How to Run User Interviews That Don’t Lead Participants
- Philip Burgess
- Jan 15
- 3 min read
User interviews are a powerful tool for understanding your audience, uncovering pain points, and shaping better products or services. Yet, many interviews fail to deliver honest, useful insights because the interviewer unintentionally guides participants toward certain answers. This post explains how to run user interviews that avoid leading participants, ensuring you get authentic feedback that truly reflects user experiences.
Why Avoid Leading Participants in User Interviews
When interviewers lead participants, they risk biasing responses. This can happen through the wording of questions, tone of voice, or even body language. Leading questions push users toward specific answers, which distorts the data and weakens your understanding of real user needs.
For example, asking “How much do you like this feature?” assumes the participant likes it at all. Instead, a neutral question like “What do you think about this feature?” invites honest opinions, whether positive or negative.
Avoiding leading questions helps you:
Collect genuine feedback
Identify real problems and opportunities
Build trust with participants
Make better design and product decisions
Preparing for an Unbiased Interview
Preparation is key to running interviews that don’t lead participants. Here are practical steps to get ready:
Write Neutral Questions
Draft questions that are open-ended and neutral. Avoid words that imply judgment or expected answers. For example:
Instead of “Did you find the app easy to use?” ask “Can you describe your experience using the app?”
Instead of “Would you recommend this product?” ask “What would make you recommend or not recommend this product?”
Create an Interview Guide
An interview guide helps keep the conversation on track without scripting every word. It should include:
Key topics to cover
Sample neutral questions
Space to note follow-up questions based on participant responses
Practice Active Listening
Plan to listen more than you speak. Avoid interrupting or correcting participants. Use pauses and silence to encourage them to elaborate.
Techniques to Avoid Leading Participants During the Interview
Even with good preparation, it’s easy to slip into leading behavior. Use these techniques to stay neutral:
Use Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended questions invite detailed answers and reduce yes/no responses. Examples include:
“What was your first impression of the product?”
“Can you walk me through how you completed that task?”
Avoid Suggesting Answers
Don’t hint at what you want to hear. For example, avoid saying:
“Did you like the new feature or find it confusing?”
Instead, say “How did you feel about the new feature?”
Stay Neutral in Your Tone and Body Language
Your tone and expressions can influence answers. Keep your voice calm and even. Avoid nodding or shaking your head in response to answers.
Use Probing Questions Carefully
Probing helps clarify but should not push participants. Use phrases like:
“Can you tell me more about that?”
“What made you feel that way?”
Avoid leading probes like:
“So you didn’t like it because it was slow, right?”
Handling Difficult Situations
Sometimes participants struggle to answer or give short responses. Here’s how to keep the interview unbiased:
If they ask for your opinion, politely redirect: “I’m here to learn about your experience.”
If they seem unsure, ask them to describe a specific example or situation.
If they give very brief answers, use gentle prompts like “Can you explain that a bit more?”
Example of a Neutral Interview Flow
Warm-up: “Tell me about the last time you used [product/service].”
Exploration: “What steps did you take to complete your task?”
Experience: “What worked well for you? What was challenging?”
Suggestions: “If you could change one thing, what would it be?”
Wrap-up: “Is there anything else you want to share about your experience?”
This flow encourages participants to share freely without feeling pushed toward specific answers.
Final Thoughts on Running Effective User Interviews
Running user interviews that don’t lead participants takes practice and attention to detail. By preparing neutral questions, listening actively, and staying aware of your tone and body language, you create a space where users feel comfortable sharing honest feedback.
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