Ask a generic question to your users, and you’re sure to receive a generic answer that doesn’t really provide you with the details you’re looking for. Users are not always great at recollecting their past experiences and summarising them. With the added pressure of a user interview, they’re likely to forget and leave out crucial details.

Help them recollect and answer you better by asking them questions that allow them to recall specific events and memories. For example, you can ask a user “How do you react to error states that are not useful?” But this question might not get you the most helpful answers. Instead, ask them “What did you do the last time you came across an unhelpful 404 error page?” This question is more likely to get them to reflect on a specific incident and give you real insights into their thoughts and behavior.^[1]