{"id":674706,"date":"2018-12-17T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2018-12-17T17:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-blog-post&p=674706"},"modified":"2020-07-13T11:50:15","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T18:50:15","slug":"more-great-holiday-reads-from-microsoft-research","status":"publish","type":"msr-blog-post","link":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/articles\/more-great-holiday-reads-from-microsoft-research\/","title":{"rendered":"More great holiday reads from Microsoft Research"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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Note: This article was originally published on Dec. 17, 2018, on Medium<\/p><\/div>\n

Our first list<\/a> just wasn\u2019t enough, so here are a few additional books we\u2019re reading this season!<\/h3>\n

Reading in wintertime is just the best. We love a good book for killing time in the airport, cozying up on the couch, and freeing our minds from the hustle and bustle for just a minute\u2014don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n

We asked Microsoft researchers to select some books they love, and they didn\u2019t disappoint! Check out the list below for lots of design and storytelling insight, and maybe a title to add to your wish list this holiday.<\/p>\n

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About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design, by\u00a0<\/em>Alan Cooper<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Recommended by\u00a0<\/em>Amanda Snellinger<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

This book is written for designers: it\u2019s a step-by-step course through the full human-centered design process. The author emphasizes that user research is an essential component of each step of the design process and creating great work, from generative to evaluative.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the most compelling argument for user research I\u2019ve ever read,\u201d says Amanda. \u201cI\u2019m an anthropologist, and this book fueled my transition into user research. I interpret culture and society as the lens through which others see and experience the world, and this book showed me how the research methods I was using could be used to design products that enable people to become what they aspire to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights, by\u00a0<\/em>Steve Portigal<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Recommended by\u00a0<\/em>Thom Gable<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cInterviewing Users\u00a0<\/em>was recommended to me by a mentor three years ago, and I\u2019ve read it multiple times since then. I gain something new from each reading. It\u2019s a very approachable book that you can get through quickly, but it provides you with new techniques to apply to your own practice,\u201d says Thom.<\/p>\n

The author gets into the finest points of great interviews, like leaving comfortable silences in a conversation\u2014and being genuinely comfortable about it. Thom especially encourages readers from a data-driven background to check it out, even if it isn\u2019t the first book they may approach.<\/p>\n

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Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, by\u00a0<\/em>Nir Eyal<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Recommended by\u00a0<\/em>Kent Lowry<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

How do we design to grab attention? How do successful companies create products people can\u2019t put down? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us?<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Hooked,\u00a0<\/em>author Nir Eyal presents a four-step process built to engage and encourage the customer \u2014 that\u2019s right, an explicit strategy to keep them coming back for more.<\/p>\n

Using \u201ctricks\u201d such as building variable rewards into an experience\u2014like not knowing exactly what you\u2019ll see each time your return \u2014Eyal explains how to make an experience develop into a habit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis book provides useful guidance for overcoming the natural resistance that we humans have to change,\u201d says Kent. \u201cBut even further, how to get people to embrace and stick with a new experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Man Who Lied to His Laptop, by\u00a0<\/em>Clifford Nass<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Recommended by\u00a0<\/em>Penny Collisson<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cSo many of the insights in this book are relevant to the development of great products, and are also very relevant to fostering strong human relationships\u2014at work and personally!\u201d says Penny. \u201cIt reminds me that so many of our research questions can be addressed by going back to the vast knowledge already amassed in the social, behavioral, and cognitive sciences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cli\ufb00ord Nass presents a journey through various research studies, all arranged around the core thesis that people react to technology much as they do to humans.<\/p>\n

Exploring a wide range of insights into interaction and user experience, the book draws readers into a deeper understanding of how they relate\u2014and can be better related\u2014to the people around them.<\/p>\n

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Storytelling for User Experience: Crafting Stories for Better Design, by\u00a0<\/em>Whitney Quesenbery<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Kevin Brooks<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Recommended by\u00a0<\/em>Laura Pacheco Castaneda<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The concept of great storytelling impacts all channels of modern design, communication, and user experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cStories are such a powerful communication tool,\u201d says Laura. \u201cI\u2019m amazed how they can help create a shared vision to engage others. Being intentional about the elements we include in our stories can magnify the impact we have in our interactions with users and stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen an audience is inspired to think about a solution in new ways through a story they have heard, they can take ownership of the story. Once they own the story, they can sculpt and develop it in their minds. More importantly, because they own the story, they are much more likely to take that action if the story suggests it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014Whitney Quesenberry & Kevin Brooks<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Did we mention any of your favorites here? Or did we miss an author you love? We want to know! You might also want to\u00a0check out our first list<\/a>\u2014it\u2019s loaded with good stu\ufb00, too, all straight from the team.<\/p>\n

What is on your reading list? Tweet me <\/strong>@MelissaDeCapua<\/strong><\/a> or\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>@MicrosoftR<\/strong>I<\/a> or 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":"

No matter time of the year, this reading list provides inspiration for user researchers and data scientists who are looking for something new to learn. With selections that cover various disciplines, readers will find titles that cover things like how to conduct better user interviews to tips on great storytelling. Happy reading, bookworms!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39057,"featured_media":674742,"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-674706","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\/674706","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":8,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/674706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":674751,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-blog-post\/674706\/revisions\/674751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/674742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=674706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"msr-research-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/research-area?post=674706"},{"taxonomy":"msr-locale","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-locale?post=674706"},{"taxonomy":"msr-post-option","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/msr-post-option?post=674706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}