How to use a topic map in a user interview

Using a topic map can help to facilitate a more natural and insightful conversation

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User interviews are one of the most useful research methods to gather rich qualitative data. To get the most out of the research, use a topic map in the user interviews to make the session more conversational and natural.

What is a topic map?

A topic map is a mind map with a list of interrelated topics to facilitate a discussion between the researcher and the participant during a user interview. These topics revolve around your subject of interest and branches out to related subtopics.

Topic map for travelling

For example, if you are thinking of addressing problems in travelling, a topic map may include:

• Choosing a place to visit
• Deciding on a travel itinerary
• Finding a travel companion

Ideally, we run an interview with a clear set of topics to discuss, but we should also be open to discovering new unexpected topics.

For example, a conversation about travelling may lead to a discussion about ‘pet care while travelling’. This topic may be unexpected, but it can potentially lead us to new insights and ideas for a niche group of customers.

Why topic maps?

Facilitates natural conversations

The conventional way of running a user interview is to go through a list of questions in a question guide with the interviewee during the session. However, the researcher becomes a ‘question robot’, mechanically asking questions and making the entire session uncomfortable for the interviewee.

Using a topic map can help to facilitate a natural conversation when it flows from one subject to another based on the interviewee’s response.

More convenient than a question guide

Looking at a single sheet of paper with a topic map is more convenient than running through five pages of questions during a user interview. This means you would not have to switch between pages as you move between topics. Additionally, it helps you to focus on listening, rather than fumbling with pieces of paper during the conversation.

How to create a topic map for a user interview

#1 Review your assumptions

Most projects begin with a business goal built around assumptions about your customers. We want to state precisely what the assumptions are and prioritize which are the most important. This is a good starting point to build your topics to validate those assumptions that we have.

Try writing down your assumptions with these guiding questions:

• Who are your customers?
• What habits do they have?
• How do they interact with your business?
• What are some of the problems that your customers face in their everyday life?

#2 Ideate for questions to validate assumptions

Come out with a list of questions you want to ask your participants. Write each question on a sticky note and generate as many of these as you can. Review and edit the questions if required.

#3 Group questions into topics with an affinity map

Group the questions you came out with into topic groups. Add a short heading with 1–3 words to describe each group.

To have sufficient materials to discuss in an interview, come out with 5–7 topics. If there are more groups, prioritise groups with more questions/sticky notes since you have more to discuss on that topic. If there aren’t enough topics, you may need to come out with more questions.

#4 Draw a topic map

Go through each group and try to extract 4–6 subtopics from your questions. Keep only the main questions and simplify them to one or two keywords. For beginners who are new to interviews, you may want to add a few more words to guide you in the interview.

Using a topic map in a user interview

Using a topic map in a user interview requires practice. Get familiarize with the tool by practising with mock interviews with your friends or colleagues. Decide which topic should go first.

During the session, get your participants to recount an experience on the topic. You can say something like: “Tell me about the last time you did X.” Listen attentively and ask clarifying questions using the 5W1H (Who, What, When, Where, How, Why). The answers to those questions should lead the conversation to the next topic or subtopic.

Once you understand your map well enough you will be able to navigate the topic map easily and focus on the conversation with your user.

See also:

[embed]Asking good questions in user interviews UX101 for designing good questionsmedium.com

Hou Teng is a Singapore-based UX designer.

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