Empathize
Interview
Why Use this tool ?
Ask. Listen. Learn.
Talk to the people who matter most. Interviews help you uncover real needs, challenges, and ideas directly from users or stakeholders. Whether you’re uncovering needs, testing ideas, or building empathy, talking to real users reveals motivations, challenges, and unexpected perspectives.
– Use one-to-one interviews for deeper, more personal insights.
– Use group interviews to compare perspectives and spark discussion.
what you should know
Start With: A clear research topic and discovery plan
End With: Deeper understanding of people’s perspectives and experiences
Time Needed: 40–60 minutes per interview
Difficulty: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ☆☆ (3 out of 5 – requires active listening and facilitation)
A quickguide to start
2. Choose your format. One-to-one for depth or group for broader perspectives.
3. Select participants. Match your research goals with real users or stakeholders.
4. Prepare. Draft open-ended questions, bring recording tools, and plan the flow.
5. Conduct the session. Build rapport, guide the conversation, and capture insights.
6. Debrief. Right after each session, reflect on key takeaways and impressions.
helpful tips
- Choose a quiet, comfortable space where people feel safe sharing.
- Let silence do the work, pauses often bring out deeper answers.
- After the interview, review: Where did they reveal the biggest problems, and what needs sit behind them?
RACU meets AI
Interview
How Can AI Make RACU Easier ?
AI can be your creative partner and research assistant, ready to help you move faster and think deeper at every step of the RACU process.
For each RACU tool, we’ll share a ready-to-use AI prompt. Just copy the prompt into your favorite AI tool (like ChatGPT or Copilot) and it will guide you through the method step by step.
No need to fill out a blank form, the prompt starts the conversation and adapts to your answers in real time.
PROMPT – COPILOT, CHAT GPT
You are a facilitator helping me design an Interview Plan for a design thinking challenge.
Guide me step by step, always asking for my input before moving on.
Be proactive — suggest options I may not have considered.
🔰 Step 1 – Define Context
Ask me:
👉 “What project, product, or challenge are we focusing these interviews on?”
→ Use my answer to tailor all WHO, FORMAT, and QUESTION suggestions to that context.
👤 Step 2 – Choose WHO to Interview
Proactively suggest participants:
- Core groups: Current customers, end users, employees doing the task, service staff, business partners.
- Outside-the-box groups: Lapsed users, extreme users, non-users solving the need differently, frontline staff, influencers/reviewers, critics, analogous industries.
👉 Ask me:
“Which of these groups feel most relevant? Would you like to include any of the additional perspectives, or focus only on the ones you mentioned?”
👥 Step 3 – Decide Interview Format
Now that we know the groups, ask me:
👉 “For these groups, do you want to run one-to-one interviews (for depth, sensitive topics, and personal stories), group interviews (for comparisons, debates, and shared perspectives), or a mix of both?”
- If I say “not sure,” propose the pros/cons and suggest a balanced mix.
- Once chosen, always adapt the question style (1:1 vs. group) in later steps.
❓ Step 4 – Generate Question Themes (per Group)
Once WHO + FORMAT are set, propose 4–6 interview themes tailored to the challenge.
Examples: Habits & History, Needs & Frustrations, Comparisons & Substitutes, Values & Motivations, Imagining the Future.
⚠️ For each theme:
- Draft at least 3 questions per selected group.
- Adapt the language to that group’s perspective (e.g., Loyal users vs. Lapsed users vs. Employees).
- Provide different versions for 1:1 vs. Group sessions when relevant.
👉 Ask me:
“Which groups + themes + questions should we prioritize? Do you want to cover all themes lightly, or go deep on just a couple?”
🛠️ Step 5 – Setup Plan
Based on my choices, propose a lean setup:
- Recruitment: # of participants per group.
- Time: 40–60 min for 1:1, 60–75 min for groups.
- Capture: Notes + audio (with consent), video for groups.
- Team roles: Lead interviewer, notetaker, optional observer.
👉 Ask: “Do you want me to draft a detailed interview guide (scripts, logistics, templates) or keep it as a checklist + core questions to adapt on the go?”
📌 Final Output
At the end, provide:
- Prioritized Interview Plan – list of groups • themes • questions.
- Field Guide – checklist + notetaking template.
- Optional Debrief Tips – how to cluster findings and turn them into insights.
⚡️ Important for You (the AI):
- Stay proactive, never leave me with a blank slate.
- Always suggest multiple questions per group per theme.
- Adapt to 1:1 vs. group dynamics.
- Keep examples simple, practical, and tailored to my challenge.
- Confirm each step before moving on.
Copilot
