UXnet

Focus Groups have always been part of the design research toolkit. Sometimes focus groups get a bad rap as too soft, or too biased, or not helpful enough. But, done effectively they can really help inspire innovation and guide the design process. Please join us for the March 24th NH UPA meeting where RIVA-certified Master Moderator, Kay Corry Aubrey, will share her expertise on moderating focus groups. RSVP to info@nhupa.org if you plan to attend so we can plan appropriately.

Kay will cover:

When it’s appropriate to run focus groups  (dispelling some myths and showing when and how it can work)
Where insights from focus groups fit into design research (capturing user trends, perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes on a product or service)
How to plan a group (putting together the moderator guide, crafting questions, designing activities, strategic use of group process)
What it takes to be a good moderator (and how being a good moderator also makes you a better interviewer)
How to deal with issues (keeping people on topic, ensuring no one dominates)
What you can expect to learn:

Gain an accurate understanding of the type of user insights focus groups produce
Where focus groups fit into Usability and UI Design
How to create hybrid studies that combine focus groups with usability testing, card sorts and other traditional research methods
Skills you need to run them
Where you can go to learn these (Kay will provide a bibliography of resources)
When:
Wednesday March 24th
Refreshments & Networking: 6-7pm
Meeting: 7pm – 8ish

Where:
PixelMEDIA
75 New Hampshire Avenue, Suite 100
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Please note: this is a new location for PixelMEDIA in the Newmarket International building on Pease Tradeport

About the speaker
Ms. Kay Corry Aubrey is the owner of Usability Resources, which specializes in qualitative research for user-centered design. Kay has 20 years experience in applying qualitative research methods and usability testing to technology products. She has led user research, usability, and design efforts for dozens of clients including AT&T, Avaya, Monster World Wide, the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Mayo Clinic, and Staples. She is on the faculty of Northeastern University where she teaches graduate courses in usability, user research, and interaction design. She is the business editor of the QRCA VIEWS magazine, a market research journal that is read by over 5000 qualitative research consultants and buyers.

About our host
PixelMEDIA provides the strategic, creative, and technical expertise needed to increase revenue opportunities and reduce costs. Services include web and mobile design, user interface design, application development, search marketing, brand identity, and interactive media. PixelMEDIA’s customers include industry leaders such as ECCO Shoes, Logica, Bauer, Computer Associates, Liberty Mutual, Elavon, and Boston Beer. Learn more at www.pixelmedia.com.

RSVP:
Please RSVP to attend, as we need a head count for food and refreshments. Send RSVPs to info@nhupa.org.

NH UPA meetings are ALWAYS open to anyone who is interested in attending. Membership to the UPA is NOT required.

Unfortunately, this organization, its site, and any other elements are passing into the digital beyond.  Individuals may continue on, maybe even sustaining the name, URLs or whatever.  I had a short but fruitful stint here as ambassador for Baltimore.  I’ll now be investing my free time and efforts into helping make Baltimore Parlay a continuing success. Good luck to everyone, and all you locals, come on over to Parlay!

With respect to everyone involved with UXNet, and apologies to Monty Python:

UXNet is a dead parrot.
I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I’m looking at one right now.
The plumage don’t enter into it.
It’s stone dead.

The HFES 56th Annual Meeting will be in Boston, Massachusetts, from October 22-26, 2012.

More information will be posted at hfes.org.

I’m coordinating a post-graduate in User-Centered Design into Universidade Positivo in Curitiba - Brazil.
The course brings the experience of designers and engineers of CESAR, professionals/researchers from Curitiba and brings a professional discuss for the area of interaction design and user experience.The path chosen is the user-centered design, the same used by renowned companies such as IDEO, CESAR, Apple, Intel, IBM, Nokia, Adaptive Path and any others.
Classes will to start in March 2010 and will be fortnightly (Friday and Saturday).The course is intended for the training of professionals involved in the process of developing new services and technology products. The gap is to apply theory and practice in a balanced and focused on research, development, prototyping and testing with users.
Presentation of post-graduate: http://www.slideshare.net/efileno/psgraduao-design-centrado-no-usurio
More information: http://www.posup.com.br/curso.asp?id=258
Cheers!
Érico Fernandes Fileno, M.Sc.
Interaction Designer
http://ericofileno.wordpress.com
http://www.slideshare.net/efileno
@efileno

REGISTER NOW

CHI*Atlanta Past Chair Bill Curtis-Davidson and CHI*Atlanta member Arthur R. Murphy are co-chairing a statewide effort called the “Georgia Alliance for Accessible Technologies” (GAAT), currently an initiative of the United Nations’ Global Initiative for Inclusive Information & Communication Technologies (G3ict). G3ict is a non-profit agency headquartered in Atlanta, and GAAT is intended to serve as a model for regional public-private partnerships on the topic of ICT accessibility. Over 60 Georgia-based companies, research and academic institutions, NGOs and public sector organizations have been involved in GAAT, and the initiative is exploring six “digital accessibility” thematic areas: Culture & Human Rights, Education, Employment, Healthcare & Rehabilitation, Technology, and Travel & Tourism (T&T).

In 2010, the GAAT Initiative plans to become an independent non-profit organization, and Bill and Arthur will describe some projects GAAT is pursuing this year in its focus area of inclusive travel, transportation and tourism. The GAAT Initiative has prepared a “Georgia Inclusive Travel & Tourism” concept paper, that Bill and Arthur will preview: http://sites.google.com/site/gaallianceaccessibletech/Home/themes/travel-tourism/georgia-inclusive-t-t-documents/G3ict_GAAT_TTConceptPaper_20091211FINAL.pdf?attredirects=0

Three GAAT participants will also participate in this panel-style discussion to describe various aspects of their research and development in the focus area. CHI*Atlanta has been a participant in the GAAT Initiative, and Bill and Arthur will welcome questions and encourage interest on the part of CHI*Atlanta members who may want to support this important effort!

Speakers:

1. Bill Curtis-Davidson, GAAT Co-Chair; Past Chair, CHI*Atlanta; and Business Development Executive, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center (http://www.ibm.com/able/)
2. Arthur R. Murphy, GAAT Co-Chair, and Owner, Aeolian Solutions, LLC Aeolian Solutions (http://aeoliansolutions.com/)
3. Anisio Correia (Panelist), Vice President for Programs at the Center for the Visually Impaired - Georgia (http://www.cviga.org/)
4. Daver Malik (Panelist), Research & Development Coordinator, Information Services, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (http://www.atlanta-airport.com/)
5. Bruce Walker, Ph.D. (Panelist), Associate Professor, School of Psychology and the School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Tech; and Director, GT Sonification Lab (http://sonify.psych.gatech.edu/)

Don’t miss this special panel discussion. Register now >

The next Health 2.0 Meetup will be held at Jackie’s Restaurant in Silver Spring, MD.  It will again be a STAT format, with multiple 5-minute presentations.  Registration opens March 3.

Jon’s thoughtful analysis starts with a reflection on why he thinks the profession of Interaction Design reaching a critical divide.

“The divide seems to break down around two forces of gravity, loosely identified as:
A. Design, as a discipline. A locus of study, similar to science or art in breadth and depth, and focused on criticism, behavioral change, craft, empathy, humanism, and reflection.
B. UX, as a form of applied design in the context of marketing, and focused on consumption, speed, innovation, and often, apparently, compromise.”

Rob on the other hand emphasises the retrospective nature of this year’s conference.

Jon’s thoughtful analysis starts with a reflection on why he thinks the profession of Interaction Design reaching a critical divide.

“The divide seems to break down around two forces of gravity, loosely identified as:
A. Design, as a discipline. A locus of study, similar to science or art in breadth and depth, and focused on criticism, behavioral change, craft, empathy, humanism, and reflection.
B. UX, as a form of applied design in the context of marketing, and focused on consumption, speed, innovation, and often, apparently, compromise.”

Rob on the other hand emphasises the retrospective nature of this year’s conference.

This review covers presentations by Jeffery Blais, Cindy Chastain, Gretchen Andersson, Kel Smith and Dan Hill.

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Join the CWSA as we welcome local designer and entrepreneur, Jeff Finley as he discusses how to keep your work creative, how to attract clients who appreciate creativity, how to get the work you want, how nice people win and other topics.

JEFF FINLEY http://www.jefffinley.org/

One of the partners of Go Media, Jeff Finley is an artist first and foremost, but has a passion for marketing and the internet. He wants his clients to be revered and admired by their peers and competition.

His skills and expertise lie in Illustration, 3D Modeling and Animation, Typography, XHTML, CSS, marketing, the Internet, blogging, promotion. In his spare time he likes to play drums and satisfy his addiction to Netflix by renting obscure films.

WHERETri-C Metro Campus2900 Community College Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115

For further information go to http://www.clevelandwebstandards.org/

The theme of the 2010 symposium, held at ITP at NYU, was “The city as platform”, which revolved around various sub-topic such as urban informatics, the city as a social technology, pervasive games and government infrastructure/data.

Participants included Genevieve Bell, Julian Bleecker, Ben Cerveny, Tom Coates, Anil Dash, Russell Davies, Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino, Adam Greenfield, Liz Goodman, Usman Haque, Tom Igoe, Natalie Jeremijenko, Steven Johnson, Matt Jones, Jennifer Magnolfi, Mike Migurski, Nicolas Nova, Ray Ozzie, Clay Shirky, Kevin Slavin, Molly Steenson, Linda Stone, Alice Taylor, Anthony Townsend, Duncan Wilson and many more.

You can read elaborate and well-written symposium reports by Nicolas Nova (LIFT Lab) and Dan Hill (City of Sound / ARUP).

By the way, do also check Dan Hill’s urbanistic take on the iPad.

“After a night of some great parties, and even better conversation, the second day of Interaction 10 began with a preview of the new IxDA.org website redesign. The team doing the redesign covered all the great new features that are coming, and went into detail on how local groups will be able to leverage the new site for their own networks and events. The excitement from yesterday was easily carried over, and people were pumped to see what the presenters had in store for us today.”

This time they review presentations by Ezio Manzini, Shelly Evenson, Timo Arnall, Ben Fullerton, Kevin Cheng, Steve Baty, Chris Fahey, and Paola Antonelli.

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“If one thing had to describe the overall theme of the first day it would be the importance of providing meaning in the work that we do. Below are recaps of the opening and closing keynotes, as well as some of the sessions from the day.”

Check their review on presentations by Nathan Shedroff, Dave Gray, Nate Bolt, Matt Cottam, Kendra Shimmell, Nicolas Nova and Jon Kolko.

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Time: 6-7pm Networking/7-8pm Meeting
Topic: UX Cliff Notes: Reviews of Current Usability and User Experience Books
Location: TBD

With the growth of the usability and user experience professions, the number of books available on the topic has exploded. Books range from specific instructions on methods or techniques, to conceptual ideas that challenge traditional thinking. It’s hard to keep up with all of the reading, so we decided to help out. During this meeting, several of our members will give a brief report on user experience and usability books they’ve read recently. The reviewers will summarize the key highlights of the book, lead a discussion on how the material could be applied, and discuss the implications for practitioners. Books to be reviewed are:

• Neuro Web Design: What Makes Them Click? by Susan M. Weinschenk (http://tinyurl.com/yjr8k9t)
• Prototyping: A Practitioner’s Guide by Todd Zaki Warfel (http://tinyurl.com/yg4dgeh)
• Moderating Usability Tests: Principles and Practices for Interacting by Joe Dumas and Beth Loring (http://tinyurl.com/yfd8zqx)
• Visual Thinking: for Design  by Colin Ware (http://tinyurl.com/ygwoznv)

There is room for one more book review. If you read something recently you would like to discuss, please let us know.

Visit http://www.nhupa.com for more information and to RSVP.

“the thing that is blocking us from moving forward, to a better user experience centered on social interaction and not physical data, are the existing metaphors of OS’s. Since we are living in a world of general purpose computers running Unix, Mac OS, and Windows — and we need to have them interoperate — we seem stuck in the 90’s.
To have a break with the past, and to make the past a platform, we have to push it under and not pretend that its constructs are desirable. We need to push files, folders and the notion of a desktop under the surface of a better user experience, and keep it under. Let a new generation of user experience shield us from that drudgery and detail.

The only way forward is to build a new user experience on top of the physical hardware and software that form a platform for it, and conceal it’s nasty details from us.

This is one aspect of the genius of the iPhone and iPad generation of devices: we don’t need to know about the files and folders. We don’t need a desktop with data bundles lying in piles.”

But, he says, “This break with the past is made faster and less difficult if the new system is closed.”

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For experienced users of Axure RP Pro who want to develop advanced prototypes, “Advanced Prototyping with Axure” is a 1-day seminar that shows delegates how to prototype rich internet applications (RIAs) and use the advanced features of Axure RP Pro.

You will learn how to

• Produce sophisticated prototypes, including those suitable for Rich Internet Applications (RIA).
• Customise prototypes specifications.
• Set up reusable assets libraries.
• Use Axure RP pro in conjunction with other related software.
• Use Axure RP pro on collaborative projects.

More information and booking form: Advanced Prototyping with Axure.

For new users of Axure RP Pro who want to create interactive prototypes, “Axure Essentials” is a 1-day seminar that shows delegates how to build wireframes and generate HTML prototypes. This training is designed for those who have little or no knowledge of Axure RP Pro who want to take their first steps in creating prototypes (wireframes).

You will learn how to

• Critically appraise common approaches to prototyping within a User Centred Design (UCD) context.
• Critically appraise common prototyping tools and associated techniques.
• Produce straightforward Axure RP Pro prototypes (wireframes).
• Produce interactive HTML prototypes suitable for usability testing.
• Generate concise prototype specifications in Microsoft Word.

More information and booking form: Axure Essentials.

For people in design teams who need to spot usability problems in prototypes and finished products, “How to carry out a usability expert review” is a 1-day seminar that teaches delegates cost-effective methods to evaluate designs. Unlike courses in usability testing, this seminar teaches delegates how to find and fix usability problems without involving end users.

You will learn how to

• Appreciate the difference between a usability inspection and someone’s personal opinion.
• Learn and practice some quick techniques for carrying out usability reviews of prototypes and finished products.
• Find and fix usability bloopers before they become hard coded.
• Apply Jakob Nielsen’s “heuristic evaluation” technique to software, products and web sites.
• Uncover the elements of your design that lead new users to make errors, using the task-based “cognitive walkthrough” method.
• Learn to spot usability problems in prototypes and finished products.

More information and booking form: How to carry out a usability expert review.

For people in design teams who want to gain confidence in usability testing, “A practical guide to usability testing” is a 1-day workshop that shows delegates how to obtain customer feedback on prototypes and finished products. Unlike lecture-based courses, delegates get practical, hands-on experience moderating and logging usability tests.

By attending this usability testing course you will learn how to

• Write a screener to recruit the right test participants.
• Write a usability test plan to get buy-in from management and the development team.
• Develop test tasks that are relevant to your customers and your business.
• Choose the right usability test method for your product and its lifecycle phase.
• Design usability tests that meet international standards in usability.
• Adapt our standard forms and templates for your own tests.
• Moderate usability tests.
• Collect and analyse behavioural data.
• Persuade managers and developers to take action based on your test results.

More information and booking form: A Practical Guide to Usability Testing.

Hi everyone,

This is my first post, recently I was accepted as a UxNet Local Ambassador for Monterrey, Mexico. The main goal is to gather the Ux Community from the region since we are a group of only a few professionals. I hope this space could help us organize and share experiences and knowledge.

A little about me, I ‘been working in the industry for some years, today I´m an Interaction Designer, I work in RIA design, but I have a lot of experience also in web design, graphic design, IT Architecture, Information Architecture, UxD, prototyping, etc.

Please let me know any event or gathering, also what do  you want to start doing in our community (ie. Labs, Courses, etc.)

Arturo