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Steve Portigal

Goodreads Author

Born

Winnipeg, Canada

Website

http://www.portigal.com

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steveportigal

Member Since

July 2013

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Steve Portigal is an experienced user researcher who helps organizations to build more mature user research practices. Based outside of San Francisco, he is principal of Portigal Consulting, and the author of two books: The classic Interviewing Users: How To Uncover Compelling Insights and Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries: User Research War Stories.

He’s also the host of the Dollars to Donuts podcast, where he interviews people who lead user research in their organizations. Steve is an accomplished presenter who speaks about culture, innovation, and design at companies and conferences across the globe.

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Steve Portigal’s books

Average rating: 4.13 · 1,536 ratings · 137 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights 4.13 avg rating — 1,437 ratings — published 2013 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries: User Research War Stories really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 97 ratings — published 2016 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Occupied Minds it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Steve is Currently Reading

Steve Portigal is currently reading

Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It

by April Dunford (Goodreads Author)

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Feb 10, 2021 04:24PM

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It's Only Rock-N-Roll: The Ultimate Guide to the Rolling Stones

by James Karnbach

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Nov 11, 2017 05:24PM

Steve Portigal is currently reading

The Rolling Stones: It's Only Rock N Roll : Song by Song

by Steve; The Rolling Stones; Mick Jagger;

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Nov 11, 2017 05:23PM

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Steve’s Recent Updates

Steve Portigal rated a book really liked it The Bay of Noon by Shirley Hazzard	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
It certainly took me an extra level of focus to read this as her prose is dense and descriptive and digressive and it's not clear what - if anything - is happening, but as it progresses it picks up speed and specificity. Lots of things are implied an ...more
Nov 19, 2025 03:52PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Bay of Noon by Shirley Hazzard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Bay of Noon by Shirley Hazzard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Portigal rated a book really liked it The Best American Mystery Stories 2020 by Otto Penzler (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 06, 2025 11:44AM · like
Steve Portigal finished reading Phantom Road Volume 3 by Jeff Lemire	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 05, 2025 10:57PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Phantom Road Volume 3 by Jeff Lemire. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Phantom Road Volume 3 by Jeff Lemire <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Portigal has read House of Nanking: Family Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite Chinese Restaurant by Kathy Fang	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 29, 2025 04:10PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of House of Nanking by Kathy Fang. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — House of Nanking by Kathy Fang <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Portigal wants to read What the Dormouse Said: How the 60s Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry by John Markoff	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 29, 2025 03:20PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of What the Dormouse Said by John Markoff. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — What the Dormouse Said by John Markoff <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Portigal wants to read Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell (and Live) the Best Stories Will Rule the Future by Jonah Sachs	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 29, 2025 03:20PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Winning the Story Wars by Jonah Sachs. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Winning the Story Wars by Jonah Sachs <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Portigal wants to read Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing) by Jack R. Hart (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Steve Portigal wants to read The Trickster's Hat: A Mischievous Apprenticeship in Creativity by Nick Bantock	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 29, 2025 03:19PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Trickster's Hat by Nick Bantock. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Trickster's Hat by Nick Bantock <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Portigal wants to read Wallenberg: The Incredible True Story of the Man Who Saved the Jews of Budapest by Kati Marton	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 29, 2025 03:17PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wallenberg by Kati Marton. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wallenberg by Kati Marton <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Portigal has read Small Felonies - Fifty Short Mystery Stories by Bill Pronzini	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
DNF. After about 10 I felt like I got the point and was no longer enjoying these very short short stories
Oct 26, 2025 05:24PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Small Felonies - Fifty Short Mystery Stories by Bill Pronzini. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Small Felonies - Fifty Short Mystery Stories by Bill Pronzini <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Steve Portigal (?)

“Stories are where the richest insights lie, and your objective is to get to this point in every interview.”
― Steve Portigal, Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights

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“Nip Distractions in the Bud Tactically, make sure that you are not distracted when you arrive. Take care of your food, drink, and restroom needs in advance.”
― Steve Portigal, Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights

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“• Storyboard: An illustration, typically across multiple panels, depicting a scenario. I used storyboards (see Figure 4.4) when working with MediaMaster, a digital music start-up that was trying to choose among a number of different directions in their product development.”
― Steve Portigal, Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights

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Steve’s Year In Books

Steve Portigal’s Followers (151)

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Steve Portigal

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