Help regarding interviews and user stories

Since I’m going alone in my first UX experience I have a few questions. Better to ask early then be sorry later is my motto, so I apologise if this are naive or stupid questions. But bare with me, I’m a little green newbie.

My stakeholders are also my users. I’m supposed to do a web application for internal use not web site with public access.
I’m planning to do interviews with each of them (five people) as a starting point. What should I pay attention to so I do not lose objectiveness ?
If the business will be successful there will be employees later - need to have their perspective also in mind. How to achieve that?

After the interviews I’m planing to create user stories. That would be a workshop.
[LIST]
[]should I prepare things in advance, since I had the interviews previously and than have a workshop. If yes, what?
[
]how to organize a workshop that is not overkill (too much topics, time or similar)
[/LIST] Any guidance, advice, pointers to further reading would be much appreciated.

The only stupid questions are ones that you don’t ask. :wink: I think it’s smart to clarify things if you’re not sure, so good on you. That’s what this community is for.

Here are a couple of articles that should help with planning the interviews:
How to Improve Your Interview Skills
How to Test an IA
Conducting Stakeholder Interviews

This article is a good one with regard to your question on objectiveness (or bias). I Knew You Were Going to Say That.

It might be useful to read this one about customer journey maps, which could be of use in your project. How to Create Customer Journey Maps.

I’d also recommend participating in our next Ask the UXperts session, which is about using the outcomes of user research to inform design. The session is online and is free. If the time doesn’t work with your timezone, there will be a transcript posted up on uxmastery.com the next day. More info here.

And a couple more general articles that might help with aspects of what you’re doing:
Finding Empathy Through Generative Research
How to Combine Multiple Research Methods

I hope that is of some help. I look forward to hearing how you go. Best of luck!

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I have read some of those articles and I really like the UXmastery’s UX Techniques Bank. I came across and was thinking of reading ‘Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights’ by Steve Portigal (http://amzn.to/1GbjPbX). It’s on my TBR list.

The time zone difference is a bit of a challenge, but I do always go through recordings/transcripts. Maybe I’ll be able to force myself to stay awake long enough or wake up really early!

Thank you for your advice! I really appreciate it.

Hawk has covered some good resources on how to conduct interviews without bias. Excellent work Hawk!

In terms of running a good workshop, I have a couple of tips. One is to read Scott Berkun’s seminal article How to run a good workshop. It’s probably more targeted at teaching rather than the kind of exploratory session you’re planning on running, but there is some great food for thought in there.

The other reading tip I’d suggest is the excellent book Gamestorming. I think this is probably my favourite business book ever—it contains a ton of activities for collaboration and participatory design. Read the first part and then flip through some of the activities, you and your workshop attendees will be thinking, sketching, and feeding off each other. It covers preparation and materials required (usually just a whiteboard, lots of big sheets of paper, post-its and markers).

Hope that helps!