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Conduct the 5 Act Interview
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Voltage Control
Facilitating transformation through conversations that matter
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The 5 Act Interview is a structured 1-on-1 interview format developed at Google Ventures as part of their Design Sprint workshop methodology. The moderator builds a narrative arc that walks users through a high fidelity prototype to gain valuable insights. By immersing your user into the experience, you increase the chances to get the most realistic feedback.
Benefits
- A structured, repeatable, and proven interview process.
- Open-ended, but focused, questions elicit deep understanding of a user’s experience.
- Run your usability studies with methods from Google and Google Ventures.
STATS
Time
5 Hours mins
Activity
Individual
Sprint Type
All/Workshops
Directions
- Build rapport and create comfort with your participant. Start with a friendly welcome to engage the participant. Simple questions such as age, occupation, and interests build momentum at the interview’s beginning.
- Ask context questions about the current problem the user is facing or their past experiences.
- Introduce the prototype and remind the user to provide candid feedback, i.e. “I did not design this product. Nothing you say will flatter me or hurt my feelings. I am interested in what you are experiencing today.”
- Create tasks that allow you to gain insights into the questions you identified as being important to your sprint. Seek to understand the customer’s experience, not specific features. For example, ask “What would you do when you are finished shopping?”
- Follow up about the task. Ask questions like: “What were you expecting to happen?” or “What would you do next?”
- Debrief by reiterating some of the insights you have observed during the interview. Ask things like: “How would you describe this to a friend?”, “Who is this for?”, or “What would you change about the experience today?