As a UX Designer, a Stakeholder interview is one of the most crucial parts. Before exploring our design solution, making ideation, and even doing user research, we must start the project by doing a stakeholder interview. Because the reference of our project, feature, or product is related to our Stakeholder needs.

By doing the correct stakeholder interview, we can understand the product better.

Anyway, what is a Stakeholder interview? Why it’s matter?

A stakeholder interview is one of the research tools/methods used to start a project in a design process. This process quite crucial for the product development process. Since, by understanding the requirement better we can make the most suitable design for our users, not only users but also the business itself.

Moreover, if we don’t perfectly understand what the business needs for a product, there is a chance that we’ll make the wrong design solution that can ruin the product.

Doing this session can be started by inviting your stakeholders and product managers in an interview session. Next, you can ask them several question about the product or features that they want to develop.

So, what question that should be asked?

Well, actually there is no such a rule for this, you may ask anything about the product/features requirements detail. But, for me I have a must have question that I should know before I start a project. Here are they:

• Specific user, Who gonna use the product?
  It helps you to understand who are the users, it’ll make you easier to understand their persona, behavior, or anything. So, you won’t make a wrong design for wrong user.

• User needs, How will the design help the user?
  Sometimes, your beloved stakeholders will come with their ̶b̶r̶i̶l̶l̶i̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶i̶d̶e̶a̶s̶ to solve or help your user’s problem. By understanding their “real” reason you can provide better solution for the problems.

• Business Goal, How will the design help the business achieve its goal?
  Well, we’re working under our stakeholder’s business. So it’s normal for us to know their business goal for the product/featur they want to develop. By achieving their goal, we can help the company to run their business, and we can still pay our bills. Lol

• Problems, What are the issue that users might face?
  Normally, besides that our Stakeholders already had their brilliant idea, they also had noticed the problems. This question generally will relate to user needs question. By seeking the “real” issue you will get the real problem.

• Scope & Limitation, What are the working scope for this project?
  There must be scope or limitation, like when this product/feature should be released, or how many journey that need to be designed. By understanding this you can make the most suitable timeline for your design work.

• KPIs & Matrics, Is there any matrics that should be achieved from the KPIs?
  Well, if you’re a beginner in this field these keywords might sound weird. Normally these terms will be used by Product Manager. But, it will relateto our work, so for better understanding you may search it on the google or medium.
  Matrics are quantifiable data points that a business tracks and analyzes to gauge the success of its product. So, by understanding the matrics and KPIs goal, you can provide the right design decision for the business.

Conclusion

I think that would be enough from me for now, you can add other questions that might be crucial for your design work in the comment section. Thank you!