AskCraftThe learning scenario
All dialogue below is fictional. Imagine a creator who explains difficult work problems and offers consultations. The researcher wants to understand how people choose one-off help. The participant recently read the creator’s articles but contacted a recommended specialist. The interview aims to reconstruct that decision.
Before the conversation, explain its purpose, format and use of the material. Agree recording beforehand. A participant can decline a question or stop the conversation. Allow time for this introduction rather than immediately moving to the creator’s business problem.
The first answer: resist an early explanation
Participant: “The articles were good, but I still asked someone I knew.” The interviewer could ask, “Did you not trust the author enough?” That introduces the cause in the question. Agreement would not establish how the decision happened. Preserve the original statement and locate the event.
Question: “Think back to when you decided to contact your friend. What happened just before that?” Answer: “I opened three service pages. They all looked like big projects, but I needed to discuss one situation.” We now have an action, a comparison and a difference in the expected scope of help.
Clarify what the participant means
“A big project” could refer to price, duration, team size or complexity. Ask, “What on the page made it look like a big project?” Answer: “A team, ongoing support, several stages. I could not tell whether I could book just one meeting.”
An observation is now possible: the participant did not find a clear one-off format. It is too early to say that all clients want short consultations or that trust is irrelevant. We have one account and the participant’s recollection of a particular page.
Reconstruct the sequence
Question: “What did you do after looking at those pages?” Answer: “I messaged a colleague to ask who could look at my question quickly.” Question: “What did you send them?” Answer: “A short description, and I said I did not want ongoing support.” This sequence helps identify the criteria operating at the time.
When the answer becomes general, return to one episode: when it happened, what had already been tried, what they opened and whom they contacted. Do not ask every possible follow-up in a row. Follow the account; a pause can help recall more than another question.
Ask about alternatives that were actually considered
Question: “What options did you still have at that point?” Answer: “Work it out from articles, ask a colleague, or pay for a meeting.” The alternatives extend beyond competing consultants. An article or a conversation with a colleague could also provide the help needed.
Follow-up: “Why did you stop trying to do it yourself that time?” Answer: “The deadline was Friday, and I did not know whether I was applying the advice correctly.” A meaningful circumstance emerges: limited time and a need to check the application. This is evidence to compare with other accounts, not a finished audience segment.
Keep past experience separate from prediction
“Would you have bought a consultation if we had shown the price?” asks for a prediction. An answer is not a purchase. Investigate where the participant looked for pricing, what they found, what they decided and what happened after contacting someone else.
Test proposed changes separately. Show a prototype, give a meaningful situation and observe how the person understands the offer. Avoid turning an interview about past choice into a sales presentation; a wish to please the interviewer can affect responses.
Close the conversation and annotate the material
Ask what you missed and check whether you understood the sequence correctly. Afterwards, separate four layers: the exact statement, the described action, a possible explanation and a question to test. Keep a source reference and context for important findings.
In this example, the observation is an unclear one-off format. A possible explanation is that the participant needed bounded help before a deadline. An alternative is that the personal recommendation mattered regardless of the page. Compare further accounts and test how people understand the proposed format.
Apply this to your own question
A blank workbook with instructions: brief, evidence, interpretations and tests. XLSX, four worksheets.