[IxDA Discuss] Practical books for HCI practitioners

[Robert Barlow-Busch]

> I am looking for books that don't just talk about methods theoretically, but
> give a concrete process/procedure along with real life examples.

Suggest you check out "User Centered Design Stories", published earlier this
year by Carol Righi and Janice James. It's a collection of real-life case
studies, targeted at both practitioners and students so you'll get a dose of
theory along with practical methods. Amazon link:

http://tinyurl.com/39pnga

Haven't seen any reviews of the book yet. Anyone on the list able to
comment? I contributed a case study on personas, so my opinion's surely
tainted... <grin>

Here's an excerpt from my blog, if you're interested in more info.

-----

Each chapter in the book reads like a story, complete with characters,
dialogue, and in most cases a plot, which makes for an engaging and often
entertaining read. Carol and Janice encouraged contributors to follow the
Harvard Business School¹s Case Method, ³a detailed account of a real-life
business situation, describing the dilemma of the Œprotagonist¹ ‹ a real
person with a real job who is confronted with a real problem.² What¹s nice
about this method is that the stories include messy bits of reality, such as
ambiguous requirements, shifting objectives, and constraints such as limited
time, budget, or resources. These are not sanitized case studies that take
place in an idyllic and therefore imaginary world; these are stories from
the trenches, told by the people who experienced them. This makes
User-Centered Design Stories valuable to both students and seasoned
professionals who might be trying something new.

Further comments at:

http://chopsticker.com/2007/06/07/user-centered-design-stories/

----- 
Robert Barlow-Busch
Terapath Inc.
bbb at terapath.net
blog: www.chopsticker.com