An interview is a 20-30 minute conversation where you learn what a person actually did, not what they think they would do. Five short interviews are enough to find the first patterns. They will not give you statistics, and they are not meant to.
Before you start
- Pick one goal. Example: "Why do people not finish setup?" One goal per round.
- Pick five people who fit. People who have used the app (or the kind of app) recently. Friends and family are polite; use them only to practise the script.
- Plan the logistics. A call or in person, 20-30 minutes, a note-taker or a recording. Ask for permission to record and say what you will do with the notes. Keep names out of your notes; use "P1", "P2". No legal advice: check local rules if you record.
A simple script
- Warm-up (2 min). Explain that you are testing the app, not the person, and that no answer is wrong.
- Context (5 min). "Tell me about the last time you used an app for this."
- Past behaviour (10 min). "Walk me through what you did when you first opened it." Follow with "What happened next?" and "Why?"
- Pain and workarounds (5 min). "What was annoying? What did you do instead?"
- Close (2 min). "Is there anything I should have asked?"
A bank of ready questions is in user interview questions for your app.
What to avoid
- Leading questions. "Don't you think the menu is confusing?" gives the answer away. Ask "How did you find the settings?"
- Future promises. "Would you use this?" is cheap to answer yes. Ask about the last time instead.
- Pitching. If you explain your app, you stop learning.
- Fixing in the room. Note the problem, do not argue with it.
After the interviews
Write one line per observation, then mark what two or more people mentioned. One person is a story, three is a pattern. Rank patterns with the method in how to prioritize app feedback.
Where AppReviewX fits
Interviews tell you why. If you also want private, structured feedback from other developers on a build, AppReviewX does that: one feedback you write earns one credit, and new accounts start with 0. Start free.
Related: usability testing with five people, feedback guide hub.