Community Interview Template

Use this template as a starting point for your Ground Truth research. Adapt questions based on your problem area and interviewee responses.

Before the Interview

Preparation Checklist

Identify Your Interviewee Profile

Target Criteria:

Role/Occupation: _________________
Age Range: _________________
Location: _________________
Relevant Experience: _________________

Diversity Goals: Aim for variety in age, gender, occupation, income level

Interview Script

Opening (1-2 minutes)

Introduction:

“Hi, I’m [Your Name]. I’m participating in a community program where we’re learning about challenges people face in [area/topic]. Would you have 10-15 minutes to talk with me?”

Get Consent:

“I’d like to record our conversation so I can remember your exact words. Your name won’t be shared publicly. Is that okay with you?”

Consent given - Start recording
Consent declined - Take written notes only

Recording Start:

“This is [Date], [Time], [Location]. Interviewing [Role/Profile].”

Section 1: Background Context (2-3 minutes)

Purpose: Understand their daily life and context

“Tell me a bit about yourself. What do you do?”
- Follow-up: “How long have you been doing this?”
- Follow-up: “What does a typical day look like for you?”
“How long have you lived/worked in this area?”
- Context helps understand depth of experience
“What brought you to this work/location?”
- Optional, helps build rapport

Notes:


Interviewee Profile:
- Role: 
- Years in area: 
- Key context:

Section 2: Problem Discovery (5-7 minutes)

Purpose: Identify challenges they face

“What are the biggest challenges you face in your daily routine?”
- Let them talk. Listen 80%, talk 20%.
- Follow-up: “Tell me more about that.”
“Can you tell me about a specific time when [problem they mentioned] caused you difficulty?”
- Stories > general statements
- Follow-up: “What happened next?”
“How often does this problem happen?”
- Daily? Weekly? Seasonally?
- Understand frequency and severity
“Who else experiences this problem?”
- Understand scope
- Follow-up: “Is it worse for certain people?”

Use the “5 Whys” Technique: When they mention a problem, ask “why” multiple times:

Problem: _____________________
Why? _____________________
Why? _____________________
Why? _____________________
Why? _____________________
Root Cause: _____________________

Notes:


Key Problems Mentioned:
1. 

2. 

3. 

Notable Quotes:
- "                                    "
- "                                    "

Section 3: Current Solutions & Workarounds (2-3 minutes)

Purpose: Understand what they’ve already tried

“How do you currently deal with [problem]?”
- Reveals existing workarounds
- Shows what matters enough to create solutions for
“Have you tried anything else before?”
- Follow-up: “Why did/didn’t that work?”
- Understand barriers and constraints
“If you could change one thing about [problem], what would it be?”
- Reveals priorities
- But don’t take this as the solution—dig deeper

Notes:


Current Solutions/Workarounds:
- 

- 

What They've Tried Before:
- 

Why Previous Attempts Failed:
-

Section 4: Context & Constraints (1-2 minutes)

Purpose: Understand limitations and realities

“What prevents you from solving this yourself?”
- Time? Money? Knowledge? Access?
- Reveals constraints any solution must address
“How much would you be willing to pay to solve [problem]?”
- Optional but reveals value
- Follow-up: “Why that amount?”

Notes:


Constraints:
- 

- 

Willingness to Pay/Participate:
-

Closing (1 minute)

“Is there anything important I didn’t ask about?”
- Often reveals unexpected insights
- Lets them guide conversation
“Do you know others who face similar challenges I could talk to?”
- Snowball sampling
- Build network of interviewees
“Can I follow up if I have more questions?”
- Get contact (phone/WhatsApp) if appropriate

Thank You:

“Thank you so much for your time. This has been really helpful for understanding [problem area] better.”

Recording End:

“End of interview, [Time].”

Stop recording
Save file immediately
Back up to cloud storage

After the Interview (Within 30 minutes)

Immediate Actions

Review voice note - ensure it recorded properly
Expand written notes while memory is fresh
Write key quotes verbatim
Note observations (body language, environment, tone)
Upload voice note to cloud storage
Rename file: YYYYMMDD_Location_Role.m4a

Interview Summary Template


## Interview #__: [Role/Profile]
 
**Date:** ___________
**Location:** ___________
**Duration:** ___ minutes
**Voice Note:** [link]
 
### Interviewee Profile
- Role: 
- Age: ~__
- Years in area: 
- Other context: 
 
### Key Problems Mentioned
1. 
2. 
3. 
 
### Root Causes Identified
- 
- 
 
### Current Solutions/Workarounds
- 
- 
 
### Notable Quotes
> "                                         "
> "                                         "
 
### My Observations
- 
- 
 
### Follow-up Questions for Next Interviews
- 
-

Tips for Success

Do:

✅ Ask open-ended questions
✅ Listen more than you talk (80/20 rule)
✅ Ask “why” multiple times
✅ Request specific stories and examples
✅ Observe environment and body language
✅ Take notes even while recording
✅ Follow interesting tangents

Don’t:

❌ Lead them to your preferred answer
❌ Explain your solution during research
❌ Skip voice note recording
❌ Interrupt or rush
❌ Ask yes/no questions
❌ Be judgmental about their answers
❌ Only interview friends/family

Adaptation Guide

For Different Problem Areas:

Waste Management: Focus on daily routines, costs, health impacts Transportation: Focus on journeys, time, safety, costs Financial Services: Focus on money handling, trust, accessibility Healthcare: Focus on access barriers, costs, trust issues Education: Focus on learning barriers, resources, time

Adapt questions but maintain structure: Background → Problems → Solutions → Constraints → Closing

Download: Copy this template to your notes app before interviews

Related Resources: