Steve Portigal is a veteran user research leader and consultant who helps companies mature their research practices. He’s the author of Interviewing Users, a classic in the field, and the host of the design leadership podcast Dollars to Donuts. In this conversation, we explore:
• how to use creative practices to develop your voice as a leader and storyteller
• how to be a smart consumer of research findings when you aren’t an expert in the craft of research
• one simple question leaders can ask to set their organizations to make the most of research
• and how to create the conditions for high-impact, effective creative work in your team
—
Topics discussed
(10:21) Experimenting with writing and finding one's voice
(15:47) Feedback model: GASP - goals, attempts, successes, possibilities
(19:53) Workshops, creativity, and self-doubt
(27:06) Embrace authenticity, find your unique facilitation style
(28:10) Appreciating different approaches, understanding executives' skepticism
(34:37) Engage with compassion
(39:29) Research is essential for informed decision-making
(49:01) Compassion and reflection are crucial for leaders
(50:48) Create a safe learning space for engagement
(56:03) Assessing code quality and marketing effectiveness
(01:00:39) Research raises questions, timing and deployment important
(01:10:31) Stay fascinated with the world around you
—
Links & resources mentioned
• Send episode feedback on Twitter @askotzko , or via email
• Steve Portigal: website, LinkedIn
• Book: Interviewing Users
• Podcast: Dollars to Donuts
—
Related episodes
• #3 Christina Wodtke: Unleashing potential with extraordinary teams
• #62 Sahil Lavingia: Independent Thinking & Pricing at Gumroad
—
Books
—
Other resources
• Great User Research (for Non-Researchers)
• When to Use Which User-Experience Research Methods
• Nielsen: Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit blog.makethingsthatmatter.com
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com