the sessions. We typically hold sessions over 3 days (e.g. Tuesday and Thursday).

  • Remote (real-time, not pre-recorded): 490€ including VAT (398€ exc. VAT). Reference IWR.

  • In person: 540€ including VAT (439€ exc. VAT). Reference IWP.

Certificate of completion

  • A digital certificate will be provided after full attendance of the course, ready to be added to, for example, LinkedIn.

  • A print version will be delivered to participants at the in-person courses, or can be mailed for 10€ for those who took the course remotely.