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Open-Ended Qualitative Feedback

Open-Ended Qualitative Feedback refers to written responses from users that express their thoughts, feelings, experiences, or make suggestions in their own words.

It provides contextual insight with dimensionality beyond what quantitative metrics can capture.

Open-ended qualitative feedback is free-text input solicited through surveys, interviews, or feedback forms where users are not limited by predefined answer choices.

Commonly Used Prompts:

• “What did you like most about your experience today?”
• “Is there anything we could improve?”
• “Tell us why you gave this rating.”

What is Open-Ended Qualitative Feedback?

Open Format

Responses can vary in length, tone, and subject.

High Contextual Value

Reveal natural software and interface usage.

Exploratory and Generative Insights

Use in discovery and post-launch phases.

Scope Flexibility

Address product, service, UX, branding, or emotional response data.

How is Qualitative Feedback Used?

Theme Discovery (also know as Frequency Coding)

Identify recurring issues or desires not visible in quantitative data.

Feature Ideation

Source product suggestions or use-case expansions directly from users.

Sentiment Exploration

To understand emotional drivers of satisfaction or frustration.

Voice of Customer (VoC) Programs

To align roadmap and messaging with real user needs.

How is Qualitative Feedback Collected?

• Post-survey follow-ups (CSAT, NPS, CES,)
• In-app feedback prompts, especially after key actions
• User interviews and moderated testing
• Usability tests and customer support transcripts