How can you use user interviews to understand drivers?

2 Conduct your user interviews

The next step is to conduct your user interviews in a suitable setting and with a respectful attitude. You can choose to interview drivers in person, over the phone, or online, depending on your resources and objectives. You should also decide whether you want to interview drivers individually or in groups, and whether you want to record or take notes of the interviews. During the interviews, you should ask open-ended questions that encourage drivers to share their stories, opinions, and feelings. You should also listen actively, show empathy, and probe deeper when necessary.

3 Analyze your user interviews

After you have completed your user interviews, you need to analyze the data and extract the key findings. You can use different methods and tools to organize, code, and synthesize the data, such as affinity diagrams, thematic analysis, or personas. The goal is to identify the common themes, patterns, and insights that emerge from the drivers' responses. You should also look for any gaps, contradictions, or surprises that challenge your assumptions or expectations. You should then summarize and communicate your findings to your team and stakeholders.

4 Use your user interviews

The final step is to use your user interviews to inform and improve your automotive design decisions. You should use the findings to validate or invalidate your hypotheses, refine your requirements, generate ideas, or test prototypes. You should also use the findings to empathize with the drivers and design solutions that meet their needs and expectations. You should also keep track of how your user interviews impact your design outcomes and measure the value they provide.

5 Improve your user interviews

User interviews are not a one-time activity, but a continuous process that requires constant improvement. You should always evaluate the quality and effectiveness of your user interviews and look for ways to enhance them. You should also seek feedback from your team, stakeholders, and users on how to improve your user interview skills and practices. You should also keep learning from other sources and experts on how to conduct user interviews for automotive design.

6 Learn more about user interviews

User interviews are a powerful UX research method for automotive design, but they are not the only one. You should also explore other methods and techniques that can complement and enrich your user interviews, such as surveys, observations, or usability tests. You should also learn how to combine and integrate different methods and data sources to gain a holistic and comprehensive understanding of drivers. You can find more resources and examples on how to use user interviews and other UX research methods for automotive design online or in books.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?