Choose an uncertainty worth investigating
An interview is most useful when it examines an uncertainty that can affect a real decision. Specify who you need to learn from and why their experience matters. A buyer, a user and an administrator may have different needs even when they belong to the same organisation.
Define eligibility before recruitment. If you need to understand abandoned purchases, interviewing only successful customers will miss the experience you intended to investigate.
Ask about an actual recent experience
Begin with context: “Tell me about the last time you tried to do this.” Ask what triggered the task, what happened next, what tools or people were involved, and where things became difficult. Follow the sequence before introducing your idea.
Useful prompts include “What did you do then?”, “Can you describe a specific example?” and “How did you decide?” Avoid questions that supply the desired answer, such as “Wouldn’t an automated dashboard make that easier?”
Distinguish behaviour from intention
People can describe what they hope to do without being able to predict their future behaviour. Treat “I would pay for that” as a stated intention. Explore current spending, alternative approaches, approval requirements and the consequences of leaving the problem unresolved.
Where appropriate and consented, ask participants to show a redacted example or walk through their current process. Do not collect confidential material merely to make an interview feel more concrete.
Make participation clear
Explain the purpose, duration, recording arrangements, who will see the material and how quotes may be used. Obtain the relevant permission and offer a way to decline recording. Keep contact details separate from research notes where practical.
An interview invitation should not conceal a sales call. If commercial follow-up is relevant, ask separately whether the person wants that conversation.
Turn notes into a decision
After each session, record observations, reported claims and interpretations separately. Compare patterns across participants, preserve exceptions and ask whether your recruitment route could explain what you are hearing.
Conclude with a decision and its limits. You might have evidence to test a simpler onboarding flow, while still lacking evidence of willingness to pay. That is a useful outcome when described honestly.
Sources and editorial note
This is an editorial guide, not a report of original participant research. It was prepared with AI assistance and draws on the following public references. Examples and suggested approaches are explanatory, not empirical findings.
- GOV.UK Service Manual: using in-depth interviews ↗
- GOV.UK Service Manual: planning a round of research ↗
Published 15 October 2026. Version 1.0.