User reserach makes me a better person
Over the past 2-3 weeks, I’ve had to do something I haven’t done in a year, User Interviews! I remember loving them, feeling in my element questioning people about their lives and being able to—nay, encouraged, to ask them why, why, why. When they were first scheduled, I was anxious as heck. It’s not like I hadn’t done them before, but I forget people make me anxious, making a good impression makes me super self conscious, and knowing at the same time I’d have to dig insights out of people for my work made me feel ever so slightly insincere. I told my my manager I was walking around with a constant silent scream in my head. It was hard for me to focus to my daily tasks when I had an interview looming ahead. The first interview was a blur, but I’d spent the whole time trying to understand the interviewer and panicking about having too much time left over. My first week was continually punctured with anxiety and anticipation. But after the 4th interview, I felt, comfortable again....