Interviewing Users

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 people.

Review

Portigal’s common-sense guide to interviewing is an excellent primer on methods and techniques. The sidebars, case studies, photos, and illustrations bring the information to life. –Brenda Laurel, PhD, designer, researcher

Steve Portigal’s fast-paced, ultra-readable primer provides a common-sense approach to interviewing users that’s as inspiring as it is instructive. –Allan Chochinov, Editor in Chief, Core77

Steve’s book is based on his extensive expertise with qualitative ethnography, and is a must-read for students of design research. –Jon Kolko VP, Design, MyEdu & Director, Austin Center for Design

Steve Portigal’s fast-paced, ultra-readable primer provides a common-sense approach to interviewing users that’s as inspiring as it is instructive. –Allan Chochinov, Editor in Chief, Core77

Steve’s book is based on his extensive expertise with qualitative ethnography, and is a must-read for students of design research. –Jon Kolko VP, Design, MyEdu & Director, Austin Center for Design

About the Author

Steve is the founder of Portigal Consulting. In the past 15 years he’s interviewed families eating breakfast, rock musicians, home-automation enthusiasts, credit-default swap traders, and radiologists. His work has informed the development of music gear, wine packaging, medical information systems, corporate intranets, videoconferencing systems, and iPod accessories. He’s an accomplished presenter who speaks about culture, innovation, and design at companies such as eBay, Adobe, Nokia, Hewlett-Packard, and Dolby Laboratories.

Steve has lectured at Stanford University, Institute of Design, California College of Art, and UC Berkeley, and writes regularly on topics from interaction design to pop culture for Interactions, Core77, Ambidextrous, and Johnny Holland. He has a graduate degree in human-computer interaction from the University of Guelph and is an avid photographer who has a Museum of Foreign Groceries in his home.