How do you note interesting points during user interviews?

Rucha Joshi
9 replies
I sometimes talk to 8-10 people during the week and it is so easy to forget what they said if I don't record it in some manner. While talking to our users most of us jot down important things they mentioned. I am curious to know what ways do you do that. Whether it is during the call or after or you use some special tools.

Replies

Michelle Parmar
Though I always have a recording, I take ancillary notes during the interview—like the interviewees emotions or other context that might not be apparent from the recording when I listen to it at a later point!
Hari Velaayutham
Taking notes helped but I had to ask questions and concentrate on answers to reply back. So Always had an Extra PM/Designer to take notes with me to avoid hearing the recording again. In these remote meetings, Always have +1 helps, who knows the context as we are.
Rucha Joshi
@hari_velayutham Yes it does get difficult to focus on the conversation and take. notes. Helps to have a +1, though not always easy to align calendars.
Lior Galante Cohen (Vaza)
If possible, always record the meetings and then go over it / ask a teammate to go over and summarize it.
Vivek Ganesan
Shameless plug here ;) I use Notesally (the SaaS product that my team built)
Kolton
If zoom/virtual: we always record it, write a brief note in a shared document, and then re-visit if needed If in-person: have a team member that isn't the lead interviewer handling the majority of the notes, and regroup after it ends with any additional thoughts on each specific answer
Usually I'll take notes - but ideally I'd like to have someone else take notes so that I can concentrate on the questions.