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CHEAT SHEET
Questions to ask B2B and B2C users
U X I N T E R V I E W C H E AT S H E E T
QUESTIONS FOR B2B AND B2C END USERS
I NTROD U C TI ON
As you’ll see throughout this guide, asking the right questions starts with the actual form of the
questions you ask. These should be open-ended, non-leading, non-specific questions that let the
person fill in the details of the answer. You don’t necessarily ask them about what software or hard-
ware they use; you ask them what they do, how they would complete a task.
That means you don’t ask a question like “what part of this application do you use to do Task X?”
Why? Because that question focuses on the tool the person is using — instead of the process they
go through. Usability and UX problems are very rarely the sole result of a technology issue; there
are a handful of other seemingly unrelated factors that, in many cases, turn out to be the real prob-
lem: company policies, processes, politics, deadlines, stress, noise, interruptions, etc. So again, if
you only ask a user about the software she’s using, you won’t get any information about the other
factors that may be directly responsible for the issues at hand.
The software may very well suck — but if there’s a process or policy in place that doesn’t allow that
person enough time or give them the right data to do their job, that’s the real issue. And if you don’t
know this is an issue, the person and the organization will still have the same problem after the
redesign launches or your engagement is over.
Not only is that bad for the organization, it’s bad for you too, because in the organization’s eyes
they’ve just invested a great deal of time and money on… well... nothing.
When you say something open-ended like “Walk me through how you would complete Task X,”
that person may tell you about another system or website (or two or three) they use in order to
get additional information before they act. They may explain how they have to make three phone
calls to three different departments to get additional information before doing anything. They may
explain how they wind up using their mobile phone instead of their desktop machine because
they’re stuck in meetings for more than half their workday.
Are there other questions you can ask? Sure — hundreds, in fact. But in the majority of circum-
stances, no one has the time (or the budget) to ask or answer all of them. So I’ve learned to focus
on the questions that deliver the most valuable information back to the team. Questions that focus
on the underlying causes of most UX problems. That’s what you’ll find in this cheat sheet.
I hope this helps you uncover great insights — GIVE GOOD UX!
1 M OTI VATI ON
How do you define a successful Use is tied to motivation, and motivation comes from
work day? some kind of reward — a sense of accomplishment, a feel-
ing of increased competence or a specific goal achieved.
What has to happen in order
At the end of the day, what makes that person feel like
for you to feel good when you
they were productive, like they got things accomplished?
leave?
What things happen that give the person that impression?
Does that definition of success If either their goals or what they believe is success is dif-
(and your stated goals) change ferent on Tuesdays, or during specific months of the year
from day to day — or from week (as in retail organizations), you need to know about it.
to week?
If the target changes, you want to know how, when and
Are there certain times of year why that change occurs— because the chances are very
where what you need to accom- good your product will need to support that variance.
plish changes?
What are the top three things What’s keeping them from getting where they need to go?
standing in the way of you Notice the question isn’t tool- or software specific. You
accomplishing your goals or want to hear about their issues, period — anything and
having a successful workday? everything. Thinking past the tool and about the problem
people have is how innovative solutions are born.
What are the biggest problems, You want to get a sense of what prevents people from be-
obstacles or inefficiencies you ing efficient, or makes them do more work than they feel
deal with? is necessary. You want to hear about the things that grind
productivity to a halt and stops everyone in their tracks.
Why do you think these things
happen? You’re looking for the underlying causes of issues, errors,
backlogs and the like. The why part of the question will
tell you what features and functions you can design to
help solve this problem.
2 PE RCE P TI ON (E XPE RI E N CE S)
Did you do have this same role If their previous job experience included the same basic
at other organizations you’ve responsibilities, you want to know if the last experience
worked for? was better. You can learn from that, using it to inform
features and functions. Again, the why is the heavy lifting
Was it better, worse or different
of this question; it will provide the most insight as to what
– and why (or how)?
could or should be different in the current scenario.
Did you perform these tasks Again, most people have worked for more than one com-
in the same way at any of these pany, so they will likely have experienced variations on
other organizations? a theme — different ways of doing the same thing. Some
workflows or processes may be more complex than the
Was it better, worse or different
current scenario. But you’ll often hear about parts that
– and why (or how)?
worked better, and sometimes even hearing what was dif-
ferent sparks improvement ideas for the current product.
What part of this work do you You want to know where their biggest perceived pain
hate doing? Why? point is. The part of this process they know is coming, but
that they’re really dreading, and likely wishing they didn’t
have to do.
What frustrates you most about Similar question, asked for a similar reason. For instance,
this? Why? people often complain when they have to enter in any
sort of identifying account information more than once. In
organizations where people use multiple legacy systems,
this frustrates people to the point where their productivity
decreases due to being fixated on the wasted effort.
3 TA S KS , AC TI V ITI E S A N D WORKFLOWS
How do you go about doing X? This is the heart of the matter: how do people do what
they do, and what happens. You want to know how this
(Name a specific task without
referencing the software, app person does their work, with or without the software in
or system in question) question. If you only ask a user about the software she’s
using, you won’t get any information about the other
factors that may be directly responsible for the issues at
hand.
In three sentences, this person has just given you intel on
a probable workflow and the people it may need to notify
when events occur. You’re getting requirements — just by
having a simple conversation.
3 TA S KS , AC TI V ITI E S A N D WORKFLOWS
How do you go about doing X? If it’s incorrect, the approver needs the
(Name a specific task without refer- ability to add a comment explaining
encing the software, app or system what needs to be fixed (and why).
in question; you may have to ask this
question multiple times if there are The user needs the ability to modify
multiple tasks the user carries out)
their entries and re-submit.
(continued)
Each time one of the parties approves
the timesheet, the next party in the
chain needs to be notified that it’s
ready for their review.
This is how useful, valuable requirements are
created. Instead of picking them out of the air or
mimicking existing systems, you start with peo-
ple: who they are, what they do and what needs
to happen as a result.
What information do you need Very rarely does anyone just fire up the screen and go.
beforehand in order to carry out There’s always something they need to know before they
this task? get started, and you want to know where they get it. It
(Again, be specific to the task could be another person in the office, it could be email,
at hand) it could be a stack of papers from another department or
data they access via another separate system.
3 TA S KS , AC TI V ITI E S A N D WORKFLOWS
Who is on the receiving end of Information or data of any kind is never touched by
the work you do, and what do only one person. The output of this user’s work has
they do with it? to also be useful to the person who receives it. As
such, you need to understand what they’ll use that
information or data to do (and why, and how).
How often do you do this work You’re looking to learn something about frequency
(or use this product)? of use, because that tells you something about how
valuable the product and it’s functionality is. If the
tool is used often, it’s probably become part of that
person’s daily life.
3 TA S KS , AC TI V ITI E S A N D WORKFLOWS
What tools do you use to do People will often use something other than the
your work? intended tool because to them, it’s easier. Quite
often, you’ll find that someone is using an app or
site in a way that’s slightly (and often radically) dif-
ferent than what it was designed to do. This, again,
is an opportunity to uncover potential features you
may never otherwise have thought of.
What other things do you do (or Nothing is used in a vacuum, so a lot of times there
use) before, during or after you will be something that a user is doing before they
use this product? login to the system or open the app.
3 TA S KS , AC TI V ITI E S A N D WORKFLOWS
Are there other products you’ve What you’re asking here is “how does this system
used that are similar to this one? stack up against other things that do the same thing
(or similar things)?” If there’s no direct comparison
to be had, you might ask:
What are the top three tools, sites or
apps that you use on a regular basis?
Which do you return to most often?
Can you see this app becoming part of
your daily routine? Why or why not?
What other systems or applica- In the business world, you’ll never find an instance
tions do you use while you’re where one single system handles everything the
at work? organization needs to do on a daily basis. From the
email system to the Intranet to the Project Manage-
ment software to the CRM platform to the CMS that
runs the client portal to the Accounting & Billing
software... you see where I’m going with this? Sepa-
rate applications, separate systems, separate users.
3 TA S KS , AC TI V ITI E S A N D WORKFLOWS
What are the top three sites The things we use are what create our expec-
or apps that you use on a tations about how things work. I will often hear
regular basis? a B2B customer say that we shouldn’t be look-
Which do you return to time and ing at consumer-based products, because they
time again? don’t sell to a consumer market.