4.1 Interview Guide
Interview Guide is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
Step by step
- Define the user problem connected to Interview Guide.
- Collect evidence before jumping to a polished solution.
- Create the smallest flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test needed to answer the question.
- Test the design with realistic content, states, and device constraints.
- Record what you learned and change the design based on evidence rather than preference.
10 practical examples
- Apply Interview Guide to a course website and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a online store and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a banking app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a school portal and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a clinic booking system and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a dashboard and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a restaurant site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a mobile app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a creator site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Interview Guide to a business landing page and explain the decision you made.
Hands-on example
UI/UX PRACTICE
Problem: A user struggles with Interview Guide.
Evidence to collect: interview, observation, analytics, or usability result.
Artifact: flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test plan.
Success measure: task completion, clarity, error reduction, or satisfaction.
Next step: test one assumption.Expected output
A user-centered design artifact for Interview Guide plus a clear statement of what evidence would confirm or reject the design decision.
Practice exercise
Create a fresh example for Interview Guide using a different product, screen, component, or content set. Explain what changed and why.
4.2 Open Questions
Open Questions is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
Step by step
- Define the user problem connected to Open Questions.
- Collect evidence before jumping to a polished solution.
- Create the smallest flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test needed to answer the question.
- Test the design with realistic content, states, and device constraints.
- Record what you learned and change the design based on evidence rather than preference.
10 practical examples
- Apply Open Questions to a course website and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a online store and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a banking app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a school portal and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a clinic booking system and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a dashboard and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a restaurant site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a mobile app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a creator site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Open Questions to a business landing page and explain the decision you made.
Hands-on example
UI/UX PRACTICE
Problem: A user struggles with Open Questions.
Evidence to collect: interview, observation, analytics, or usability result.
Artifact: flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test plan.
Success measure: task completion, clarity, error reduction, or satisfaction.
Next step: test one assumption.Expected output
A user-centered design artifact for Open Questions plus a clear statement of what evidence would confirm or reject the design decision.
Practice exercise
Create a fresh example for Open Questions using a different product, screen, component, or content set. Explain what changed and why.
4.3 Probing
Probing is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
Step by step
- Define the user problem connected to Probing.
- Collect evidence before jumping to a polished solution.
- Create the smallest flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test needed to answer the question.
- Test the design with realistic content, states, and device constraints.
- Record what you learned and change the design based on evidence rather than preference.
10 practical examples
- Apply Probing to a course website and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a online store and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a banking app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a school portal and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a clinic booking system and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a dashboard and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a restaurant site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a mobile app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a creator site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Probing to a business landing page and explain the decision you made.
Hands-on example
UI/UX PRACTICE
Problem: A user struggles with Probing.
Evidence to collect: interview, observation, analytics, or usability result.
Artifact: flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test plan.
Success measure: task completion, clarity, error reduction, or satisfaction.
Next step: test one assumption.Expected output
A user-centered design artifact for Probing plus a clear statement of what evidence would confirm or reject the design decision.
Practice exercise
Create a fresh example for Probing using a different product, screen, component, or content set. Explain what changed and why.
4.4 Note Taking
Note Taking is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
Step by step
- Define the user problem connected to Note Taking.
- Collect evidence before jumping to a polished solution.
- Create the smallest flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test needed to answer the question.
- Test the design with realistic content, states, and device constraints.
- Record what you learned and change the design based on evidence rather than preference.
10 practical examples
- Apply Note Taking to a course website and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a online store and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a banking app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a school portal and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a clinic booking system and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a dashboard and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a restaurant site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a mobile app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a creator site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Note Taking to a business landing page and explain the decision you made.
Hands-on example
UI/UX PRACTICE
Problem: A user struggles with Note Taking.
Evidence to collect: interview, observation, analytics, or usability result.
Artifact: flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test plan.
Success measure: task completion, clarity, error reduction, or satisfaction.
Next step: test one assumption.Expected output
A user-centered design artifact for Note Taking plus a clear statement of what evidence would confirm or reject the design decision.
Practice exercise
Create a fresh example for Note Taking using a different product, screen, component, or content set. Explain what changed and why.
4.5 Avoiding Bias
Avoiding Bias is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
Step by step
- Define the user problem connected to Avoiding Bias.
- Collect evidence before jumping to a polished solution.
- Create the smallest flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test needed to answer the question.
- Test the design with realistic content, states, and device constraints.
- Record what you learned and change the design based on evidence rather than preference.
10 practical examples
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a course website and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a online store and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a banking app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a school portal and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a clinic booking system and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a dashboard and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a restaurant site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a mobile app and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a creator site and explain the decision you made.
- Apply Avoiding Bias to a business landing page and explain the decision you made.
Hands-on example
UI/UX PRACTICE
Problem: A user struggles with Avoiding Bias.
Evidence to collect: interview, observation, analytics, or usability result.
Artifact: flow, sketch, wireframe, prototype, or test plan.
Success measure: task completion, clarity, error reduction, or satisfaction.
Next step: test one assumption.Expected output
A user-centered design artifact for Avoiding Bias plus a clear statement of what evidence would confirm or reject the design decision.
Practice exercise
Create a fresh example for Avoiding Bias using a different product, screen, component, or content set. Explain what changed and why.
Chapter 4 review — 10 questions and answers
1. What is the main purpose of Interview Guide?
Answer: Interview Guide is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
2. What is a common mistake with Interview Guide?
Answer: Treating Interview Guide as a visual preference instead of connecting it to a user need, constraint, or testable outcome.
3. What is the main purpose of Open Questions?
Answer: Open Questions is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
4. What is a common mistake with Open Questions?
Answer: Treating Open Questions as a visual preference instead of connecting it to a user need, constraint, or testable outcome.
5. What is the main purpose of Probing?
Answer: Probing is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
6. What is a common mistake with Probing?
Answer: Treating Probing as a visual preference instead of connecting it to a user need, constraint, or testable outcome.
7. What is the main purpose of Note Taking?
Answer: Note Taking is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
8. What is a common mistake with Note Taking?
Answer: Treating Note Taking as a visual preference instead of connecting it to a user need, constraint, or testable outcome.
9. What is the main purpose of Avoiding Bias?
Answer: Avoiding Bias is a UI/UX design skill that helps make products easier to understand, use, test, and improve. The method should be tied to a real user problem instead of decoration alone.
10. What is a common mistake with Avoiding Bias?
Answer: Treating Avoiding Bias as a visual preference instead of connecting it to a user need, constraint, or testable outcome.