17 Principles for Designing Effective Questionnaires and Interviews for Interaction Designers

An excellent designer not only accumulates life experience but also possesses strong empathy to understand users' expectations; even with limited user research, professional skills can uncover real needs. For newcomers lacking experience, mastering basic user‑research methods and techniques is essential.

Research shows that vague or inaccurate questionnaire wording can introduce 20%‑30% error, which is why many claim "user research is useless"—often because they lack proper questionnaire design methods. A well‑crafted survey is a high‑skill, professional activity.

The following 17 questionnaire & interview principles serve as a checklist for designers:

Question Design – 7 Principles

Keep the tone neutral and non‑leading.

Avoid specialist jargon; if necessary, provide explanations.

Do not ask about issues users are unaware of.

Avoid questions that are hard to recall.

Steer clear of hypothetical scenarios.

Be cautious when requesting second‑hand information.

Do not ask questions that are optional or irrelevant.

Option Design – 7 Principles

Provide objective evaluation criteria for subjective questions.

Avoid mutually exclusive options.

Ensure the options cover all possible answers.

Define clear boundaries for each answer.

Do not hint or lead respondents toward a particular answer.

Encourage respondents to tell a story.

Never let the user become the designer.

Other 3 Principles

Help users relax before the interview.

Make it clear that the interview is not a test.

Observe users' facial expressions and body language during the interview.

Applying these 17 principles enables young designers to obtain more objective and accurate information from questionnaires and interviews.

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