Text Interview Experience

Text interviews offer participants a familiar chat-style interface where they type their responses and read the AI interviewer's questions in real time. It is the ideal mode for participants in noisy environments, those who prefer writing over speaking, or situations where audio is not practical.

Choosing Text Mode

When a participant arrives at the interview landing page, they see a mode selector with Voice and Text options. Selecting Text and clicking the start button launches the chat interface.

If your project is configured for text-only mode, the mode selector is skipped and participants go directly to the chat.

The Chat Interface

The text interview looks and feels like a modern messaging app. Here is what participants see:

Layout

• Message bubbles display the conversation. The AI interviewer's messages appear on one side, and the participant's responses appear on the other.
• A text input field sits at the bottom of the screen where participants type their responses.
• A send button submits the message. Participants can also press Enter to send.
• The AI interviewer's name is displayed at the top of the chat for a personal touch.

Streaming Responses

When the AI interviewer replies, the text streams in word by word rather than appearing all at once. This creates a natural, conversational rhythm that feels more like chatting with a person than reading a pre-written block of text.

Participants can start reading the response as it appears and begin thinking about their answer before the interviewer finishes typing.

Conversation Flow

The text interview follows the same structure as a voice interview, just through a different medium:

1. Opening greeting. The AI interviewer introduces itself and the topic, then asks the first question.
2. Questions and responses. The participant types their answer, and the interviewer responds with a follow-up question or a new topic.
3. Probing and clarification. If a response is brief or vague, the interviewer asks for more detail. If the participant shares something interesting, the interviewer explores it further.
4. Natural wrap-up. When enough topics have been covered, the interviewer thanks the participant and ends the conversation.

The AI interviewer adapts its questions based on what the participant writes, just as it does in voice mode. The research brief you configured guides the overall direction, but the specific follow-up questions are shaped by each participant's unique answers.

Typing at Your Own Pace

One advantage of text mode is that participants can take their time. There is no pressure to respond immediately — they can pause, think, and compose a thoughtful answer. This often leads to more considered and detailed responses, especially for complex topics.

The AI interviewer waits patiently. There are no timeouts during the conversation, so participants who step away briefly can pick up right where they left off.

The Done Button

Participants can end the interview at any time by clicking the Done button. This is useful if:

• They feel they have covered everything they want to say
• They need to leave and want to end on their own terms
• They have run out of time

Alternatively, the AI interviewer will naturally wind down the conversation when it has gathered sufficient responses across all research topics. In this case, the interview moves to the completion flow automatically.

Message Length and Format

Participants can write as much or as little as they want per message. There is no minimum or maximum character limit enforced in the UI. However, longer, more detailed responses tend to produce higher quality scores because they give the AI interviewer more material to work with.

Participants can use line breaks within their messages for readability, but formatting like bold or italics is not supported. The interface is designed for natural, conversational text.

How It Compares to Voice Mode

Both modes produce the same output for researchers — a transcript, quality score, and AI-generated insights. The key differences are in the participant experience:

Neither mode is objectively better — the right choice depends on the participant's situation and preferences. That is why Koji lets participants choose.

Accessibility and Mobile

Text mode works well on mobile devices. The chat interface adapts to smaller screens, and participants can type using their phone's keyboard. Voice mode can also be used on mobile, but text mode is often more practical in public settings where speaking aloud would be awkward.

For participants using screen readers or other assistive technologies, the chat interface follows standard web accessibility patterns.

What Researchers See

As the study owner, completed text interviews appear in your project dashboard just like voice interviews. Each includes:

• The full conversation transcript
• A quality score reflecting the depth and relevance of the responses
• AI-generated insights, themes, and summaries

There is no difference in how voice and text results are presented or analyzed.

Tips for Encouraging Good Text Responses

When sharing your interview link and recommending text mode, consider these suggestions:

1. Set expectations. Let participants know the interview is a conversation, not a survey. Encourage them to write naturally.
2. Mention the estimated time. Knowing it takes about 15 minutes helps participants plan.
3. Reassure on privacy. If participants know their responses are analyzed by an AI and not read word-by-word by a human team, they may feel more comfortable being candid.

Next Steps

• Voice Interview Experience — how voice mode works
• Interview Landing Page — what participants see first
• Interview Completion Flow — what happens when the interview ends