Template: Stakeholder Interview Notes

Purpose

To capture stakeholder insights, expectations, and constraints during the discovery phase of a design project. This ensures decisions are based on real business/user context, not assumptions.

Table – Stakeholder Interview Notes Template

SectionPrompt / QuestionNotes (Designer/PM fills)Sample Entry
Stakeholder InfoName & RoleWho is providing inputs?“Sarah – Growth Manager, ABC Corp”
 Project InvolvementTheir influence/decision power“Approves final design”
Business ContextWhat is the main business goal for this design?Capture their wording, not assumptions“Increase trial-to-paid conversions”
 What’s the biggest risk if this design fails?Reveals priority & pressure points“Lost credibility with investors, delayed launch”
Audience & UsersWho are the primary users/customers?“SaaS product managers, age 30–45” 
 What do they care about most?“Clarity, speed of setup, reliability” 
 What frustrates them today?“Too many manual steps in PRD creation” 
Design NeedsWhat kind of design deliverables are expected?“Landing page, onboarding flow, dashboard UI” 
 Any mandatory brand or compliance rules?“Follow existing brand guide; must meet WCAG AA accessibility” 
 Any inspirations or references you’d like us to consider?“Stripe dashboard, Notion landing page” 
Success & MetricsWhat does success look like in your eyes?“10% conversion uplift, reduced support tickets” 
 Who signs off on success?“CEO + Design Lead” 
ConstraintsTimeline constraints?“Launch in 3 weeks (before demo day)” 
 Budget constraints?“Fixed – part of existing retainer” 
 Tech constraints?“Front-end in React, backend APIs locked” 
Wrap-UpKey open questionsTo be clarified in alignment call“Is mobile version required for MVP?”
 Next steps agreedAction points from the discussion“Designer to prepare intake summary deck”

Usage Notes

  • Interview should be 30–45 mins max, focused on clarity.
  • Notes must be captured live in this template (not post-facto).
  • After interview:
    1. Convert findings → Problem Typology Matrix (EPIC 1.5).
    2. Validate via Discovery Alignment Call SOP (EPIC 1.9).
  • Store final notes in MIC → Project Folder → Discovery/Intake Docs.