Creating an Interview

This guide walks you through creating a new interview in Third Ear — from selecting a creation method to previewing and preparing it for deployment.

 

1. Start a New Interview

To begin:

1. Log into your Third Ear dashboard.
2. Click Create Interview.
3. Choose your preferred creation method.

You will see three options:

• Interview Maker – Build your interview manually using the structured editor.
• **ThirdAI **– Generate a complete interview from a natural language prompt.
• Upload Template – Import an existing QSF or JSON file.

This flexibility allows you to start from scratch, accelerate with AI, or reuse an existing structure.

 

 

2. Choose Your Creation Method

 

Option A: Interview Maker (Manual Build)

Select Interview Maker if you want full control over structure and logic.

You will enter the Interview Editor, where you can:

• Add questions
• Organize sections
• Configure branching logic
• Customize messages

This method is ideal for structured research with precise flow control.

 

 

Option B: ThirdAI (AI Generation)

Select ThirdAI to generate an interview automatically.

1. Enter a clear description of your study.
2. Optionally define:
3. Click Generate.

The system will produce a structured interview draft, which you can fully edit before deployment.

Tip: The clearer your prompt, the stronger the generated structure.

 

 

Option C: Upload Template

Select Upload Template to import an existing survey.

Supported formats:

• QSF (Qualtrics Survey Format)
• JSON (Third Ear normalized format)

After upload:

• The system converts the structure into the editor format.
• You can review and modify questions before deploying.

 

 

3. Build and Configure Questions

Inside the Interview Editor, you can add different question types:

• Open-ended (Voice) – Participants respond verbally.
• Multiple Choice – Fixed answer options.
• Rating / Likert Scale – Scaled evaluation.
• Yes / No – Binary questions.

To add a question:

1. Click Add Question.
2. Select the type.
3. Enter the question text.
4. Configure answer options if applicable.

Questions can be reordered using drag-and-drop.

 

 

4. Configure Branching Logic (Optional)

You can make your interview adaptive by defining transitions.

For each answer, you may:

• Continue to the next question
• Jump to a specific question
• Jump to a section
• End the interview

This allows personalized flows based on participant responses.The system automatically:

• Detects circular transitions
• Validates target questions
• Prevents broken logic paths

 

 

5. Customize Interview Settings

Open Settings to configure:

• System prompt (AI behavior guidance)
• Welcome message
• Closing message
• Voice configuration (if enabled)
• Live transcript toggle
• Survey metadata (name, description, branding color)

These settings define how participants experience the interview.

 

 

6. Preview Your Interview

Before deploying, use Preview to test the experience.

You can:

• Simulate the full interview flow
• Test branching logic
• Check estimated duration
• Verify voice or text behavior

Preview helps ensure structural integrity before collecting real responses.

 

 

7. Save and Prepare for Deployment

Once satisfied:

1. Click Save Draft.
2. Review validation messages (if any).
3. Click Deploy when ready.

Deployment allows you to:

• Choose response mode (Voice / Text / Both)
• Generate invitation links
• Send email invitations

Your interview is now ready to collect responses.

 

 

Best Practices

• Start with a short introduction or consent message.
• Keep interviews between 6–10 minutes for higher completion rates.
• Use branching logic to avoid irrelevant questions.
• Always test microphone and preview before deployment.
• Keep open-ended questions focused and specific.

 

 

If you get stuck, open Support or reach out to your team workspace admin.