QuestionProduct Design Foundations

How do you stop leading the interviewee?

Kemi Adeyemi (you)

Posted Yesterday

In my practice interviews for the week 3 project I keep asking things like “Would you use a feature that…?” and I can literally hear myself steering the answer.

I already have a hunch about which checkout layout is better, and I think it leaks into every question. How do you keep it neutral when you already have an opinion?

12 replies

Accepted answer

Iris CalderInstructorYesterday

Great instinct to notice it — most people never do. Swap “would you” for “tell me about the last time you…”. Past behaviour is evidence; future promises are guesses. And write your hunch on a sticky note before the call, then turn it face-down. It sounds silly, but it helps you listen instead of confirm.

12 replies

Showing 8 of 12 · sorted by oldest

Lucas MoreauYesterday
Silence is my secret weapon. After they answer, count to five in your head before saying anything. People fill the gap with the good stuff.
Priya RamanYesterday
I print my question list and circle every adjective. “Easy”, “confusing”, “fast” — if I wrote it, I'm putting words in their mouth. Rewrite those first.
Aiko TanakaYesterday
Recording helped me a lot. Listening back the next day I could hear exactly where I nodded too enthusiastically. Painful, but it worked after two sessions.
Omar Haddad20h ago
Try ending every answer with “what happened next?” It keeps them in the story and stops you from jumping to your feature.
Kemi AdeyemiAuthor18h ago
These are so good, thank you all. The sticky note trick already helped in my second interview — I caught myself twice and just asked them to walk me through it.
Hana Sato15h ago
One more: ask them to show you, not tell you. “Can you open the app and do what you did last Tuesday?” beats any question you can write.
Daniel Okoro9h ago
Coming from teaching: it's the same as not giving students the answer. Ask, wait, then ask “why” once more. You'll be fine!