Spoke · Updated May 2026 · 7 min read

User interview template

A fill-in-the-blank template for your next round of interviews. Research goal → screening → 60-min structure → synthesis sheet. Free to copy.

Section 1

Research goal

One-sentence research question:

We want to learn ____ from people who ____, so we can decide ____.

What decision will this research inform?

If users say X, we'll do Y. If they say Z, we'll do W.

If you can't fill in the second blank, the research is exploratory — that's fine, just be honest about it. You'll learn things, not decide things.

Section 2

Screening criteria

Must-have (auto-include):

Role: ____ · Industry: ____ · Behavior in last 30 days: ____

Disqualify if:

Currently works for a competitor · Has never done [task] · Is a friend / employee / investor

Sample size target: ____ interviews across ____ segments

Section 3

Consent script (read aloud at minute 0)

"Thanks for joining. Quick housekeeping: this will take about 60 minutes. There are no right or wrong answers — I'm here to learn from your experience, not test your knowledge. I'd like to record this so I don't have to take notes — the recording stays internal to my team. Is that okay? You can stop the recording or skip any question at any point."

Section 4

60-minute structure

0:00 – 0:05

Warm-up + consent

Read the consent script. Ask 1–2 easy context questions about their role and day-to-day. Goal: get them talking comfortably.

0:05 – 0:20

Workflow walkthrough

"Walk me through the last time you did [task]." Screen-share if remote. Don't let them describe it generally — push them to a specific recent instance.

0:20 – 0:30

Pain points & friction

"What annoyed you most about that?" Probe specific moments, not general complaints. Ask why each pain point matters and how they currently work around it.

0:30 – 0:40

Alternatives & comparisons

"What else have you tried?" "What did you use before?" Map their actual decision tree, not the one you imagine.

0:40 – 0:55

Prototype / feature reaction (if applicable)

Show, don't describe. Ask "what do you think this does?" before "what do you think of it?" Watch where their eyes go.

0:55 – 1:00

Wrap-up

"What didn't I ask about that I should have?" "Who else on your team should I show this to?" Thank them, send the incentive.

Section 5

Per-interview synthesis sheet

Fill this out within 24 hours of each interview, while it's still fresh.

Participant ID: P{n} · Role: ____ · Date: ____
Top 3 quotes (verbatim):
Behaviors observed (not stated):
Pain points named:
Workarounds named:
Surprising or unexpected:
Hypotheses confirmed / falsified:
Follow-up needed:

Stress-test the template in 30 minutes

Run the template against a GoNoGo synthetic persona before your first real interview. You'll hear which questions need rewording and which sections are too long for the time budget — without burning a real participant slot.

Rehearse my interview →

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Frequently asked questions

Can I use this template for both moderated and unmoderated research?+

It's built for moderated interviews — live conversations where you can ask follow-ups. The structure can be adapted for diary studies or unmoderated tasks (Maze, UserTesting), but you'd cut the warm-up section and pre-record the prompts.

How long should each section take?+

Warm-up 5 min, workflow walkthrough 15 min, pain points 10 min, alternatives 10 min, prototype/feature reaction 15 min, wrap-up 5 min. Total 60 min. If you're running 30-min sessions, drop the prototype reaction or the alternatives section, not the workflow walkthrough — that's where the actual signal lives.

Do I need to send this template to participants in advance?+

No. Send a one-paragraph description of the topic and how long it'll take, plus the consent agreement. Sending the full question list in advance trains people to give "good answers" instead of honest ones.