Carly Buxton, PhD

Before we begin,…

As with any first impression, the earliest moments of a user interview are critically important. In a handful of seconds, you’re setting the tone as the researcher-in-charge, helping the subject feel comfortable, and getting yourself into the proper headspace to unlock priceless insights.

When I teach founders and UXers about how to kick off user interviews, I spray a good deal of advice their way, ranging from how to convey a humble attitude to avoiding company logo-wear, to the technical details of kicking everything off on time.

But the most important takeaway that I hope to impress on all of those researchers is the power of these three words: “Before we begin,…”

In The Art of Gathering,* Priya Parker makes an excellent point about the importance of kicking off an event: make the beginning feel special and clear, frame what’s coming next, put your audience at ease, and throw in the spice of anticipation. When we start an event, meeting, or presentation without an obvious singular moment of “welcome,” and without at least a nod to the arc of steps (or details) that are to follow, we unwittingly leave our audience questioning (even subliminally) where this is all going. What’s the (end)point here?  This is why Parker would recommend that a minister stop commencing a Sunday service with the purse-scratching, child-shushing anti-climax of announcements in favor of more of a bang, or at least a clear and smiling welcome.

The same thing applies for commencing a user interview. There are details to be shared with your subject, to be sure. They are (not exhaustively):

• Reiterating that you are here to be a sponge collecting honest opinions and reactions; you’re a neutral party here—with no feelings to be hurt and also no back-patting when something is favorable.

• Acknowledgement that you’re recording the conversation (if you are)

• The overall gist or theme of your conversation

• How long you expect the conversation to take

But if you just dive right into these nitty-gritties, your subject starts to get flustered: Wait, I’m already in the hot seat, and there are details to remember?! Let me start thinking of my first answer! Wait, is there a quiz? Did I turn my phone off? The cacophony in their head has begun, and you haven’t even asked your first question.

Your interview should begin with your first question, not with logistical details. So don’t let it begin yet. Use my 3 magic words, “Before we begin,…” and proceed to cover the information you need to mention before kicking off the conversation in earnest. You can conclude with “If that all sounds good to you, let’s get started, ok?” to reiterate that the boring elements you had to share were not at all part of the engaging and fun conversation you’re about to have.

Details done. And you can exchange your wishy-washy slow walk from the sand for diving into the conversation pool like Esther Williams.

*One of my least favorite 2024 reads, but this was admittedly a good point made by Parker.