User Interview Template (Guide + Example)

A user interview template keeps a research conversation on track without making it feel like a survey. An interview is a researcher-led conversation that lets you explore the topics you care about — but the most valuable insights come from the user’s concrete, detailed stories, not from multiple-choice answers.

The whole skill is to listen first, let people talk, and steer gently with a few open, prepared questions.

Why it works: people are wired to tell stories about their past experiences, and the gap between what they say, what they do, and what they say they do is where the real insight hides. A good guide helps you find it without leading the witness.

How the template is structured

• Intro and warm-up — introduce yourself, thank them, ask permission to record, and open with an easy question so they relax and speak freely.
• Four prepared topics — each starts with a broad question, then moves to specific ones covering the key points.
• Closing — save any product-specific evaluation questions for the end; let the participant ask you questions too; thank them.

Team of 1–2 (ideally one asks, one takes notes). Plan for 30–45 minutes. Materials: the guide, a notebook, and a recorder.

How to use it

1. Prepare before the interview. Choose at least four core topics and write them into the template. Each topic opens broad, then narrows.
2. During: introduce yourself and the purpose; make sure you cover all four topics; close with final reflections and thanks.
3. Ask open questions. No yes/no questions — this isn’t a survey. Always dig for the “why.”
4. Listen and take notes. Don’t fill silences. Never write down words the participant didn’t actually say.

Example questions to dig deeper

• “What exactly did you mean by…?”
• “How did that feel?”
• “And then what happened?”
• “Can you give me an example?”
• “Tell me about a time when…”
• “Why?”

A filled example: a call-center research guide

Built around the same context as our persona, Maya — researching how freelancers experience a bank’s call center.

Intro: “Thanks for joining our research. We’re working on improving the customer-service experience, and we want to understand your relationship with it. We’d like to record this for analysis — it stays anonymous. Is recording okay?”

Warm-up: “Before we talk about customer service, tell me a bit about yourself and your day-to-day. Where do you live? What do you do? What’s your routine? How do you feel about technology?”

Topic 1 — Account management: “Which account activities do you do, and why? How do you manage your accounts? What problems might come up?”

Topic 2 — Problem solving: “When you hit a problem, what steps do you take? What gets in your way?”

Topic 3 — The call center: “When, how, and why do you use it? What do you need to resolve your worries? If you could change one thing about it, what would it be, and why?”

Closing: “Finally, can you sum up your overall impression of the call-center service — what works, what could improve?”

Notice the order: easy and personal first, specific and evaluative last. That sequence is what gets honest, story-rich answers.

What to use after

Review the full interview, paying special attention to the participant’s exact words. When several interviews rhyme, build a persona and an empathy map.

For how this research becomes a portfolio piece, see the UX case study guide.

Good interviews are where strong case studies begin. When you write yours up, Folioverse helps you turn what you learned into a case study recruiters trust. Try it free.