Customer Interviews

Customer Interviews

Recipe step number

Day 5, Activity 1

Description

Share the prototype with customers & learn from reactions

Reading Time

6 mins

Recipe: Design Sprint (Day 5)

  1. Customer Interviews
  2. Learnings
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Materials - Access to Mural (digital whiteboard) - Microsoft Teams (for group video calls)
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Related Mural templates: Design Sprint complete 5-day canvas
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More resources - links etc go here

Overview

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Why do this activity? This is what it’s all about. Learning in days, not months. Getting realistic reactions, and not being committed to the end solution. It puts the team in a position to invest (or stop investing) in the solution.

Watch this video, from the creators of the Design Sprint, which shows a real example of how an interview is conducted.

Key Tips

Tips from the Sprint Book - pages 201-215
Key tips/learnings from Advance Concepts™

How to do this activity

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Allow 45 mins for each interview (4-6 hours in total)

Watch this video from Design Sprint agency AJ&Smart for a step-by-step guide of the entire customer interview process.

Step 1: Write an interview script

  • Prepare a rough outline of topics and questions to ask each customer.
  • Think about the answers you need to get from customers, and which questions will help dig out those answers.
  • Be aware of confirmation bias (a tendency to search for information that confirms our existing beliefs) and be careful not to ask questions that lead towards a particular answer.
  • This "script" will ensure you cover consistent topics for each customer you interview

Step 2: Schedule (target) customers

Step 3: Conduct the interviews

  • At least 2 team members should join the interview
    • One primary interviewer to conduct the conversation
    • Another to capture notes and act as a support
  • The 5-Act Interview:
    • Act 1: Friendly welcome - 2 mins
    • Act 2: Context questions - 5 min
    • Act 3: Introduce the prototype - 2 mins
    • Act 4: Give the customer tasks (and watch their behaviour and reactions) - 20+ mins
    • Act 5: Debrief questions - 5+ mins

Step 4: Capture reactions & comments