User interview template
A generative research interview shape: warm-up, current behavior, jobs-to-be-done, pain, and quotes worth keeping. Same structure every session so themes across interviews are actually comparable.
When to use it
Discovery research, before a feature is scoped or after it ships. Works for prospect interviews, existing customer sessions, and lapsed-user calls. Adjust the depth per segment; keep the shape.
Who benefits
Product researchers
Cross-interview themes emerge because every session was captured under the same headings.
PMs and designers
Direct quotes from the transcript back up the decision, not "someone said something like".
Founders in discovery
Fewer leading questions. Real behavior beats stated preference.
The template
Copy the block into your research repo.
# User interview - [Participant] and [Interviewer]
Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Segment: [role, industry, size]
Recruit source: [panel, list, cold outreach]
Consent to record: [yes / no]
Recording: [link]
## Warm-up
- Role and team: [what they do day to day]
- Tools already in use: [top 3 tools]
- What a good day looks like: [in their words]
## Current behavior (past events, not hypotheticals)
- Walk me through the last time you [relevant task]
- What triggered it? [event]
- What did you try first? [step]
- Where did it get stuck? [friction]
- How did it end? [outcome]
## Jobs to be done
- When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [outcome]
- Functional job: [what needs to get done]
- Emotional job: [how they want to feel]
- Social job: [how they want to be seen]
## Pain and workarounds
- Biggest friction today: [one thing]
- Current workaround: [what they do instead]
- Cost of the workaround: [time, money, risk]
- What have they tried already: [tools, hacks]
## Reactions to concepts (optional)
- Concept shown: [screenshot or description]
- First reaction: [in their words]
- What was clear: [item]
- What was confusing: [item]
## Quotes worth keeping
- "[Verbatim quote]" - context: [when in the call]
- "[Verbatim quote]" - context: [when in the call]
## Signals to code
- Theme: [tag]
- Theme: [tag]
## Follow-ups
- [ ] Send: [asset, thank-you, incentive] - by [date]
- [ ] Reach out again for: [round 2, usability test]
Fill it automatically with RecordX
Record remote interviews in the browser or in-person sessions on the phone. RecordX writes the summary, extracts direct quotes, and keeps every transcript searchable across the study.
Quotes with timestamps
Direct quotes surfaced with jump-to-moment links so you can verify the wording in one click.
Cross-session search
Search across every interview in the library to see who else said something similar.
In-person and remote
Same summary shape whether the interview was in a room, on a phone, or over a video call.
FAQ
How many user interviews should we run?
Five to eight per segment usually surfaces the strongest patterns. Add more when segments diverge or when you can't yet predict the next answer.
How do we avoid leading questions?
Ask about the last time it happened, not what they would do. Behavior beats opinion. This template's prompts default to past events for that reason.
Can RecordX pull quotes for us?
Yes. The AI summary extracts direct quotes and lets you jump to that moment in the transcript, which is what researchers actually cite.
Does it work for in-person interviews?
Yes. The Android and iOS apps capture in-person conversations with the same summary output as remote calls.