{"id":663897,"date":"2018-11-19T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2018-11-19T17:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-blog-post&p=663897"},"modified":"2020-06-02T17:16:57","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T00:16:57","slug":"great-reads-from-microsoft-research","status":"publish","type":"msr-blog-post","link":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/articles\/great-reads-from-microsoft-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Great reads from Microsoft Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Melissa DeCapua (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Large<\/p>\n

What do we love even more than good ideas? Fantastic books that\u2019re stu\ufb00ed full of them!<\/h3>\n

The winter season\u2019s such a good time to be a reader \u2014 whether you\u2019re jet setting, hibernating, or just treating yourself to a little time of your own. Researchers at Microsoft did some looking to find a few of our favorites for the holidays, and do we have a list for you! From pop culture to practical ethnography, there\u2019s something here for everyone. Our researchers had so many great contributions that we had to make two different lists. Look forward to part two of this series in the coming weeks!<\/p>\n

Check out some of our favorites \u2014 for both giving and getting \u2014 below.<\/p>\n

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When Co\ufb00ee and Kale Compete, by\u00a0<\/em>Alan Klement<\/em><\/a>
\nRecommended by\u00a0<\/em>Ronette Lawrence<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMy go-to!\u201d says Ronette. \u201cThe book provides a great way to understand what job the user is hiring your product to do \u2014 a key part of our work here in user research.\u201d In particular, Ronette loves the \u201cjobs to be done\u201d framework presented in\u00a0Co\ufb00ee & Kale<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>which o\ufb00ers an insightful way to provide clarity and user centricity in tech-led conversations.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe theory of Customer Jobs and the idea that customers buy a product to complete a Job to be Done, help us understand all the creative destruction around us. Even though solutions and technologies come and go, the customer\u2019s desire for self-betterment is always there<\/em>.\u201d\u2014Alan Klement<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Visual Thinking for Design, by\u00a0<\/em>Colin Ware<\/em><\/a>
\nRecommended by\u00a0<\/em>Michael Van Waardhuizen<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Colin Ware might be better known for his textbooks, but this slimmer volume packs just as much punch. It reads as a standalone summary of the science of how we perceive design, getting right to the roots of visual design, information architecture, focus, and the patterns that underlie all visual interfaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of those books that feels like it has the components of magic spells,\u201d says Michael.\u00a0As a user researcher, he knows all too well that visual communication almost always outperforms text, especially in interfaces. \u201cThis book enabled me to communicate better with designers, and develop much more robust recommendations for design.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Practical Ethnography: A Guide to Doing Ethnography in the Private Sector, by\u00a0<\/em>Sam Ladner<\/em><\/a>
\nRecommended by\u00a0<\/em>Meghan Stockdale<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

True step-by-step guidance is Meghan\u2019s favorite part of this research essential. \u201cIf you work in the research field, you should have this book!\u201d she says. The content focuses on ethnography and its related skillset in an enterprise setting \u2014 the world of user research.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom scoping studies to managing stakeholders, what to bring with you into the field, and how to connect your insights to business goals and bottom lines, I refer to it time and time again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book sets itself apart by distinctly focusing on good ethnography beyond the constraints of academia:<\/p>\n

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\u201cBecoming a good private sector ethnographer means you must understand your research method and be able to explain it to your clients and stakeholders. Practically speaking, this means you must know how to do ethnography but also how to think about ethnography. It demands a higher order of understanding.<\/em>\u201d\u2014Sam Ladner<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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All I Did Was Ask: Conversations with Writers, Actors, Musicians, and Artists, by\u00a0<\/em>Terry Gross<\/em><\/a>
\nRecommended by\u00a0<\/em>Anil Shankar<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe title says it all: All I Did Was Ask,\u201d says Anil. \u201cYou can witness and learn the active listening style from one of the best interviewers on NPR.\u201d Terry Gross\u2019s curiosity and openness make for some of the most interesting interviews in modern broadcasting. Anil cites her book as genuinely improving the reader\u2019s skill to simply listen \u2014 how good listening works, how to improve, and what might be missing in your conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also a great way to learn more about the renowned personalities interviewed in the book. They candidly share their personal stories. In the process, you can actually observe how Terry builds trust and gradually helps the interviewee to share interesting insights.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Set Phasers on Stun: And Other True Tales of Design, Technology, and Human Error, by S.M. Casey
\nRecommended by\u00a0<\/em>Ashley Ferguson<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Perhaps, like our team, you\u2019re fascinated by user research \u2014 but maybe you\u2019re just looking for a good read. Ashley recommends\u00a0Set Phasers on Stun\u00a0<\/em>as an interesting, open-ended collection of stories to engage just about anyone.<\/p>\n

The book is actually a compilation of 20 unique stories, all true, about technology \u2014 anything from spacecraft to medical equipment.\u00a0It stresses the essential value of human-centered design.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fascinating how designing things without true focus on humans can have disastrous results,\u201d says Ashley. \u201cI actually read this book as an undergrad studying psychology, and it led me to where I am today!\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you have any go-to good reads for this season? Has the team highlighted any of your favorites? Let me know. We\u2019re always looking for wonderful new books.<\/p>\n

Share your favorite titles and tweet me <\/strong>@MelissaDeCapua<\/a>\u00a0or my team\u00a0<\/strong>@MicrosoftRI<\/a>! Like us on Facebook (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a> and join the conversation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Melissa DeCapua works as a program manager and uses her background in psychiatry and fine arts to build programs, conduct qualitative research, and design services.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you’re looking for help in leveling up your user researcher knowledge, or just a quick read to help pass the time, here’s a list of books compiled by our user researchers. Enjoy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39057,"featured_media":663966,"template":"","meta":{"msr-url-field":"","msr-podcast-episode":"","msrModifiedDate":"","msrModifiedDateEnabled":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_classifai_error":"","msr-content-parent":616842,"msr_hide_image_in_river":0,"footnotes":""},"research-area":[],"msr-locale":[268875],"msr-post-option":[],"class_list":["post-663897","msr-blog-post","type-msr-blog-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","msr-locale-en_us"],"msr_assoc_parent":{"id":616842,"type":"group"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/663897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/msr-blog-post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39057"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/663897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":663975,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/663897\/revisions\/663975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/663966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=663897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"msr-research-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research-area?post=663897"},{"taxonomy":"msr-locale","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-locale?post=663897"},{"taxonomy":"msr-post-option","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-post-option?post=663897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}