User interviews are personalized engagements that offer valuable insights into users' needs, attitudes, and background. As a one-on-one conversation between the user and an interviewer, this approach enables a deep understanding of users' interactions and behaviors.

When combined with usability testing, it allows for observing how users engage with a product, providing a chance to ask targeted questions. However, when exploring the problem space in UX research, user interviews are typically conducted separately from usability tests.

The focus here is to understand the users’ underlying motivations and needs rather than assessing their direct interaction with a particular product. It's an essential tool for shaping design decisions and aligning them with user expectations.