Topic: Usability
June 26, 2007
UPA Auckland - Learnings from the UPA conference
We'll talk about learnings from the UPA conference in Austin, Texas this month including skills, trends and predictions for the future.
Miriam will also bring along the CD proceedings and a copy of the schedule to help you decide if you want to order a copy.
The UPA meetings cover a wide range of topics and we try to have something for those who are new and those with experience in usability. For a list of previous topics see http://www.upa.org.nz/category/auckland/
* RSVP: Please RSVP to auckland [at] upa.org.nz by 5pm Monday 25th June
* Time: 6pm onwards for drinks and nibbles.
* Talks start at 6.30pm. Finishes at approximately 8pm
* Cost: $10 cash at the door. Please bring correct change.
* Location: Bank of New Zealand, 3rd floor, 125 Queen Street, Auckland
* Late entry: Call Don Gibbons on 029 241 3804 if you have difficulty getting in or arrive after 6.30pm
June 5, 2007
UPA Wellington - Show and Tell – usability stories and case studies
Four usability practioners and a podcast TV host tell their stories of lessons learnt, insights gained and demonstrate examples from case studies. However, we have kept a speaking slot open for one of you to fill. Do you have a story you want to tell? A problem to present or a case study to talk about? If so, email sam [at] optimalusability.com and we’ll organise for you to join the 5 presenters.
There will be plenty of snacks and refreshments put on (Thanks Statistics New Zealand!) so come early and grab something to eat before listening to the speakers.
1. Dave O’Brien – How much does NOT user-testing your project cost? Dave presents examples of minor flaws that lose major revenue.
2. Bob Medcalf – Analysing usage patterns with blobs. Bob presents ‘blob-charts’ – a tool he developed for analyzing people’s usage and behavior patterns.
3. Claire Sheerington – Hell Pizza Usability Showdown. Clare talks us through the making of a “Thinking Orange” video podcast.
4. Sam Ng – Building and launching a web application in 8 weeks. Sam talks about what it’s like to ‘walk the talk’ in the development of an online card sorting tool.
5. Nicky McCreanor – The elderly and usability.Nicky talks about supporting her 83-year-old father as he learns to use a computer and how it has improved her own awareness of usability issues.
6. You. Yes, you. If you have something interesting to share or a good story to tell about usability – email sam [at] optimalusability.com. We’d love to hear from you.
More details at www.upa.org.nz
March 27, 2007
Auckland UPA - User testing extravaganza
After the success of our Interactionary last session (thanks Peter), here is another session where you get to be part of the fun and learning.
We're going to be testing a New Zealand e-commerce website and YOU (our lovely attendees) get to define tasks, watch the testing and identify usability issues.
Miriam Walker and Stephanie Creasy are going to be running the evening. Miriam is a usability consultant with Shift and Steph is a very talented designer who's returned to the NZ job market after leading a team of designers in London and freelancing in New Zealand.
We hope to have a guest speaker to top things off so keep tuned for updates.
* RSVP: Please RSVP to auckland@upa.org.nz by 5pm Monday 26th March
* Time: 6pm onwards for drinks and nibbles.
* Talks start at 6.30pm. Finishes at approximately 8pm
* Cost: $10 cash at the door. Please bring correct change.
* Location: Bank of New Zealand, 3rd floor, 125 Queen Street, Auckland
* Late entry: Call Mark McLay on 029 222 00 16 if you have difficulty getting in or arrive after 6.30pm
November 14, 2006
MakingLifeEasy.Org & Red Balloons in the Streets of Auckland
One of the great initiatives of this year’s World Usability Day is the little big project called MakingLifeEasy.org
Here’s the idea:
Confusing cash machines, parking meters, unclear signs, frustrating websites - poor usability is everywhere and it gets in the way of life. Sometimes it is just annoying. At other times it stops us doing what we need to do. Sometimes it can even be dangerous.
On World Usability Day (and in the lead up), we will be going out on the streets of Auckland to document some of the worst offenders and the best examples of usability and user experience.
As we come across examples of good and bad design, we will tie our balloons to them, photograph them and post them to the Making Life Easy website to ensure that the statements continue to be made long after the balloons disappear.
World Usability Day and Making Life Easy are initiatives to let people know that they shouldn’t be putting up with average or bad design and poor usability. If they’ve ever asked themselves “Why doesn’t this work right? What am I supposed to do with this now?””, they should know that they are not alone. Come and join us in this initiative!
We’d LOVE you to get involved.
Here’s how:
1. Join us! We’ll be heading out from Vulcan Lane at 12pm on Tuesday 14th November for a lunchtime ‘urban safari’. You won’t miss us: we’ll be the ones with the red balloons. Contact justine[at]userfaction.com to register your interest.
This is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about usability in our everyday lives – AND a great team exercise for any development team – highlighting that poor design is all around us, but that good design principles are easy to apply... Check out Flow’s (the initiators of this project) experience…
2. Help get more people involved! If you have a blog, point them to the MakingLifeEasy.org website. If you have a Flickr account, come join our group and invite all your friends!
3. If you can’t join us on the day, feel free to share your examples of the best and the worst of usability where you live (or visit or holiday!). Add photos to the Flickr group or drop us an email and we’ll add your submission to the website and potentially to the Hall of Fame or Shame.
4. Cast your vote! Take a look at the MakingLifeEasy.org website and have your say in what *really* drives you crazy and what you really love.
November 14, 2006
Usability at the Bank of New Zealand and Trade Me
Come and learn how the Bank of New Zealand and Trade Me have introduced usability into their organisations!
As part of World Usability Day, we would like to encourage you to bring your boss, colleagues and friends along to our next UPA meeting and celebration on Tuesday 14th November.
This will be a great networking opportunity and experts will be on hand to answer any questions you and your guests may have about usability and user-centred design. We are thrilled to have the following special speakers.
Shona Bishop – Bank of New Zealand
Shona is the GM of Marketing & Business Development at BNZ and has been instrumental in introducing user-centred design processes to the BNZ. Shona has recently returned from Creative Good’s Customer Experience Council in San Francisco. She will talk about developing a comprehensive customer experience discipline and the importance of a robust usability methodology within this wider context.
The Customer Experience Council, organised by Mark Hurst of Creative Good, is a leadership organization of executives at non-competing players across a range of industries, including retail, media and entertainment, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, travel, automotive, and professional services.
Natasha Hall – Trade Me. Natasha will be talking about Usability – Trade Me Style.
With over 2.5 million unique visitors each month, Trade Me has a large number of users to cater for. Natasha spends her days conducting usability sessions with a wide range of Trade Me users, identifying common problems and behavioural oddities. She will share some of what she’s learnt along the way.
Natasha has had her hand in the web pie for over 6 years: a dollop of design + development, a handful of content editing and usability and accessibility analysis, and a pinch of training and project management thrown in. She’s also one of the key instigators behind Webstock.
When & Where:
- RSVP: Please RSVP to auckland[at]upa.org.nz so that we can order enough food & drinks
- Time: 6pm onwards for drinks and nibbles. Talks start at 6.30pm. Finishes at approximately 8pm
- Cost: $10 cash at the door. Please bring correct change.
- Location: Bank of New Zealand, 3rd floor, 125 Queen Street. If you arrive after 6.30 pm, please phone Mark McLay on 029 222 00 16 to get access to the elevators.
We will also have a 3D photo exhibit of good and poor usability experiences from our MakingLifeEasy.org adventures. Read on....
October 26, 2006
IVR Usability Workshops
Learn how to compose successful touch-tone and speech IVR applications in these workshops brought to you by Optimal Usability. Participants can expect to not only learn the fundamentals of IVR analysis and design but also the usability skills needed to create world-class customer experiences.
More information and registration at the Optimal Usability website.
The Auckland 2-day workshop is on Thursday the 26th and Friday the 27th of October.
The Wellington 1-day workshop is on Wednesday the 1st of November.
November 29, 2005
Auckland UPA - Holiday Season Party
Celebrate the holiday season with the UPA community. This meeting will be a casual get together at a local wine bar.
Location: Wine Loft, 67 Shortland St, CBD
Time: Tuesday 29th November, 6 pm onwards
Cost: Drinks & nibbles can be purchased at Wine Loft
November 3, 2005
World Usability Day Kick-Off in Christchurch
Kick off World Usability Day with a breakfast event and the grand opening of New Zealand's first centre devoted to information design and usability. Join dignitaries and special guests to help make the public and business aware of the importance of usability.
World Usability Day in New Zealand will start with a champagne breakfast at 8am making it the first world usability event for the day. New Zealand dignitaries and guests will be invited to open a new usability testing lab. The event will start with a formal Maori welcome (a Powhiri), an opening speech by a public dignitary and then some serious usability testing of champagne and breakfast treats.
Location:
Information Design CentreNZ
Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology
103 High St
Christchurch
Time: 8.00am
Contact:
Alison Reynolds
Alison Reynolds
Phone: 64 3 940 8155
November 3, 2005
Christchurch World Usability Open Day
Join us for a fully caffeinated day of talks, workshops, discussion and demonstrations at the home of New Zealands first fully commercial usability lab opened earlier this year.
The open day is structured with 3 ‘channels’ of events going on during the day. We will be hosting talks and workshops from both practitioners and industry representatives to provide you with an honest 360° view of what usability is about, why it’s important and what it can do for you.
We’ll have industry case studies showing how usability has improved business, discussion about how to implement usability within your organization and strategy, and hands on workshops to give you some tools to start using right away.
Also, throughout the day will be usability testing demonstrations at New Zealand’s first fully commercial usability lab.
A highly caffeinated barister will provide complementary ‘good’ coffee and other light snacks and refreshments will be available. Your welcome to come to the whole day or just to those parts that interest you. Come and go as you please.
Location:
Canterbury Innovation Incubator
Opposite Centenial Swimming Pool
200 Armagh Street
Start time: 8.30am
Contact: Alan Cox
November 3, 2005
World Usability Day in Wellington: "Making it Easy for E-Govt"
Technology should work and it shouldn't make you feel stupid. That's the goal of this year's first annual World Usability Day on November 3, 2005, with more than 70 events planned in 30 countries around the globe, starting in New Zealand.
The events are being created and driven by Usability Professionals' Association volunteers, whose goal is to promote awareness of the benefits of user-centred design and a positive customer experience.
In Wellington industry professionals and the public are invited to "E-Government Success Stories" - a free event where some of New Zealand's leading usability experts will share their stories on how the usability industry is re-shaping the web landscape in the Government sector.
While in the past there has been strong emphasis on e-government web standards and guidelines, these can sometimes shadow the goal of such standards - ensuring that people who use Government websites can achieve their goals easily and effectively.
"In recent years many Government websites have undergone a makeover and now lead the way on accessible design," says Zef Fugaz, President of the Usability Professionals' Association of New Zealand.
"The next challenge facing the Government sector is in information design and task-based analysis – or understanding the motivation and specific tasks people have in their minds when visiting their online presence."
"In 2006 and beyond, Government organisations will need to have a renewed focus on understanding the people accessing their websites, the tasks they'd like achieve, and ensuring the whole online experience is worthwhile", Fugaz says.
Speakers at the Wellington World Usability Day event include Jock Phillips from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, speaking on the award winning Te Ara website; Nikki Bristol from Optimal Usability speaking on Korero Maori; and Lynsey Blacklock from Shift speaking on the Ministry of Economic Development.
This will be followed by "Usability Speed Dating" where people are invited to meet with the presenters and usability experts for short one-to-one meetings to chat about usability or get advice. Visitors are encouraged to bring their questions on usability testing, information architecture, interaction design, user research and other usability related issues.
Date: Thursday 3rd November 2005
Time: 12:30pm (ends 1:30pm)
Venue: Synergy International, 3 Queens Wharf (opposite the Events Centre)
Admission: Free (limited capacity)
Coffee and snacks provided
RSVP to wudrsvp@optimalusability.com
November 3, 2005
Auckland World Usability Day Celebration
As part of World Usability Day, the Auckland UPA invites you to Open Your Eyes to Usability:
Ever felt frustated, confused or lost when surfing the web? Ever wondered how your visitors really 'see' and experience your website?
If so, join us for an evening of activities designed to increase awareness of usability and user-centred design.
Presentations will include "Internet Usability", and a live usability evaluation of a popular website. You will also be able to view examples of eye-tracking research, and experience how blind people 'see' your website using screen readers.
A number of usability experts will be on hand to give advice on any aspect of usability.
Plus: Remote Control Shootout! How many buttons are there on your remote control? Do you know what they all do? How many do you actually *use*? Bring your remote control along and help us find the worst offending example of poor design and usability. We have spot prizes for the best (the worst?) examples.
This event is being organised as part of the first World usability Day, with more than 70 events planned in 35 countries around the globe, starting (naturally) in New Zealand. Visit www.worldusabilityday.org and be amazed by how many people, places and groups are taking part. Come along and be part of the celebration.
Date: Thursday 3rd November
Time: 6.00pm to 8.0pm
Venue: Bank of New Zealand, 3rd floor, 125 Queen Street (Map showing location of building - but we are on the 3rd floor)
Cost: Free - Drinks & nibbles will be provided so please register so that we can order enough wine! And don't forget your remote!
Please RVSP to auckland@upa.org.nz
August 30, 2005
Auckland UPA Meeting - Institutionalising Usability
Institutionalising Usability at the Bank of New Zealand with Mark McLay
Mark McLay manages all usability work within Bank of New Zealand.
Recent projects include ATM, IVR, Website, Intranet, as well as other internal
and customer-facing fat-client applications.
Bank of New Zealand has benefited directly through User Centred Design
across a number of key metrics. These include reduction in training
time; reduction in process waste; lowered technology rework costs, customer
usage & absorption has increased in self-service channels and there has been a
reduction in telco costs. All of these business benefits have been
supported by more confident & satisfied staff and a customer-focussed
approach to the way in which any interface is designed and implemented.
Mark will discuss the first 18 months of usability implementation in a
large organisation. He will outline the underlying methodology and some
of the key milestones he has reached to bring Usability to one of New
Zealand's major businesses. This will include; change management,
company culture, management values, redefining the process for interface design,
and providing support and training for those involved in software
design.
Mark's broad-ranging career spans roles including documentation manger
at Telecom NZ, Mediator and Educator at the Race Relations Office and a breadth of teaching experience in adult, secondary and primary education. Mark has lived in South-East Asia and taught Arabic and Indonesian. He is an accomplished musician and has written on New Zealand social history. This ability to bridge different cultures is at the heart of effective user centred design.
$10 cash at the door to cover food and drinks
Location: Bank of New Zealand, 3rd floor, 125 Queen Street
Map showing location of building (but we are on the 3rd floor)
Time: 6 pm for drinks and nibbles, 6.30pm talk starts, finishes approx 8pm.
If you arrive after 6.30 pm, please phone Mark McLay on 021 222 00 16 to get access to the elevators.
Please RSVP to Miriam Walker: miriamwalker[at]acm[dot]org
July 26, 2005
e-government
Our next UPA event is happening next week on Tuesday 26th July.
We will be having an interactive brainstorming session on usability and the NZ e-government web guidelines. E-Government is revolutionising the way people interact with government, so we want to discuss:
· What your thoughts and ideas are regarding the guidelines
· What’s good, what needs improvement
· Whether the Usability Professionals' Association have a role to play on the future direction of the guidelines
Business analysts, information architects, developers, designers and other usability professionals who have worked on an E-Govt project are encouraged to attend.
In addition, Sam Ng will also give a short overview of what it was like at this year’s UPA international conference in Montreal, held just three weeks ago.
--------------------
TIME:
5:15pm to 7pm, Tuesday 26th July
LOCATION:
Optimal Usability, Level 4, 25a Marion Street, Wellington
RSVP (by 24th Jul):
Email sam.ng@optimalusability.com
AGENDA:
5.15pm – Drinks and catching up
5.45pm – UPA update and debrief on UPA 2005 conference
6.00pm – Discussion session on NZ e-government web guidelines
July 7, 2005
CHINZ 2005 - Making CHI Natural
6th International Conference of the NZ chapter of the ACM's Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI-NZ)
University of Auckland
Computer Science Building
Corner Princes St and Wellesley St
Auckland
Website: CHINZ 2005
June 28, 2005
Auckland UPA Meeting - Design Ethnography
Design Ethnography with Suzanne Currie
Understanding and representing people and their environments is a skill
that is important for designers and usability engineers to master.
Design Ethnography is an approach to design that is based on methods
borne from Anthropology and Ethnography, and takes into account the
people, their social relationships, physical environments, technologies
they use, and the artefacts they produce.
In the product design world, Design Ethnography yields information that
is invaluable in influencing design strategy and design approach.
In this talk, we'll look at the important aspects from Anthropology and
Ethnography that work well in high tech, and we'll explore what it means
to "situate" the user within their culture, and options for placing the
"locus of control" between the researcher and the user such that
valuable behaviors are able to be witnessed and recorded. References to
the social sciences will be used to help us dissociate from our own
culture(s), and a Who's Who of pertinent Anthropologists and
Ethnographers, as well as Design Ethnographers in high tech will be
presented.
Suzanne Currie is a Usability Engineer and Design Researcher currently
working for Navman Ltd. Suzanne earned a Master's in Cultural
Anthropology in the US, during which she conducted an ethnography with
graffiti writers in Denver, Colorado, and constructed a photographic
exhibition on her findings. Suzanne has been using her understanding of
the dynamics of cultural change as well as participant observation and
interviewing skills in the high tech world for more than 10 years.
$10 cash at the door to cover food and drinks
Location: Bank of New Zealand, 3rd floor, 125 Queen Street
Map showing location of building (but we are on the 3rd floor)
Time: 6 pm for drinks and nibbles, 6.30pm talk starts, finishes approx 8pm.
If you arrive after 6.30 pm, please phone Mark McLay on 021 222 00 16 to get access to the elevators.
Please RSVP to Miriam Walker: miriamwalker[at]acm[dot]org
May 31, 2005
UPA Auckland - Medley Night
Meddley night - Six 8-Minute Talks
Who else is attending UPA? What do they do? How did they get involved in usability?
We invite YOU to speak about:
- Your job
- A topic of interest to UPA
- How your work incorporates or relates to usability, user centred design
- Ask the audience a question - Got a burning question? you can stand up and ask us all to answer it.
Interested in talking? Got an idea for a future UPA topic? Please contact miriamwalker[at]acm[dot]org
May 27, 2005
TCANZ - Introduction to Usability for Technical Communicators
This workshop will cover the following topics:
- Overview of Usability and its cousins Usefulness and Desirability
- Defining the System
- Situating the human within the product's use
- Goal-driven design
- Me-Centered design and the personification of products
- Overview of the Customer Relationship Lifecycle
- How to assess a product's understandability, learnability, and operability
- Conducting Out-of-the-Box (OOBE, pron. 'oobie')
- Evaluations
- Usability Heuristics for software and documentation
Website: TCANZ May Workshop
April 26, 2005
Auckland UPA - Design and Innovation
Pradeep Sharma from Unitec will talk about developing a systems view of innovation and the role of design.
Pradeep Sharma is senior lecturer at Unitec School of Design and Director of the Centre for Strategic Design. His interest areas are in product design and development and he lectures and consults on design, management and innovation.
Location: Bank of New Zealand, 3rd floor, 125 Queen Street $10 cash at the door.
Map showing location of building (but we are on the 3rd floor): http://www.wises.co.nz/map/?id=3805|1&svctype=1&zoomin=true&move=true
Time: 6 pm for drinks and nibbles, 6.30pm talk starts, finishes approx 8pm
Please RSVP to miriamwalker[at]acm[dot]org
March 8, 2005
UPA Auckland - Prototyping
Paper Prototypes, basic usability testing and iterative design
UPA promotes the design of successful products, software, documentation, services, and branding...but how do you know if your products, software, documentation etc are going to be successful?
Don't just build it and hope!
Paper prototyping and testing with users can help evaluate design. With these low cost techniques you can be more sure of the reception your designs will get from your users.
Bring:
- A3 paper
- A pair of scissors
- Pencils and an eraser
- Post-It notes
- An open mind
Location: Bank of New Zealand, 125 Queen Street
$10 cash at the door
RSVPs and questions: miriamwalker[at]acm[dot]
December 14, 2004
Auckland UPA Holiday Celebration
In the spirit of the season, the last UPA meeting of the year will be a social get-together at the Wine Loft. Everyone is welcome.
RSVP by 10th December to miriamwalker[at]acm[dot]org.
Date: Tuesday, 14th December - 6.00pm to 8.00pm
Location: Wine Loft, 67 Shortland Street, Auckland, (09) 379 5070