Stakeholder Interview — The most efficient tool in product design

Stakeholder interviews are one-on-one discussions with individuals who have a stake in the success of the product under development.

Stakeholder interviews are extremely important in product design. They assist in laying the groundwork for any project by giving vital insights that would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible, to gain. These insights, such as business goals, technological limits, usability issues, and more, govern the flow of the entire project.

Stakeholder interviews are one of the most effective research strategies used in product design when properly planned and implemented.

Who are the stakeholders?

A stakeholder is somebody within an organization who may provide helpful product suggestions and eventually help to streamline the design process. Although these are typically high-level personnel, stakeholders can also be lower-level employees or even the end users of the product.

Importance of stakeholder interview to design process

Stakeholder interviews are effective research techniques for kicking off the design process. They concentrate on obtaining data from three major areas of UX design:

User requirements: What benefits will the design provide to the users?

Business objectives: How will the design contribute to the achievement of business goals?

Technical constraints: What technical challenges must be overcome?

Stakeholder interviews are an excellent approach to learning about the situation. They assist in understanding user behaviour, distinguishing restrictions, and identifying pain points.

The Benefits of Conducting Stakeholder Interviews

Stakeholder interviews have various advantages in product design, including:

• Defining goals: Speak with numerous stakeholders to get a better understanding of the project’s scope and parameters. Learn how to use context to help you make clear goals, milestones and prioritize work.
• Improving communication: Meeting with stakeholders is an excellent opportunity to get to know the individuals who operate behind the scenes. Collaboration and excellent communication with stakeholders will also give a better sense of recognition for the design work and legitimize them.
• Sharing a common vision: Speak with many stakeholders to gain insight into various points of view. This ensures that everyone is on the same page from the start and prevents you from second-guessing your design selections later on.
• Developing trust and buy-in: Showing stakeholders that their input is valuable will not only provide you with useful data but will also earn you their trust and buy-in. Working with clients that believe their opinion is being heard during the design process is always easier.

When to conduct stakeholder interview

In general, stakeholder interviews should be conducted early in the design process. The earlier all essential stakeholders’ aims and priorities are learned, the easier it will be to produce an excellent design. Otherwise, there is a chance of a lot of redoing and irritation.

Failure to effectively prepare and perform a stakeholder interview can come back to haunt the designer. Here’s how you prepare for and carry out a successful stakeholder interview.

Establish Goals

Begin the product research by establishing goals for the stakeholder interview, including what you want to learn from the interviewees. Here are some important points to remember by the end of the conversation:

• What are the company’s short- and long-term objectives?
• What is the role of the stakeholder in the company?
• Who exactly are the users?
• Who are some of the big competitors?
• Is there any technological constraint?
• What are some product issues?
• What is the definition of product success according to the stakeholders?
• Pretend you know absolutely nothing
• Listen carefully, and don’t interrupt.
• Close silence gaps by rewording questions.
• Insist on getting into details.
• Are there any technological limitations?
• What are a few product concerns?
• What is the stakeholder’s definition of product success?

Establishing goals will help you stay on track during the stakeholder interviews.

Find Stakeholders

The goal of stakeholder interviews is to identify significant figures and gather as much helpful information as possible from them. In smaller businesses, speaking with the founder or an executive is sufficient. However, with larger firms, more individuals are anticipated to interact with the product, so the designer will need to interview more stakeholders. Choosing up to 5 stakeholders from various company sectors will provide a greater range of insights.

A solid rule of thumb is to talk to the people who use the product the most. By interacting with the right individuals and asking the proper questions, you may easily get knowledge about goals, difficulties, expectations, and other facts that will decide what the design process will be.

Prepare Questions

To conduct a successful stakeholder interview, it is necessary to know who to speak with and what questions to ask. As straightforward as that may appear, this is where many researchers fall short. In most cases, open-ended questions are ideal since they push interviewees to go into greater detail, yielding greater information. Closed-ended inquiries, on the other hand, can only generate a yes/no response, which is insufficient for study. The rules for conducting interviews are similar to those used in usability testing. Remember that the interview should be conducted in a more conversational tone. Although it is crucial to prepare precise questions, avoid asking them in a way that makes it appear as if you are simply checking off bullet points on a list.

It’s acceptable to deviate from the script and let the interview flow naturally, depending on the individual being questioned. Even if the answer appears obvious, do not be afraid to ask clarifying questions.

Document and Analyze Responses

During the interviews, take notes or have someone else take notes. As with all research, the data you collect is meaningless until you evaluate it to form your conclusions. The best option is to record the interviews. As a result, no information is lost and can be retrieved later. Begin by reviewing individual interviews before moving on to group interviews. Make a report that summarizes everything. Consider categorizing your research findings:

• Business goal
• Users
• Pain points
• Fears
• Motives
• Advantages in the marketplace
• Solutions
• Alternatives
• Value propositions

Conclusion

One excellent approach is to videotape your interview. This allows you to concentrate on the flow of the interview rather than worrying about whether you captured every answer word for word. By recording the interview, you can also take notes and remark on the responses later.

Stakeholder interviews are essential for building a genuine connection with clients and ensuring everyone is on the same page throughout the UX design process, whether you’re working with a major corporate, an up-and-coming startup, or a small family-owned firm.

Begin organizing your stakeholder interview so that you can produce a design that is simple to use, practical, and meets corporate objectives.