Stakeholder Interview Template

Structured interview guide for gathering requirements directly from end-users and stakeholders.

Pre-Interview Preparation

Interview Details:

Date: _________________________
Time: _________________________
Location: _________________________
Stakeholder Name: _________________________
Role/Title: _________________________
Contact: _________________________

Interview Objective: (What do you specifically want to learn?)

Estimated Duration: 45-60 minutes

Interview Sections

Section 1: Context & Background (5 minutes)

Opening Questions:

“Tell me about your role in this project.”
“What problem are we trying to solve?”
“Who else will be affected by this design?”

Section 2: Current Situation (10 minutes)

Current Process:

“How do you currently solve this problem?”
“What works well about the current approach?”
“What frustrates you most about the current process?”

Pain Points:

Primary issue: _______________________________________________________
Secondary issues: ___________________________________________________

Section 3: Ideal Solution (15 minutes)

Requirements (Ask open-ended):

“Ideally, what would this solution do?”
“How would you use it?”
“Where would it be used?”
“When would it be needed?”

Specific Constraints:

Size requirements: _____________________________________________________
Weight constraints: ____________________________________________________
Temperature tolerance: _________________________________________________
Durability needs: ______________________________________________________
Cost budget: __________________________________________________________
Timeline: _____________________________________________________________

Section 4: Usage Patterns (10 minutes)

Frequency & Scale:

“How often would this be used?”
- Daily [ ] Weekly [ ] Monthly [ ] Occasionally
“How many people need this?”
“For how long each use?”

User Profile:

Physical capabilities: _______________________________________________
Technical expertise: _________________________________________________
Accessibility needs: _________________________________________________

Section 5: Success Criteria (10 minutes)

What defines success?

How will you measure if this works?

Metric 1: __________________________________________________________
Metric 2: __________________________________________________________

What would be a failure?

Section 6: Preferences & Priorities (10 minutes)

Priority Ranking (Ask: “If you could only have 3 features, which would they be?”)

_________________________________________________________________ (Priority: __ /10)
_________________________________________________________________ (Priority: __ /10)
_________________________________________________________________ (Priority: __ /10)

Style/Aesthetic:

Preferred look: ____________________________________________________
Must fit with existing: _______________________________________________
Any visual requirements: _____________________________________________

Material/Finish:

Preferred materials: ________________________________________________
Texture preference: ___________________________________________________
Color preferences: ____________________________________________________

Follow-Up Questions

Dig deeper on key points:

“Tell me more about that…”
“Why is that important?”
“What would happen if that weren’t included?”
“Can you give me an example?”
“How would you compare that to…?”

Accessibility Considerations

Always Ask:

“Are there any accessibility requirements?”
“Will this be used by people with different abilities?”
“Are there sensory, mobility, or cognitive considerations?”
“What assistive devices might be used with this?”

Document:

Visual considerations: _______________________________________________
Motor/dexterity needs: ________________________________________________
Hearing/audio considerations: _________________________________________
Cognitive/learning preferences: _______________________________________

Post-Interview Notes

Key Takeaways:

Action Items:

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Questions to Follow Up On:

Conflicts/Concerns:

Next Steps:

Interview Analysis

After conducting multiple interviews, summarize:

Common Themes

(What requirements appeared in multiple interviews?)

Conflicting Requirements

(What requirements contradicted each other?)

Stakeholder 1 wants: _______________________________________________
Stakeholder 2 wants: _______________________________________________
Resolution: __________________________________________________________

Risk Areas

(What might be difficult or risky about this project?)

Interview Conducted By: _____________________ Date Documented: _____________________ Approved By Stakeholder: _____ (signature/name)