UR
Expert Interviews
A practical discovery method for bringing specialist knowledge, patterns, and risks into a project early.
How to use expert interviews to build understanding quickly in complex domains, uncover risks, and avoid solving the wrong problem.
Quick take
If you need deep domain knowledge quickly, speak to people who already understand the space.
Related Services
What it is
Expert interviews are a glossaryQualitative ResearchQualitative research explores user behaviours, motivations, and experiences through non-numerical data.Open glossary term method used to gather glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term from people with specialist knowledge in a specific domain, industry, or subject area.
They are used in UX serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service and glossaryProduct DiscoveryThe process of understanding problems before building solutions.Open glossary term to quickly glossaryBuildA build is the process of compiling and packaging code into a runnable application.Open glossary term understanding where internal knowledge is limited.
Unlike guideUser InterviewsDirect conversations with users to understand behaviours, needs and motivations.Open guide, experts are not representing typical glossaryUser BehaviourUser behaviour refers to how users interact with a product, including actions, patterns, and decision-making processes.Open glossary term. They provide glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term, patterns, risks, and informed perspectives based on experience.
The goal is to accelerate understanding, reduce blind spots, and avoid solving the wrong problem.
Expert interviews help you build understanding quickly, but they should inform direction rather than stand in for users.
When to use it
Use this method when you need informed glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term rather than direct glossaryUser BehaviourUser behaviour refers to how users interact with a product, including actions, patterns, and decision-making processes.Open glossary term.
It is most useful when:
It is less useful when:
Expert interviews are often used alongside user interviews and secondary research to build a balanced view.
Key takeaway
Use expert interviews to build context quickly, especially when complexity, regulation, or specialist knowledge shapes the problem.
How to run it
Set up properly.
Before you start, be clear on what you need to learn about the domain, what type of expert you need, and how their expertise relates to your problem.
Choose experts with relevant, recent experience. Depth matters more than job title.
Run the method.
An expert interview should be focused and structured.
Start by understanding their background and experience. Explore how the domain works in practice. Ask about glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term, risks, and common challenges. Probe for examples and real-world scenarios. Challenge assumptions where needed.
Good questions: How does this typically work in practice. What are the common mistakes or risks. What do people usually get wrong. What should we be aware of early. What would you do in this situation.
Avoid treating expert opinions as absolute truth without glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term.
Capture and make sense of it.
The value comes from extracting applicable glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term.
Look across interviews to identify recurring glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term and themes, industry glossaryConstraintsConstraints are limitations or restrictions that impact how a product or solution can be designed or built.Open glossary term or standards, known risks or failure points, and areas of uncertainty or disagreement.
Use this to inform direction, not replace serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service.
What to look for
Focus on:
Where it goes wrong
Most issues come from:
Experts provide guidance, not ground truth.
What you get from it
Done properly, this method gives you:
Key takeaway
It helps you move faster without making avoidable mistakes.
Get in touch
If this sounds like something you need, we can help you get up to speed quickly and make informed decisions from the start.
No guesswork. No assumptions. Just clear direction you can act on.
FAQ
Common questions
A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this method.
What are expert interviews in UX?
Expert interviews are a serviceUser ResearchUnderstand user behaviour, validate ideas, and make clearer product decisions with evidence you can act on.Open service method used to gather glossaryInsightAn insight is a meaningful understanding that explains why something is happening and what it means.Open glossary term from people with specialist knowledge in a domain relevant to a product or glossaryServiceA service is a component or function that performs a specific task within a system.Open glossary term.
When should you use expert interviews?
Use them when entering a new domain, dealing with complex glossarySystemA system is a collection of interconnected components that work together to achieve a specific function or outcome.Open glossary term, or when you need informed glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term quickly.
What is the difference between expert interviews and user interviews?
Expert interviews provide domain knowledge and glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term, while guideUser InterviewsDirect conversations with users to understand behaviours, needs and motivations.Open guide focus on real glossaryUser BehaviourUser behaviour refers to how users interact with a product, including actions, patterns, and decision-making processes.Open glossary term and experiences.
How many expert interviews do you need?
Usually 3 to 6 experts are enough to identify strong glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term, depending on the complexity of the domain.
Can expert interviews replace user research?
No. They provide glossaryContextThe surrounding conditions that shape behaviour and decisions.Open glossary term and guidance, but they do not reflect actual glossaryUser BehaviourUser behaviour refers to how users interact with a product, including actions, patterns, and decision-making processes.Open glossary term.