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Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights
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Interviewing is a foundational user research tool that people assume they already possess. Everyone can ask questions, right? Unfortunately, that's not the case. Interviewing Users provides invaluable interviewing techniques and tools that enable you to conduct informative interviews with anyone. You'll move from simply gathering data to uncovering powerful insights about
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Kindle Edition, 176 pages
Published
May 2nd 2013
by Rosenfeld Media
(first published January 1st 2013)
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Showing 1-30
Overview
My first entry into the Rosenfeld Media books was a hit. Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights by Steve Portigal digs into the world of market research and ethnography. If you're entering the world of user testing, I suggest first reading Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug. That book does a great job of providing a foundation and overview. Interviewing Users should be your second book of entry into user testing. It digs a little deeper into topics such as a) the sta ...more
My first entry into the Rosenfeld Media books was a hit. Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights by Steve Portigal digs into the world of market research and ethnography. If you're entering the world of user testing, I suggest first reading Rocket Surgery Made Easy by Steve Krug. That book does a great job of providing a foundation and overview. Interviewing Users should be your second book of entry into user testing. It digs a little deeper into topics such as a) the sta ...more
Finally got back to this. Great stuff.
Amazing book about user research. It's practical, it's full of examples, it contains short stories from the field, it also contains opinions from other researches and ... it's short :)
This is a must read for any researcher going out there and exploring other people's behaviors and attitudes in their day-to-day interactions with any given product/service.
Interviewing Users is a reference book that guides the researcher in the journey of conducting interviews from understanding their purpose and expected outcomes, to preparing everything, conducting the sessions, and finally analyzing the outcomes.
The book is well structured, comprehensive, detailed enough to act as a guide, an ...more
Interviewing Users is a reference book that guides the researcher in the journey of conducting interviews from understanding their purpose and expected outcomes, to preparing everything, conducting the sessions, and finally analyzing the outcomes.
The book is well structured, comprehensive, detailed enough to act as a guide, an ...more
Wish I had a chance to do more of this kind of thing.
Nov 21, 2013
Dave
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
designers, researchers, ux folk
Shelves:
for-design-and-ux-folk
Fundamental principles and techniques in qualitative research interviewing, interwoven with anecdotes from the author and other established researchers. Portigal lays out a general framework for interviewing, and discusses planning, conducting, documenting, evaluating, and reporting the interview.
While usability studies, ethnographic observations, and other members of the qualitative family aren't necessarily interviews, the book illuminates a sensible and effective research mindset for any for ...more
While usability studies, ethnographic observations, and other members of the qualitative family aren't necessarily interviews, the book illuminates a sensible and effective research mindset for any for ...more
This is an excellent book for training individuals new to interviewing. I'm currently using this book in a qualitative methods course I'm co-teaching for graduate students in design. However, as someone was originally trained how to interview in the qualitative methods courses that I completed during my public health graduate coursework, I highly recommend this text across academic domains as it covers all the basics in a clear and well-articulated manner.
Wonderful book chock full of practical strategies and helpful tips that only can come from someone with a ton of experience during this type of research. Steve Portigal's personality shines through wonderfully, making the book a pleasure to read.
Super quick read about practical tips for conducting product user interviews.
Some non-intuitive take-aways for me were:
- create a brain dump of presently held implicit context and beliefs about your topic, using this exercise as a ritual to empty out your mind before starting conversations with someone so that you've flushed out your world views
- people speak in paragraphs, and sometime its ok to respond by silence when someone has finished saying a blurb, to give them the permission to say the ...more
Some non-intuitive take-aways for me were:
- create a brain dump of presently held implicit context and beliefs about your topic, using this exercise as a ritual to empty out your mind before starting conversations with someone so that you've flushed out your world views
- people speak in paragraphs, and sometime its ok to respond by silence when someone has finished saying a blurb, to give them the permission to say the ...more
Lots of good info, but a little too focused on physical interviews
I highlighted and bookmarked a number of helpful things in this book, but it didn’t quite match my expectations, and I would estimate that only around half of the book was helpful for me. The problem here (and perhaps I just overlooked it in the description) is that this book is actually about interviewing users in their particular physical context. It’s all about making observations based on how someone interacts with their envir ...more
I highlighted and bookmarked a number of helpful things in this book, but it didn’t quite match my expectations, and I would estimate that only around half of the book was helpful for me. The problem here (and perhaps I just overlooked it in the description) is that this book is actually about interviewing users in their particular physical context. It’s all about making observations based on how someone interacts with their envir ...more
Practical guide to interviewing
The text provides a solid overview and coaching on performing interviews for research. The author is light on specific methods or approaches, but a library of tactics and principles is provided, encouraging the reader to experiment and practice. While not a systematic study, the positive tone is welcoming for a beginner and correctly identifies early pitfalls and how to overcome them.
The text provides a solid overview and coaching on performing interviews for research. The author is light on specific methods or approaches, but a library of tactics and principles is provided, encouraging the reader to experiment and practice. While not a systematic study, the positive tone is welcoming for a beginner and correctly identifies early pitfalls and how to overcome them.
Good introduction for people learning design thinking and ethnography, something I would consider for students. Not for practitioners, too basic. Think about "Moments of Impact" which isn't really about interviewing but much better for advanced users..
Not enough for the price
I bought this for approx $15 and finished the few pages in a few hours. Material was OK but not so to the point that it provided insights I haven't picked up in more extensive works such as Designing for the Digital Age.
I bought this for approx $15 and finished the few pages in a few hours. Material was OK but not so to the point that it provided insights I haven't picked up in more extensive works such as Designing for the Digital Age.
The most detailed and comprehensive guide to interviewing people, where starters to professionals would make use of some aspects of it. Definitely keeping it on my recommendation list to fellow designers / researchers.
Very digestible and surprisingly short(er) than what I was expecting, but length in no way is a similar reflection of the content. This was jam packed with fantastic learnings and advice that I'm thrilled to take with me in the field! Would HIGHLY recommend.
It took months to finish this.
I found about 20% of this book to be useful-insights-into-interviewing, and the rest just dragged endlessly with common sense rules for human interaction.
The writing isn't particularly witty or engaging either.
I found about 20% of this book to be useful-insights-into-interviewing, and the rest just dragged endlessly with common sense rules for human interaction.
The writing isn't particularly witty or engaging either.
Surprisingly, this book is not only a useful guide on how to interview users but also on how to talk to people in your life when you really want to make it about them, not you.
PS. Bought it after attending Steve’s workshop at Product Camp in Gdynia 2018.
PS. Bought it after attending Steve’s workshop at Product Camp in Gdynia 2018.
This is a good review of key components of a qualitative research study.
Great insights into user interview. Great read.
If you are experienced in conducting interviews, you can use this book as a quick knowledge refresher. You can find some useful and practical tips around the whole interviewing process.
I come back to this time and time again whenever I'm preparing for a round of user interviews.
excellent, detailed guides for design research
Light and focussed, provides an overview on th emost important skills just as the relevant mindset.
This is for the serious user researchers that want to define their craft. I read it, absorbed it but it wasn't amazing for my context.
Great book!
There are some basic ideas which make it a solid resource for people new to user interviews, and some great nuggets appealing to someone with more experience.
There are some basic ideas which make it a solid resource for people new to user interviews, and some great nuggets appealing to someone with more experience.
Just like the way we do researches.
I still look back as reference
I enjoyed the book. It's a concise, foundational tool for anyone interested in conducting user research for an organization.
great intro into user research. I wish there was a bit more in terms of analysing the data.
Steve Portigal is still the go-to guy if you want to learn how to do user interviews that can influence modern product design and development for the better. Read this book if you want to have a fighting chance in this increasingly user-centered world.
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“Stories are where the richest insights lie, and your objective is to get to this point in every interview.”
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“Nip Distractions in the Bud Tactically, make sure that you are not distracted when you arrive. Take care of your food, drink, and restroom needs in advance.”
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