To figure out whether a question is better suited to an interview or a survey, think about the kind of answer someone would give.
If someone can answer a question with one of the following, it’s a survey question:
- yes/no
- choose from a list of the following
- rank the following (without added input)
- give a score to something
- select multiple options from a list
I interviewed Stripe product manager
Theodora Chu for my book, and one of the first things they do after writing the rough draft of a script is to make sure they haven’t asked any yes or no questions.
If the answer prompts context and explanation, it’s an interview question.
Oftentimes, it makes sense to use both. Perhaps your interviews have surfaced that people in your target audience send invoices multiple times per week. You could ask “How many invoices did you send in the last week?” with a range for people to choose from.