Seeing people deeply is essential for creating emotionally resonant products and services. But reaching that depth means moving beyond conventional interviewing practices. In Inviting Depth , expert researchers Brandon Berry and Tom Williams take readers on a revealing exploration of what helps participants open up and share rich details about their lives. They show that the key to deeper interviews isn’t simply asking better questions—it’s creating experiences that reflect how people truly want to feel as participants: prepared, appreciated, engaged, and, above all, empowered to speak in their own authentic voice. More than a traditional research guide, Inviting Depth reimagines what interviewing asks of researchers. It introduces a participant-centered framework for conducting research in the AI era, urging researchers to double down on what humans do best: empathy, emotional attunement, and genuine connection. Drawing on years of fieldwork and a wide range of real-world examples, it presents 28 field-tested techniques that help participants feel at ease and share more deeply. What You’ll Learn While the importance of building rapport during interviews is widely understood, this book reframes it as much more than brief moments of friendliness. Creating authentic rapport requires deliberately supporting a broader range of experiences across the participant’s entire research journey. Inviting Depth will show you how to: Start building a connection with participants through the screener and an introductory email even before interviews begin - Design a pre-session activity that prepares them to share in depth - Create a glanceable and flexible discussion guide to support your connection with participants, while offering enough variety in activities to keep them engaged - Identify the participant’s starting emotions, and adjust your approach to address their needs - Build early momentum through small wins and strategically chosen topics - Encourage deeper participant introspection through reflecting, pacing, and giving space - Invite vulnerability from participants in a way that feels warm and caring - Bring out rich and layered detail in their stories without exhausting participants - Help participants recall experiences that are difficult to remember - Create a post-interview questionnaire that helps you improve future participant experiences and grow as a researcher - And much more… Who This Book Is For Inviting Depth is a field manual for those who want to hone their craft, whether you’re relatively new to interviewing or have years of practice and want to go further. It will be especially useful for: UX and design researchers seeking more meaningful conversations - Ethnographers looking to grow in their practice - Quantitative researchers who want to improve their interviewing skills - Product teams, including product managers, who want to build more inclusive, emotionally resonant solutions - Anyone whose work involves listening—really listening—to understand people more deeply "Practical, compassionate, and profoundly human, this book shows how small gestures—curiosity, transparency, humility—can unlock the depth every researcher seeks. It's a reminder that genuine connection is the most powerful research tool we have. In particular, as technology transforms how we gather insights, it reaffirms that empathy and presence remain irreplaceable." —Nicole Bacchus, Senior Director of Research, Thumbtack "Anyone who seeks to understand people—in design, business, or the social sciences—should read this book carefully, and more than once. I know I will." —Christian Madsbjerg, Author of Sensemaking: What Makes Human Intelligence Essential in the Age of the Algorithm "A groundbreaking book with clear, practical techniques for making the participant's experience of an interview better for opening up and sharing more." —Steve Portigal, Author of Interviewing Users "This book is a beautiful reminder that interviews aren't transactions or just a means to an end. Inviting Depth captures the intangibles that first drew me to the social sciences: human connection. It's what gives our work, and our lives, meaning. What resonated most with me is the book's deep reverence for the participant. Inviting Depth is an inspiring and necessary reminder that deep, authentic connections with interview participants aren't just valuable—they're essential to uncovering meaningful insight." —Vanessa Whatley, UX Research Director, Twilio "The skill of interviewing is usually taught as more of an art than a science, but Inviting Depth manages to articulate what often goes unspoken. The authors have delivered a deeply practical guide to the secrets of successful research interviews." —Brandy Parker, Senior Design Director, IDEO " Inviting Depth offers an indispensable path to put humanity back into research when it's needed most. The authors share 28 smart, practical techniques for practicing empathy—ones