From Theory to Practice: My First UX Research Interview

More than just asking questions, the user research (UX) interview is about listening with empathy and uncovering the stories behind the data. Reading time: 6 min ~ Date : August 28, 2025

Hello, it's great to see you here! I'm Pedro Iury, and I'm here to share my UX Design learning journey. I recently dove headfirst into the world of user research, and one tool stood out as truly transformative: the UX interview.

At first, I thought it was just a matter of sitting down and chatting. But I soon discovered that it's one of the most powerful (and challenging!) techniques for generating deep insights. In this article, I'll tell you what I learned about it, why it's crucial, and how you can start applying it.

What is a UX Interview Really?

Unlike a questionnaire survey with "yes" or "no" answers, a UX interview is a guided, open-ended conversation. The main goal isn't to validate an existing idea, but to explore the user's world.

It is a qualitative method focused on understanding:

• Behaviors: What people do and how they do it.

  
  

• Motivations: The why behind these actions.

  
  

• Pains and Frustrations: The difficult points in your journey.

  
  

• Unmet needs: Wants and needs that even they cannot clearly express.

  
  

In short, it's about building empathy and discovering the context behind the numbers.

Why Invest Time ( and Often Money ) in Interviews?

You might be thinking, "Wouldn't it be quicker to just launch a survey?" It might be, but you'd lose the richness of the details. Interviews are important because:

• They go beyond quantitative data : They explain the "why" behind the "what." If analytics show that 70% of users abandon a page, only an interview can tell you the real reason.

• Avoid biases and assumptions : We, designers and stakeholders, have many opinions. Interviews force us to step outside our box and confront our assumptions with the users' reality.

• Reveal unexpected opportunities : Many of the best product ideas didn't come from a brainstorm, but from a user speaking spontaneously during an interview.

• Humanize the process : They transform "users" into real people, with names, stories, and emotions. This is essential to creating truly human-centric solutions.

UX interviews are the foundation for building truly human-centric products. More than a research technique, they're an exercise in deep empathy—an opportunity to understand not just what people do, but the why behind their actions.

I immersed myself in theory , studied best practices, and finally decided it was time to put my knowledge to the test. This case isn't about a finished project, but about the learning process that's so crucial for a UX Designer.

Theory comes to life when put into practice. And nothing demonstrates this better than real-life experience.

Now, check out an excerpt from my first UX interview!

Personal Feedback & Key Takeaways Conducting this first interview was a huge step in my journey. More than the successes, it was the challenges that brought me the most valuable lessons. Below, I share an honest reflection on the process:

• Nervousness and Self-Consciousness Being my first time, it's natural that I was nervous. I realized that, at times, my concern with following the script prevented me from listening with 100% attention. This showed me that true active listening is a skill that comes with practice.

• Depth vs. Surface I recognize that I wasn't always able to explore the topics with the necessary depth. Sometimes, a participant's comment would ask for a "why?" or a "tell me more about that" that I couldn't formulate at the time. This is my biggest area for improvement for future times.

• Creating a Light Environment One of my goals was to create a relaxed tone and a natural conversation. I know I haven't fully achieved this yet, but I've identified that it's directly linked to my own confidence, which will certainly come with experience.

• Strengths and Next Steps Despite the challenges, I managed to formulate open-ended questions that guided the conversation and, on several occasions, applied the listening techniques I'd learned. This initial interaction was crucial for overcoming my fear and understanding the dynamics of an interview. I'm absolutely certain that with more practice, I'll become a much better and more natural interviewer.

UX interviews are , ultimately, the foundation of any truly user-centric project. They are the bridge that connects our intentions to people's real needs.

I'm still at the beginning of this journey, but each conversation is an endless source of learning. It's challenging, but incredibly rewarding, to stop assuming and start listening.

If you want to dive deeper into the best practices and theory behind this technique, Nielsen Norman Group's definitive article on How to Conduct User Interviews is an essential read that has helped me a lot.

Have you ever conducted or participated in a UX interview? Do you have any tips or funny stories to share? Let me know in the comments! I'd love to learn more from you .