Moderated Discussion Guide Generator
Session-ready moderator guide for usability tests, generative interviews, concept tests, or diary debriefs: timed sections, scripts, tasks with probes, concept reactions, and moderator reminders. Broader than a usability-only script; use Usability Test Script for a task-heavy usability template.
Use Case
Preparing live sessions quickly when you need timed scripts, probes, and moderator guardrails across study types.
Prompt
Act as a Principal UX Researcher and expert moderator with extensive experience running usability studies and user interviews.
Please create a moderated discussion guide for the following study:
Study Type: [e.g., usability test, generative interview, concept test, diary debrief]
Product/Feature Being Tested: [describe what participants will interact with or be asked about]
Key Research Questions: [list the 3-5 questions this study needs to answer]
Participant Profile: [brief description of who will be in the session]
Session Length: [e.g., 60 minutes, 45 minutes]
Platform/Format: [e.g., Zoom remote, in-person lab, unmoderated via UserTesting]
Prototype or Stimulus Available: [yes/no - if yes, describe briefly]
Please generate a discussion guide with the following sections:
1. Moderator Setup Checklist
Pre-session checklist (recording consent, tools check, prototype link ready, etc.).
2. Welcome and Intro Script (about 5 min)
Word-for-word script that establishes rapport, explains think-aloud if applicable, and reduces pressure to perform.
3. Warm-Up Questions (about 5-7 min)
3-5 open-ended questions about the participant's background and habits relevant to the topic.
4. Core Tasks or Interview Questions (about 30-40 min)
For usability: detailed task scenarios with plain, non-leading task prompts, 3-4 follow-up probes per task, and time estimate per section.
For generative/concept: structured discussion questions with probes and time estimates.
5. Concept Reaction Questions (if applicable, about 5-10 min)
Questions to gauge emotional and rational reactions to a design or idea.
6. Debrief and Wrap-Up (about 5 min)
Closing questions, space for anything missed, and a closing script.
7. Moderator Reminders
A short list of 5-7 moderation principles to keep visible during the session (e.g., pause several seconds after a task before prompting).
Use clear time stamps for each section. Write participant-facing language in plain, neutral second person ("You will see a screen that..."). Avoid leading questions.
Follow-up I may use: "Review this guide for leading questions and rewrite any you find" or "Rewrite tasks for unmoderated self-serve completion."How to use
- 1Share the guide with PM and design for a short review before the first session.
- 2Practice aloud - do not read robotically in session.
- 3For complex products, ask for easy vs. hard task variants to adapt live.
Pro Tips
- • Rewrite task scenarios into vocabulary your real users would use.
- • For unmoderated studies, insist instructions are fully self-explanatory.
- • This complements the site prompts "Usability Test Script" (task-heavy) and "User Interview Guide" (general interviews).
Tags
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