User Interviews

A User Interview is a video-based session with a screen reader, screen magnification, or alternative navigation user. User interviews can be used to gather information or test the usability of a product.

Illustration: A woman on a screen speaking to someone in a yellow speech bubble

Perform remote user research, in real-time. Talk to your participants while they share their screen, face and voice with you.

When to use a User Interview

You should schedule a User Interview if you’re looking to:

  • Speak to an assistive technology (AT) user to learn about how their AT works, understand their preferences, and observe how their AT interacts with your platform or product.
  • Uncover any accessibility issues and collect insights about the user experience.
  • Validate accessibility improvements made based on previous feedback.
  • Co-design user experiences prior to prototype creation.

How to create a User Interview

Request a User Interview by selecting the New Request button when logged in to Fable Engage. All requests need to live within a project. You can select an existing project or create a new one.

You will need to know:

  • Who you want to meet with. Choose an assistive technology type (required) and other details (optional).
  • What you’d like to learn. Enter a description to provide context for the tester.
    • You don’t need to share your interview script in advance.
    • You have the option of requesting an Accessibility Usability Scale (AUS) score from the tester. This will only be meaningful if your interview will be usability focused. AUS should not be selected for informational interviews.
  • When you’d like to meet. Enter two date and time options.
    • If you’re not ready to schedule a date and time yet, choose any time and save for later.
    • Choose a date and time that is at least 48 hours in the future.
  • How the tester will access your product.
    • Include all live links that you plan on using during the session.
    • Provide access details, if needed, by selecting an existing environment or creating a new environment.

Save for later or publish your request right away.

Tips for a successful User Interview: 

All User Interviews are booked for 60 minutes, which can go by surprisingly quick! Here are some tips to make the most of your time, and ensure you have a successful User Interview:

  • Prepare your questions beforehand:  Make a list of questions and have clear objectives prior to joining the call.

  • Pick tasks that can be completed during one User Interview: AT users usually, take time and a half more than non-AT users. Make sure you keep that in mind when picking tasks.

  • Communicate with your AT user, early and often: Screen reader speech rate too quick? Popup window blocking your view? Don’t hesitate to let them know!

  • For more tips, check out this article on the Top 5 Things You Should Know When Working with People with a Disability.

What to expect after a User Interview

After you publish your User Interview request:

  • Our moderators will review your request before it’s released to testers. We’ll contact you if anything needs adjusting.
  • When a tester has been scheduled for your request, you will receive an email with the calendar invitation and a Zoom link.
  • The full video recording and transcription will show on your dashboard after the session.

After you’ve reviewed your results, you can:

  • Create video clips to share with others. If your team includes folks that are new to accessibility, this is a great opportunity to book a watch party to review the findings together.
  • Review the transcript to help you write takeaways from the session.

Additional resources

Keep learning about User Interviews: