The Intersection of Product Design and Big Data with Natasha Irizarry

An interesting, entertaining, and wide ranging discussion with product designer, Natasha Irizarry. Natasha has quickly compiled some very interesting experience in software product design, some of which was gained while at OkCupid where she worked alongside Christian Rudder while he was completing his book Dataclysm.

Listen as we start with Natasha's perspectives on user experience design, experiments, strategy, and make our way to a discussion of the best selling "big data book": Dataclysm. 


Listen now: (download)

References:

Books we mentioned:

• Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We Think No One's Looking) 
• The Boy Kings: A Journey into the Heart of the Social Network 

User Experience Design (The MiiR Model) with Vera Polyakova

Bett and Russ speak with, Vera Polyakova, a very passionate user experience design specialist who, as you will hear, clearly spends a lot of time thinking about what it takes to make software products more engaging.

We touch on a wide range of topics related to usability and user experience.  Of special interest is the MiiR model Vera created.

About Vera:
Vera is the User Experience and Design Specialist at Lifedash, Inc. where she identifies company wide design principles, conducts psychology literature research, performs market research, and leads usability testing initiatives for all products. Vera has a unique background for someone focused on user experience at a software startup; her background is in Industrial-Organizational psychology and has a strong interest in leadership development and coaching.

Subscribe:

Stitcher:

Listen now:


Reading  recommendations:

Vera Recommended:
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action By Simon Sinek

The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change By Jennifer Aaker, Andy Smith

Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives By Laura Whitworth, Henry Kimsey-House, Karen. Kimsey-House, Philip Sandahl

Bett Recommended:
Conscious Business: How to Build Value Through Values By Fred Kofman

Figure It Out an article at Havard Business Review

Russ Recommended:
Switch-How to Change Things When Change is Hard By Chip and Dan Heath

Contact us at: miller.russ@gmail.com

Opposing Mindsets on User Involvement

Are you a user friendly architect?  What is your mindset with regard to including users and other stakeholders throughout the process?  Listening to this podcast will help you reflect on where you fall along the openness spectrum as Bett and Russ have fun debating what an architect's mindset should be toward user involvement.

Reading  recommendations:
Bett's recommendation -- Why Subtraction Is the Hardest Math in Product Design
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/01/the-simple-complex/

Russ' book recommendation -- Death March by Edward Yourdon

http://books.google.com/books/about/Death_March.html?id=FdAZUX9H_gAC

General advice on creating a good user experience:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa511335.aspx
Some good quotes on user experience:
http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/7688-30-user-experience-quotes-to-warm-your-soul

Other:
Link to the upcoming Developing Cloud Services Symposium in Tampa.

Contact us at: miller.russ@gmail.com