Better User Experience Podcast #25: Data Logging and How To Do Free Online Competitor Research

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Listen in for how to do free online competitor research

Today we hit what feels like a big milestone: 25 episodes. As far as calendar weeks go, 25 weeks isn’t anything special. It’s not quite half a year. But still, for some reason 25 episodes feels like something worth celebrating. So celebrate we did with a DOUBLE FEATURE podcast! That’s right… #25 is a podcast of epic proportions. (And we mean ‘epic’ in the original sense of the word, not the new meme-style sense of the word that seems to have infected everything so epically.)

The first half of the monster two and a half hour podcast is dedicated to talking out the subject of data logging – a topic which Newman tackled last Friday. Then the second half, we cut to a screencast (available below) and talk through how to do good free competitive user research. The way we see it, there’s no reason to start conducting research after you get a website. Start with your competitors. See what they’ve figured out and what they haven’t figured out.

It’s a long one but a good one, so please, join us.

Oh, and I’m sorry for that lame sound effect around the 44 second mark. That was bad editing on my part. Think of it as residual excitement from last week’s podcast. (Listen to the intro to find out why.)

Smoothie of the Week: The Spanish Inquisition

Called the Spanish Inquisition for its red color and the fact that you don’t expect a smoothie with that much unripe fruit in it to be any good. And yet it is. The frozen raspberries really make this drink so be sure to use plenty.

handful of spinach
bosc pear (unripe — good flavor but texture of an apple)
semi ripe banana
unripe pineapple
palm sugar (optional)
frozen raspberries
ice

You know the deal: blend the spinach and up to a half a cup of water until well pulverized. Add the fruit and blend well. Add the ice and blend until smooth. Drink while reciting Monty Python lines*.

*That last part is optional.