Interview Guide: Digital Community Needs Research

Pre-Interview Setup

Can you tell me about your background – where were you born, and if you moved to the UK, when did you arrive?
How would you describe your heritage or cultural background?
What languages do you speak at home versus at work/in public?
Do you have family in other countries that you stay in touch with?

What social media platforms or apps do you use regularly?
How much time would you say you spend on social platforms each day?
What do you mainly use each platform for? (communication, news, entertainment, etc.)
Which platforms do you feel most comfortable expressing yourself on, and why?

Do you ever feel like you have to present yourself differently on different platforms? Can you give me an example?
Have you ever hesitated to share something about your culture, traditions, or background online? What made you hesitate?
Can you describe a time when you felt misunderstood or had to explain your background to others online?
Do you find it easy to find content or communities online that relate to your specific background or interests?
Have you ever experienced negative reactions when sharing aspects of your heritage online? How did that make you feel?
Do you switch between languages when posting or commenting? How do platforms handle this?

Do you feel like you have meaningful connections through social media, or do interactions feel more surface-level?
Have you ever found online communities specifically for people with your background? What was that experience like?
What size of online community do you feel most comfortable in? Small groups, large groups, or somewhere in between?
Have you ever attended real-world events that you discovered through online communities?
Do you feel lonely despite being active on social media? Can you explain that feeling?

If you could design the perfect social platform for people with your background, what features would it have?
What frustrates you most about current social media platforms?
Would you be willing to pay for a social platform that better understood and served your community’s needs? How much?
What would make you trust a new platform with your personal information and community connections?
How important is it to you to connect with people locally versus people with similar backgrounds who might live elsewhere?

Do you feel comfortable sharing your cultural background in professional networking spaces like LinkedIn?
Have you ever felt that your background was an advantage or disadvantage in your career, and how does this show up online?
Do you seek out professional mentors or networks that understand your specific background?

Do different generations in your family use social media differently? Can you give examples?
Do you use digital platforms to stay connected with older or younger family members? How well does this work?
Are there traditions or cultural knowledge that you’d like to preserve or share digitally?

How does your experience on social media affect your mood or sense of belonging?
Have online communities ever provided support during difficult times? Can you share an example?
Do you feel that expressing your authentic self online impacts your mental health positively or negatively?

What would you most want tech companies to understand about your experience as someone from your background?
If you could change one thing about how social media works for people like you, what would it be?
Is there anything important about your digital experience that we haven’t covered?