UX interface research
A product interview built as a form: cards, images and scales, including a block that records a video answer. The longest template in the research category.
Who it is for and when to run it
This template is for a product team that has a live interface and real users but no budget for twenty moderated interviews. The designer wants to know which of three home screens reads best. The PM wants to know where people look for export. One form covers both.
Run it before a redesign, after a big release, or when support starts getting “where is the button” tickets. Send it to people who use the product at least weekly: a first-day user can’t tell “awkward” from “unfamiliar”. An in-product message or a website widget shown only to signed-in users works well.
It takes 5–7 minutes, and the first screen says so. A study where people rank and sort things is never a 30-second survey, so be upfront about it.
What the template is made of
Every block in the order it sits in the builder. Branching decides which of them a given person actually sees.
- Help us make the product easier to use Text block
The intro sets expectations: how long it takes and that there are no right answers. Without it, people try to guess the “correct” reply.
- Consent to answer processing Consent
Required consent to use answers in anonymised form. It matters here because a video answer comes later.
- Getting to know you Section break
The “Getting to know you” section break moves people into the first topic.
- How often do you use the product? Cards
Usage frequency as cards: every day, every week, less often. You’ll slice every other answer by this, because a daily user and a monthly visitor see different products.
- How the interface feels Section break
The “How the interface feels” section opens the first-impression block.
- Which version of the main screen appeals to you more? Image choice
An image choice between three home screens: cards, list, table. Upload your own screenshots or mockups so people choose with their eyes.
- What matters more on the main screen? Pairwise comparison
Pairwise comparison of speed, information density, aesthetics and simplicity. A 1–5 importance scale would rate everything a 5; pairs force a choice.
- Describe the interface Semantic differential
A 7-point semantic differential from “Boring” to “Energetic”. It captures a feeling people rarely put into words.
- Interface description Semantic differential
A second scale from “Complex” to “Simple”. Together they map the interface: simple and boring is a different problem from complex and exciting.
- Information architecture Section break
The “Information architecture” section prepares people for the heaviest task.
- Sort the features into the sections where you would logically expect them Card sorting
Card sorting: seven features go into three menus. An open navigation test that shows where people expect “Exporting answers”, not where you put it.
- Put the features in order of importance to you Ranking
Drag-and-drop ranking of five features. It tells you what to protect when you simplify.
- Wrap-up Section break
The “Wrap-up” section signals the end is close.
- How likely are you to recommend the product? Slider
A 0–10 slider on likelihood to recommend. It isn’t the dedicated NPS block, but it uses the same scale, so you can score it the same way.
- Have you ever got stuck and not known what to do next? Yes / No
Yes/no: did they ever get stuck? A one-tap question that separates “fine overall” from “I got lost”.
- If you have a minute, record a short video with your feedback Video answer
An optional video answer. A minute of someone talking through the screen often explains more than every scale. It’s a Pro question type and can be deleted.
- Which three things would you fix first? Long answer
The three things they would fix first. The limit of three makes people prioritise instead of writing a wish list.
How to adapt the template
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Replace the placeholders in the image choice with your own screenshots. The template ships with empty image slots, and the question means nothing without pictures.
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Rewrite the card-sort cards as your real menu items and the categories as your real sections. Seven to ten cards is the ceiling before people start guessing.
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On the Free plan, delete the video block: the other 16 blocks use free question types only.
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Add a branch on usage frequency so “less often” users skip the card sort. On the canvas it’s one arrow from the frequency question.
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For a quick pulse, keep only the “How the interface feels” section and the final open question. One minute instead of seven.
How to read the results
Start by splitting answers by usage frequency. If daily users and occasional users pick different home screens, that isn’t noise: you’re looking at two separate use cases.
For the pairwise question, count how often each criterion won its pairs. The winner is what the redesign must not sacrifice.
Read the card sort by agreement. If half the people put “Website widget” in the survey menu and half in the main menu, the feature has no obvious home, which is a navigation task. A card everyone placed the same way is already where it belongs.
Go through open answers and videos last, in batches: write down recurring complaints and tally them. Three people saying the same short thing outweighs one long rant.
Common mistakes
- Sending it to everyone, including yesterday’s sign-ups. Their take on menu structure tells you little.
- Leaving “Option A” labels without images, so people pick a letter at random.
- Making every question required. Card sorting and video take effort; forcing them raises drop-off.
- Comparing semantic differential averages across waves when the mix of participants changed. Balance by usage frequency first.
Questions about the «UX interface research» template
What questions should a UX research survey ask?
Usage frequency, a choice between screen designs, pairwise comparison of what matters, emotional scales, a card sort of features into sections, a feature ranking and whether the person ever got stuck. The template already contains all of these; swap in your own images and cards.
How many participants does a UX survey need?
There’s no fixed number; it depends on the question. For open answers and videos a few dozen active users already reveal patterns. To compare segments, each segment needs enough people to draw conclusions. With a small segment, read the answers like interviews rather than statistics.
Can I run UX research on the free plan?
Yes, except for the video answer, which needs Pro. Pairwise comparison, semantic differentials, card sorting and ranking are free. Delete the video block and the whole template runs on Free, within 150 responses in total.
How is a survey different from usability testing?
A usability test watches someone complete a task; a survey asks what they think and expect. This template covers the second part: navigation expectations, screen perception and priorities. For the first you still need an observer or a screen recording.
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Do not start from an empty canvas
Open the catalog, take the closest template and rewrite the questions for your job. Five minutes instead of an hour.