Building a UX Research Discussion Guide (With 40+ Example Questions)

Ever wondered how skilled researchers get the most out of their user interviews? The secret lies in a well-crafted discussion guide. Let's explore how to create one that works.

What is the purpose of a discussion guide?

A discussion guide is your roadmap for user interviews and focus groups. Think of it as your conversation compass - it keeps you on track while letting you explore interesting paths that come up. A good discussion guide helps you gather consistent insights across multiple sessions without making interviews feel robotic or scripted.

How do you write a discussion guide?

Warm-up questions

Start with easy questions that help participants feel comfortable. These questions should be simple to answer and relate to their everyday experiences. For example, ask about their job role or how they typically start their day. This sets a relaxed tone for deeper discussion later.

Exploratory questions

These form the heart of your research. Write open-ended questions that dig into your research goals. Avoid leading questions or ones that can be answered with just "yes" or "no." Include follow-up prompts to help you probe deeper when needed.

Debrief

End your guide with wrap-up questions that help participants reflect on the whole discussion. This section often reveals surprising insights participants didn't mention earlier. Include questions about their overall thoughts and anything else they'd like to share.

After your guide is written

Review your guide with team members and run a practice interview. This helps you spot confusing questions or areas where the flow feels off. Remember to leave room for improvisation - your guide shouldn't feel like a strict script.

What is a discussion guide example?

Here's a qualitative discussion guide example for researching how people use food delivery apps.

Research Goal: Understand how users choose and order from food delivery apps

1. Introduction (5 mins)

- Welcome and thank you

- Overview of session format

- Privacy and recording consent

2. Warm-up (10 mins)

- Tell me about the last time you ordered food delivery

- What apps do you use most often?

3. Main Discussion (30 mins)

- Walk me through how you typically order food

- Tell me about a time when ordering didn't go well

- Show me how you'd order dinner right now

4. Wrap-up (5 mins)

- Any other thoughts to share?

- Thank you and next steps

How to create a good discussion guide?

A strong guide flows naturally from broad to specific topics. Start with your research goals and work backward. Write questions that feel conversational—avoid jargon or complex language. Each moderator discussion guide template should include time estimates to help you stay on track.

Discussion Guide Example Questions

Warm-up questions

1. What's your typical day like?
2. How long have you been in your current role?
3. What do you enjoy most about your work?
4. Tell me about your hobbies outside work
5. How do you usually start your mornings?
6. What brought you to your current company?
7. What's changed in your role since you started?
8. How did you get into this field?
9. What's your favorite part of your job?
10. What tools do you use most often?
11. What's your work setup like?
12. How has your industry changed recently?
13. What excites you about your work?
14. How do you stay organized?
15. What's your ideal workday?
16. What's your team culture like?
17. Tell me about a recent project you enjoyed

Exploratory questions

1. Walk me through your process for...
2. Tell me about a time when...
3. How do you handle situations where...
4. What frustrates you most about...
5. Show me how you would...
6. What's most important to you when...
7. How do you decide when to...
8. What would make this process better?
9. Tell me more about why...
10. How does this compare to...
11. What would you change if you could?
12. How do you feel when...
13. What's missing from...
14. Tell me about your ideal solution
15. How do you work around...

Product Usage Questions

1. How often do you use [product]?
2. Walk me through your typical workflow
3. What triggers you to use this feature?
4. Show me how you usually accomplish [task]
5. What's the first thing you do when you open the app?
6. When was the last time you used [feature]?
7. What other tools do you use alongside this?
8. How has your usage changed over time?
9. What's your favorite feature?
10. What workarounds have you created?
11. Which parts do you use most?
12. How do you organize your work in the tool?
13. What shortcuts have you discovered?
14. Tell me about your last session
15. How do you track your progress?

Pain Point Questions

1. What's your biggest challenge with [product]?
2. Tell me about a time something went wrong
3. What slows you down the most?
4. Which tasks feel tedious?
5. What makes you frustrated?
6. What's missing from the current solution?
7. Where do you get stuck?
8. What would you change first?
9. What feels clunky or awkward?
10. When do you need help from others?
11. What's harder than it should be?
12. What takes too many clicks?
13. Where do you waste time?
14. What's confusing about this?
15. What problems keep coming back?

Decision-Making Questions

1. How did you choose this solution?
2. What alternatives did you consider?
3. What convinced you to try this?
4. How do you evaluate new tools?
5. What's most important in your decision?
6. Who else influences your choices?
7. What would make you switch?
8. How do you compare options?
9. What's your must-have feature?
10. What makes you trust a product?
11. How do you research solutions?
12. What deals would attract you?
13. What makes you hesitate?
14. How do you justify the cost?
15. What risks do you consider?

Context Questions

1. Where are you when using this?
2. Who else is involved in this process?
3. What happens before you start?
4. What follows this task?
5. How does this fit into your day?
6. What other systems interact with this?
7. Who depends on your work?
8. What deadlines affect you?
9. How do you share your work?
10. What environment do you work in?
11. What interrupts your flow?
12. How do seasons affect your work?
13. What time pressures exist?
14. Who reviews your work?
15. How do you coordinate with others?

Impact Questions

1. How does this affect your work?
2. What changes when this works well?
3. How do you measure success?
4. What value does this bring?
5. How does this help your team?
6. What would happen without this?
7. How does this save time?
8. What problems does this solve?
9. How does this make money?
10. What risks does this reduce?
11. How does this help customers?
12. What improvements have you seen?
13. How does this affect quality?
14. What feedback do you get?
15. How does this compare to before?

Future State Questions

1. What would your ideal solution look like?
2. How could this be better?
3. What features do you wish existed?
4. How would you redesign this?
5. What would make your job easier?
6. What should we build next?
7. How could this scale up?
8. What would perfect look like?
9. Where should we focus?
10. What's missing from your toolkit?
11. How could this evolve?
12. What would surprise you?
13. What trends affect your needs?
14. How might this change?
15. What's the next big challenge?

Reflection Questions

1. What surprised you most?
2. What advice would you give others?
3. What have you learned?
4. How has this changed your work?
5. What would you do differently?
6. What's been most valuable?
7. What patterns have you noticed?
8. What misconceptions did you have?
9. How has your opinion changed?
10. What wasn't obvious at first?
11. What's become easier?
12. What still confuses you?
13. What do you understand better now?
14. What would you warn others about?
15. What's been most surprising?

Remember to:

• Adjust questions to fit your context
• Use simple, clear language
• Follow up with "Why?" and "Tell me more about that"
• Listen more than you talk
• Stay flexible - use these as starting points

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is an FGD guide?

An FGD (Focus Group Discussion) guide is a structured document that helps moderators lead group discussions. Unlike one-on-one interviews, a focus group discussion guide example needs to encourage group interaction and manage multiple voices.

How to write a focus group discussion guide?

Start with clear objectives and create questions that spark discussion among participants. Include activities that get everyone involved. Your moderator discussion guide example should have prompts for managing group dynamics and drawing out quieter participants.

How do you format a discussion guide?

Keep it clean and easy to scan. Use clear headings, bullet points, and plenty of white space. Include time estimates, key objectives, and follow-up prompts. A good discussion guide example is typically 2-3 pages long.

What is discussion guidance?

Discussion guidance refers to the framework that helps moderators stay focused while remaining flexible. It includes not just questions but also reminders about time management, key topics to cover, and techniques for keeping conversations on track.

How do you start a guided discussion?

Begin with introductions and setting expectations. A qualitative discussion guide example often starts with easy warm-up questions to build rapport. Make participants comfortable before diving into deeper topics.

Remember, your discussion guide is just that - a guide. Stay flexible and follow interesting threads while keeping your research goals in mind. The best insights often come from letting conversations flow naturally while gently steering them toward your objectives.