User Experience Fishbowl

Purpose

User Experience Fishbowl puts a small group of people who have made progress on a shared challenge (the "fish") into an inner circle, where they talk about their experience while the rest of the group listens. It replaces second-hand reports and assumptions with first-hand accounts, generating empathy and actionable insights. Use it when know-how from people with direct field experience should reach others who face the same challenge.

At a glance

• Group size: 10–60 people
• Duration: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Facilitation style: Semi-structured
• Setting: Indoor / Remote-friendly

How to run

1. Setup (3 min): Arrange an inner circle of 3–5 chairs (for users) and an outer circle for observers. Explain the format: users will talk; observers will listen.
2. User conversation (15 min): A facilitator asks users open questions about their experience. Users talk to each other, not to the audience. Observers take notes silently.
3. Reflection (5 min): Observers process what they heard individually (notes, sketches, sticky notes).
4. Structured dialogue (10 min): Observers share what struck them using "What, So What, Now What" or a similar framework.
5. Close (2 min): Thank the users. Summarise key insights.

Materials needed

• Chairs in concentric circles
• Microphones (for large groups)
• Note-taking materials for observers
• Prepared interview questions
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Observers interrupting users — enforce strict listening in the fishbowl phase.
• Asking leading questions — use open prompts that let users share their genuine experience.
• Not preparing users — brief them on the format and assure them they are valued, not interrogated.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Choose users who represent diverse demographics and experiences.
• Brief users that they can share as much or as little as they are comfortable with.
• For remote: users appear on camera; observers keep cameras off to reduce pressure.
• Provide captioning or sign language for accessibility.

Variations

• Employee Experience Fishbowl: Internal staff share their experience with leadership.
• Rotating fishbowl: Different groups of users rotate in, each sharing a different perspective.
• Video fishbowl: Pre-recorded user interviews played for the group, followed by structured reflection.

When NOT to use this

Avoid UX Fishbowl when users might feel exploited or tokenised, or when the organisation is not ready to act on what it hears — inviting vulnerability without follow-through erodes trust.

Source & further reading

Developed by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless as part of Liberating Structures. See liberatingstructures.com.