The Importance of Contextual Research

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Steve Portugal: We really need to learn not only as user researchers, but designers and humans in general to embrace the awkward silences. Let's be more comfortable with ambiguity and let's get outside of our comfort zone far more often. The treasure chest is buried somewhere near where we ventured possibly in a humble 500 square foot clutter department reeking of burnt denti more stew. May we get really good at suspending our judgments and biases in order to better understand how to best serve our fellow humans.

Steve Portigal challenges us to enjoy the silence when interviewing people. He teaches us the importance of rapport-building, and offers sage advice on how to do it. He shows us how sticking with an interview even when it’s not going well can sometimes bring forth the best data. He also reveals how a little empathy can go a long way in field research.

Secret Identity (8:08)
Origin Story (12:19)
What drives your curiosity? (24:53)
Roberta 'call me Bert's war story (29:28)
What's Ethnography (the "E-word") (38:32)
Rapport-building tips (46:51)
Brian's war story (55:21)
UX Superhero Name (66:28)
Habit of Success (75:06)
Steve's Corset War Story (78:39)
Best Advice (84:53)
Contact Info (88:33)

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