Wow. It’s been two years since my first book Interviewing Users was released. Here’s a roundup of links to various bits connected with the book. If you haven’t already, you should buy a copy here! It would be fantastic if you wrote a quick review on Amazon here.

The Book

• Buy from Rosenfeld Media
• Buy from Amazon
• Foreword by Grant McCracken
• Excerpt from chapter 2
• The cover
• Acknowledgements
• FAQ
• Testimonials
• Images and diagrams

Reviews

• Web Designers’ Review of Books
• How To Interview Your Users And Get Useful Feedback by Garrett Moon, Founder of TodayMade
• Reviews on Goodreads
• QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association) Views Magazine (PDF)
• NEW: Reviews on Amazon
• Why You Should Read ‘Interviewing Users’ by Steve Portigal

Interviews

• NEW: transcript for Ask the UXperts: Using Insights to Inform Design & Innovation
• NEW: transcript for Ask Me Anything
• Tuesday #TechHour
• UX Discovery Session
• Wise Talk
• The eLearning Coach
• UX Magazine
• UX Matters
• UIE Book Corner (audio)
• 33 voices (audio) [summary slidedeck]
• UX Booth part 1, part 2
• Business 901 (audio)
• Huffington Post
• Ethnography Matters (and in Spanish)
• Interview with Denise Lee Yohn (audio)
• The User Experience podcast with Gerry Gaffney
• Steve speaks with Jared Spool about field research
• SpoolCast: Steve Portigal’s Interviewing Tips

Presentations

• NEW: Designing for Unmet Needs talk at Warm Gun (slides, audio, sketchnotes)
• NEW: Designing the Problem keynote at Interaction South America (video, slides, audio, sketchnotes)
• NEW: Denver UX Book Club (video).
• NEW: Interviewing Users at HOW Interactive Design (slides, Vimeo, YouTube).
• IXDA Los Angeles/LA UX Meetup – slides, video, alternate video, tweetstream
• recording of O’Reilly webinar #1
• recording of O’Reilly webinar #2
• A 5-minute talk about The Power of Silence

Other

• NEW: Tweets from 32 Awesomely Practical UX Tips
• NEW: Summary by Bree Straayer-Gannon of key takeaways from Interviewing Users (and other books).
• NEW: Epic FAIL – Takeaways from the War Stories Project (slides, audio, sketchnotes)
• All our 2013 writing about Interviewing Users.
• New York book launch party
• San Francisco book launch party
• Answers to questions from readers of the Usabilla blog
• War Stories
• Susan Dray’s reflections on the impact of the War Stories

And a welcome back to the work week to all.

• I’m onsite with a client all day today, running a workshop with ten leaders from around the world to dig into how they can better leverage their UX capability in product development. I’ve been interviewing these folks over the past few weeks and I’ll be starting this workshop with what I’ve heard from them, but then structuring the day so they are prioritizing the issues and creating possible solutions together. I’m expecting an intense and rewarding day.
• Soft Skills is coming up in San Antonio in mid-May, as part of Enterprise UX. I’m pretty excited about this expanded version of the workshop. Read more here and sign up, using PORTIGAL15 for a discount.
• Next week I’m in Houston to lead a two-day training workshop on user research. I can confirm that I’ve found donut, taco and BBQ options near where I’m staying, too!
• I am in pre-pre-production on another series of Dollars to Donuts. Right now I’m working on lining up a couple of additional sponsors.
• This Wednesday I will be answering questions about insights and innovation in Ask the UXpert.
• Ten years gone: From April 2005 – Bumblebee Entree-Style Tuna, SF cabs get touch-screens for some reason, Design without Reach.
• What we’re consuming: Top Five, Le Samouraï, Buttermilk Southern Kitchen, House of Lies

It sure is starting to feel like spring!

• I’m back from an exhausting and exhilarating week of interviews in Boston. 21 people in 4 days is a more intense schedule than I’d normally plan for but it’s just how things worked out. Back a few days and already the transcripts are pouring in!
• This week I’m wrapping up conversations with stakeholders and digging into the final details for next week’s workshop (with another organization).
• The soft skills workshop sold out at Interaction 15 and I’m getting inquiries about running the workshop again in a few different locations. Meanwhile, it’s coming up soon as part of Enterprise UX. Use discount PORTIGAL15 to save when you register for my workshop about Soft Skills coming up in San Antonio in mid-May.
• I’m finalizing logistics and starting to dig into the detailed content for a two-day training workshop I’m leading for a big corporation in Houston in early May.
• I’m also planning a program to a really exciting research and strategy project and trying to outline a new article!
• I will be answering questions about insights and innovation in Ask the UXpert on April 29.
• Ten years gone: From April 2005 – Budweiser patriotism, Snapple-a-day, portion control packaging.
• What we’re consuming: We Put a Chip In It!, The Dutch Goose, Silicon Valley, Veep.

Well, happy Monday to all!

• Use discount PORTIGAL15 to save when you register for my workshop about Soft Skills coming up in San Antonio in mid-May.
• This week is mostly fieldwork in Boston, learning about how people search for information.
• I’ve got one more stakeholder conversation for an internal workshop, then a bunch on next Monday and then I’ll start planning the details of the workshop coming very quickly after that.
• I wrapped up 100 Doodles in 100 Days last week.
• Ten years gone: From April 2005 – Which salt is best?, AD:Tech conference report, cramming attributes into ice cream.
• What we’re consuming: Rusty’s Southern, Interstellar, House of Cards, True Detective.

Howdy Monday!

• I’m off for most of today, coming home from a long weekend in wine country in time to get on a conference call with the Enterprise UX Insight at Scale speakers to go over the draft presentations.
• Speaking of the Enterprise UX conference, you can use the discount code PORTIGAL15 to save some bucks off your registration!
• Still speaking of the Enterprise UX conference (really?), I’ll be reprising my Soft Skills are Hard workshop (sold out at Interaction 15). Don’t forget: PORTIGAL15!
• Speaking of soft skills (really????), I’ll be part of the People Skills for UX virtual conference on May 27. I’ll be doing a session on listening, alongside Julian Treasure, author of Sound Business.
• Wednesday’s event, Moments of Influence is wait-list only at this point.
• I’ll be leading an interactive session about improv and creativity at RE:DESIGN/UXD in San Francisco on May 19.
• We’re getting ready for interviews in Boston in a couple of weeks, helping our client set up the interviews and finalizing our approach for those sessions.
• Ten years gone: From March 2005 – Writing, briefly, Star Wars candy, Ron Jeremy’s mobile service, Photoshop firings.
• What we’re consuming: Johnny Doughnuts, wine, TIE Fighter.

Happy Spring!

• It’s one of those weeks where we wrap up a project. I’m not taking the lead on this, but am dipping into the process constantly to see where the presentation is at, giving feedback and other edits, and checking in with the client to see if we’re tracking on their goals. Phew!
• It’s a short week I take an extra long weekend in wine country this weekend.
• One project kicked off last week and we’re now setting up interviews on their campus in April and figuring out what we need to be talking about. At the same time, the team is looking for industry experts and doing some secondary research in the space. It’s shaping up to be a great collaboration.
• Only a few tickets remain for for Moments of Influence, an interactive talk I’m doing with Dan Szuc and Jo Wong of Apogee.
• I’ve already had a good conversation today about my workshop Soft Skills Are Hard, part of the Enterprise UX conference this May in San Antonio. Please join me and also spread the word!
• Check out these video highlights from my World IA Day workshop The Designer is Present.
• I’ve just posted the latest 10 doodles.
• On Thursday I’ll be listening to Josh Seiden’s webinar Beyond Brainstorming: Create Breakthrough Ideas for Innovation.
• Ten years gone: From March 2005 – vivid colors for your pet.
• What we’re consuming: Birdman, Cookie Monster, Life Coach, Enter Sandman, Cowboy Fishing Co..

• My agency client is working diligently to get a draft presentation together. I’m helping to shape the insights and implications and to ensure they are well-articulated. We’re in the home stretch.
• I’m kicking off two projects this week. In one I’ll be guiding a client team as they plan for, conduct, and analyze ethnographic research. In another, I’ll be partnering with a couple of other small consultancies in a project that follows on some work I did with this same client last year. It looks like travel to Boston and Las Vegas will be coming up in the next little while!
• I’ll also be in Houston in May to lead a two-day user research workshop onsite for a client.
• Also in Texas in May, I’ll be part of the Enterprise UX conference in San Antonio. I’ll be leading an extended version of my workshop Soft Skills Are Hard. You should join us!
• Coming up in a few weeks in San Francisco, I’ll be presenting Moments of Influence, in collaboration with Dan Szuc and Jo Wong of Apogee. We’re starting to plot our topics and some exercises as well.
• Ten years gone: From March 2005 – creaky neighbor car, no sugar – no difference, apple tasting notes.
• What we’re consuming: Hapa ramen, Chuck Klosterman, Steve’s ice cream.

Happy March, everyone!

• I head to San Jose tomorrow to meet with our client team and talk about what we’ve learned so far and lead a discuss about where we can focus the analysis to ensure the research will provide the most value to the team.
• The rest of this week is heavily focused on about a dozen engagements in various phases of conversation, budgeting, waiting, scheduling, negotiating, sourcing and the like. It’s a bit overwhelming but at the same time very welcome.
• Video from my World IA Day DC workshop, The Designer is Present, is here (and the slides are here).
• Just announced, I’ll be doing a new talk, Moments of Influence, in collaboration with Dan Szuc and Jo Wong of Apogee. The event is April 1 in San Francisco, organized by IxDA SF.
• I’m interviewed by Lou Rosenfeld in this brief podcast about the upcoming Enterprise UX conference.
• Out on the town: On Wednesday evening I’ll be at the launch party for Indi Young’s new book Practical Empathy.
• Ten years gone: From March 2005 – Blobjects exhibit, Shopdropping culinary misadventures via Deadprogrammer’s Cafe, Eames sell out
• What we’re consuming: Cookie Monster wisdom, Gone Girl, ticklish hedgehog, Force Majeure.

• I’m at home this week after a fun but frigid trip to DC last week. I spoke at 18F about The Power of Bad Ideas. The video is here although I understand a properly captioned video is coming soon.
• I also led a workshop at World IA Day DC. It was a fun and interactive session called The Designer is Present. The slides are here and an edited video is coming soon.
• We’re planning a quick client workshop to help uncover what’s the most compelling direction to be uncovering in the remaining weeks of an ongoing diary study and interviews. We’ve got some pretty strong insight now and it could go in a few different directions but their interest and ability to act is undoubtedly varied for each.
• On Dollars to Donuts last week I spoke to Carol Rossi of Edmunds.com. That wraps up the first series. If you want more, one way to help would be to leave a review on iTunes.
• This Thursday, I will be one of several panelists at UX Careers 2015: Where is the field headed and how do you stay current?.
• Ten years gone: From February 2005 – Letting go of TV shows that are past their prime..
• What we’re consuming: xylophone Zeppelin, Green Pig Bistro, Megatron/Matrix, Bayou Bakery, Sleater-Kinney and Bob’s Burgers, Bakeshop, Bosch, Pupatella.

• It’s a holiday in the U.S., but I’m using this as a work day to try and get caught up. Last week, with the Interaction conference (and my Soft Skills workshop) and my talk at the Design Writing summit, put me behind.
• I’m headed to DC this Thursday. On Friday I’ll be speaking about The Power of Bad Ideas at 18F, and on Saturday I’ll be leading The Designer is Present at World IA Day DC which will also be streamed.
• The agency I’m collaborating with is leading a bunch of remote interviews this week; we started last week (in a moment reminiscent of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the participant took delivery of a pizza during the interview). I’ll be sitting in on a few more this week.
• Last week on Dollars to Donuts my guest was Kerry McAleer-Forte of Sears. This week we’ll have our final episode of the first series, so stay tuned! If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, you should review it on iTunes.
• Out on the town: We’ll be at the first Design Museum San Francisco event on Tuesday night.
• Ten years gone: From February 2005 – My days as a Ticketmaster niterun operator, Forbes on customer input into product development.
• What we’re consuming: Dungeness crab deviled eggs, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, The Jinx: The Life and Deaths Of Robert Durst.

• I’m staying up in San Francisco for the next few days. It’s the Interaction 15 conference and in addition to my workshop on soft skills today, there’s a ton of interesting talks and a plethora of people to catch up with.
• I’m speaking about Beating the Blank Page at The Design Writing Summit this Thursday. It promises to be a unique event and I understand there’s still a few spots left.
• I was the guest for an AMA (“ask me anything”) in the UX Community on Slack. It was a fun conversation; you can check out a gently edited transcript is here.
• Maxime Fortelle has a nice writeup (in French) of Why read Interviewing Users by Steve Portigal.
• Last week we had two new War Stories! One from Jenn and another from Jen!
• Coming up in May is Enterprise UX in San Antonio. I’m doing an extended version of the soft skills workshop and I’m also a “theme leader” for the Insight at Scale track. I’m enjoying the collaboration with the speakers and expect a really stellar experience.
• Dollars to Donuts was dark was last week; we’ve had to reset some of the production but we’ll have a new episode on Wednesday. If you’ve been enjoying them, it would help if you give the podcast a rating/review on iTunes.
• Check out the latest 100 doodles in 100 day.
• Ten years gone: From February 2005 – Tiger Power cereal unboxing, unfortunate design for USB drive, Crayola food.
• What we’re consuming: 20,000 Days on Earth, Samovar, Veep.

• I had an epic week in New York City last week: happy hour with the Brooklyn UX folks, lunch at Etsy, a visit to General Assembly, the NASDAQ ProDesign conference, hanging out at the SVA Products of Design studio and a few meals with friends. But I’m glad to be back in the warmer climes of home and digging into my work here.
• My first priority this week is get the details finalized for my full-up workshop on soft skills, next week at Interaction 15. ‘m also doing this workshop in May at Enterprise UX in San Antonio.
• I’m not only leading a workshop at Enterprise UX, I’m also a “theme leader” for the Insight at Scale track. Today we have our first meeting together to look more closely at what each of the speakers intend to cover.
• Last week on Dollars to Donuts I spoke with Nancy Frisbherg of Financial Engines. If the production works out (I’m cautiously pessimistic at this point in the week) we’ll have another one on Wednesday. Meanwhile, you can find them all on iTunes and Stitcher.
• I’ve got a couple of projects in the sales process, others in the bureaucracy of internal purchasing departments. It’s a pretty good range of interesting collaborations and I’m just trying to be patient!
• I’m teaching a workshop on improv, in the interaction design program at CCA on Friday.
• I’m speaking about Beating the Blank Page at The Design Writing Summit on February 12 in San Francisco.
• I’ll be one of several panelists at UX Careers 2015: Where is the field headed and how do you stay current?, February 28 in San Francisco.
• I’ve been doing a doodle every day since January 1 and intend to go for 100 days. You can see the results here.
• Ten years gone: From February 2005 – Evite: effectiveness, semiotics, and etiquette, Extraordinary Ordinary Guy In Japan: How Do Things Change in Here?, Tony’s collections.
• What we’re consuming: Doughnut Plant, ramen, Dim Sum Go Go, Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner, Beecher’s “World’s Best” Mac & Cheese.

• I’m here today, giving a talk about The Power of Bad Ideas for the UX students at General Assembly. Then (Juno permitting) I’m off to New York, to attend the NASDAQ Pro/Design conference. On Wednesday, I’m doing a casual meetup in Brooklyn if you want to come and say “hi.”
• Last week on Dollars to Donuts (my new podcast with people who lead user research in their organization) I had a stimulating chat with Frances Karandy. Another episode comes online on Wednesday; you can find them all on iTunes and now also on Stitcher. If you want to hear the whole theme song, the track – and the background story – are here.
• I’m sitting on one War Story that just needs me to edit before it can go up, I’ve seen another draft that is very close, too. Stay tuned for more War Stories!
• I’m continuing to enjoy being an advisor to my agency client and talking them through not only the research tactics but also supporting their interactions with their client. It’s a nice way to add value, for me.
• Other projects coming up include advising a client with their research project and still getting my hands a little dirty with some expert interviews and collaborating on the synthesis work; organizing a networking event with industry leaders; facilitating an internal summit to help different departments look for ways to be more effective in their collaboration. I’ve also got proposals out for a couple of other projects so it seems like there’s a lot happening!
• They’ve fully booked my Soft Skills Are Hard workshop at Interaction 15 ! Looking forward to the whole conference and to the workshop. I’ll be doing a longer version at Enterprise UX in May.
• I will be leading a session about the writing process at The Design Writing Summit on February 12 in San Francisco.
• I’ll be one of several panelists at UX Careers 2015: Where is the field headed and how do you stay current?, February 28 in San Francisco.
• Ten years gone: From January 2005 – FreshMeat #23: Total Recall, logo hell, An amazing job title, The vending machine takes on the obesity epidemic, Crazy Valentine’s Day bear upsets mental health advocates, Your Call (and Rants on Hold) Will Be Monitored, Captured fugitive was living in stores, Wacky Warning Labels.
• What we’re consuming: Ida, Kin Khao, 100 Doodles in 100 Days, Dr. Katz live.

• It’s a holiday today (MLK day) for some folks in the US. But we’re working today.
• Last week on Dollars to Donuts, my new podcast with people who lead user research in their organization, I had a great conversation with Alex Wright of Etsy. Another episode drops on Wednesday; you can find them all on iTunes.
• Video from my talk on Interviewing Users from the HOW Interactive Design conference is now on YouTube and Vimeo.
• My agency collaboration is going well; their client is doing some interesting work and the research is going to help unpack expectations around a few similar-seeming value propositions. This week they’re planning to start screening for participants across the country who will fill out diaries over several weeks.
• I’ve got the green light (at least the green light that means let’s begin the paperwork) from a client team to advise them through some in-home fieldwork. I’ll be doing some interviews with experts at the same time, and we’ll all come together and synthesize the results into…something! It’s a really nice group and we’ve been looking for a chance to work together for a few months now.
• Soft Skills Are Hard, my workshop for Interaction 15 has filled up! Looking forward to the whole conference and to the workshop. I’ll be doing a shorter version for a bigger crowd at World IA Day in DC on February 21.
• Tomorrow is my rescheduled workshop on improv, collaboration and creativity at GreatSchools in Oakland.
• Next week I’m doing a lunch-hour session with the UX students at General Assembly. We’re going to talk about the Power of Bad Ideas.
• Also next week, I’ll be New York to attend the Pro/Design conference.
• Ten years gone: From January 2005 – Dubious pancake mix FAQ, Titan Probe Drops Into ‘Creme Brulee’-Like Surface.
• What we’re consuming: Keep on Keepin’ On, Brenda’s Meat & Three, 100 Doodles in 100 Days, Boyhood.