Boston, MA, USA

Web Strategies for Health Communication (Boston, MA, USA)

The healthcare field needs user experience professionals to improve online patient communication. Enroll in the Tufts Summer Institute on Web Strategies for Health Communication to learn how you can help healthcare organizations develop and implement Web strategies to drive the success of their online presence. Healthcare organizations are faced with an ever evolving choice of Web technologies that make it challenging to create a coherent and justifiable Web strategy. At the Tufts Summer Institute, you will learn how to select, use, manage, and evaluate the effectiveness of Web technologies for health communication.

Learn from Tufts faculty and distinguished guest speakers how to:

• Use the Web to communicate with and connect to patients.
• Develop a coherent and justifiable Web strategy for health communication.
• Select and manage Web 2.0 technologies to create a Web presence that provides a rich user experience.
• Accelerate your online presence through the use of social media sites and tools such as Facebook, twitter, ning, and Wordpress.
• Employ research-based methodologies such as persona development and formative evaluation to increase the effectiveness and reduce the risk of Web development projects.
• Learn the best practices employed by leading health Web sites including WebMD.com, MayoClinic.com, CDC.gov, TuDiabetes.com, WeightWatchers.com, Livestrong.org, CureTogether.com, Roadback.org, and ABC News Health.

Web Strategies for Health Communication runs July 19-24, 2009. The course meets at the Tufts University School of Medicine campus in Boston from Sunday, July 19, from 5-8 p.m. and on Monday-Friday, July 20-24, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. It is offered through the Health Communication Program at Tufts University School of Medicine.

Register with discount code UXNET for a discount. See webstrategiesforhealth.com for more information.

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Training
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Usability and User Experience 2009 (Waltham, MA, USA)

At UPA-Boston’s Eighth Annual Mini UPA Conference, hear and discuss critical topics in usability and user-centered design with practitioners, students, and experts in the field. Whether a newcomer, a seasoned usability professional, or member of a product team interested in usability, this conference offers unique content and one-of-a-kind learning opportunities.

More than 400 industry professionals from New England are expected to attend. This is the place to be for learning about best practices for user-centered product development, usability research, and real-world case studies from website, mobile device, software, healthcare, globalization and other fields.

See upaboston.org for more information.

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Conference | UPA
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Accessing the Future (Boston, MA, USA)

“Accessing the future” is the first IEEE conference dedicated to identifying the next generation of accessibility challenges. These challenges arise from the increasingly pervasive use of technologies such as 3-D Web, online collaboration, shared medical records, and advanced systems for transportation and communication.

By identifying challenges early in the technology cycle, standards, interfaces and policies can be developed to ensure that the needs, accessibility requirements and inclusion of the 650 million people with disabilities worldwide, along with the rapidly increasing aging population, are considered beforehand rather than as an afterthought.

This conference will focus on four areas:

• Universal design and accessibility standards
• Patient-centered collaborative care
• Accessible online workplaces and communities
• Transportation and Travel

See ieee.org for more information.

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Conference | IEEE
Tags: Accessibility
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NH UPA April Meeting: Project54 Car Simulator Lab Open House

During our next meeting, held on April 29th on the campus of UNH in Durham, we will get out of our desk chairs and explore usability and human factors from a different perspective. Our meeting will feature an interactive open house at the UNH Car Simulator lab where Professor Andrew Kun will discuss Project54, a research and development project to introduce advanced technologies into the operations of the New Hampshire State Police and other law enforcement agencies. During the open house, meeting attendees will be able to experience the car simulators and eye-tracking devices. Following the tour and open house, Professor Kun will present a short talk outlining the work their lab does on car-speech interfaces, and in cruiser systems that allow troopers to connect with a wide variety of state data networks.

For those of you who work on desktop software and websites, we hope that a different perspective on human factors and experience design will inspire you in your work.

Please note the slightly modified timeframe for the meeting to accommodate the open house portion of the event. Please RSVP to info@nhupa.org if you plan to attend so we can plan appropriately.

Topic: Project54 Car Simulator Lab Open House

When:

Wednesday, April 29th
Open House and Lab Tour: 6:30 – 7:30pm
Presentation: 7:30 – 8:00ish

Where:

University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH
Building, room details and driving directions [To Be Announced]

About Project54

The CATlab project is a collaborative research and development effort between the University of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire Department of Safety and is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, through the effort and continued support of Senator Judd Gregg. The faculty and students of CATlab work on introducing advanced technologies into the operations of the New Hampshire State Police and other law enforcement agencies.

Today’s cruisers are equipped with digital radios, GPS units, computers, radars, lights, sirens, etc. Dispatch centers have become computerized, and officers on the beat and in offices access a variety of databases on a daily basis. However, these devices are most often not designed to become a part of a system of multiple devices manufactured by different companies–in other words they are not designed with integration in mind.

The integration of devices and systems is the primary interest of CATlab. Most of our work is done on integrating electronic devices in police cruisers. Our integrated Project54 system allows officers to interact with equipment such as lights and siren, radar, etc. using speech input and feedback. The Project54 system also integrates police cruisers into state-wide data networks. Our system integration efforts include work on integrating the radio systems of multiple agencies. Law enforcement, emergency, and other state and federal agencies have radio systems, but they are often not able talk to each other directly. We are creating an Internet-based system that will allow these agencies to use their current radio equipment and have access to other agencies’ radio links.

Project54 Website: http://www.project54.unh.edu

Car Simulator Lab at UNH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyajRluVOWc&feature=channel_page

Testing Distraction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s00Pq-CxMMs&feature=channel_page

RSVP:
Please send RSVPs to info@nhupa.org so we have an idea of the head count for the venue and refreshments.

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

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Event type | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | Organizations | UPA
Tags: eye tracking | hci | Usability | usability testing
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User Experience - How it’s Changed and Why it’s Important (Boston, MA, USA)

The first session in the User experience series by MITX is a panel of seasoned user experience professionals from various disciplines to help you make sense of user experience, how it’s applied to different projects, who’s responsible for it (hint: everyone), and why it is important. Covered will be the basics of User Experience, including the why’s and how’s behind UX, including:

• How user experience is understood across various verticals
• A common vocabulary for future UX programs
• The fundamentals of experience design
• The importance and benefits of considering experience design in the everyday business environment

See MITX for more information about this event.

About the series: In the age where computing is becoming both social and ubiquitous, your customers, consumers, and employees’ experience is your brand. The User Experiene series will explore how creating optimal, engaging online experiences for your audience – through the web, the desktop, mobile device or any other digital channel – can not only lead to better business results but is an essential differentiator between success and failure.

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting
Tags: mitx
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Design Slam! (Manchester, NH, USA)

Our March meeting, held on March 25th at Autodesk in Manchester, NH will feature a Design Slam format where meeting participants will team up to help solve the design problems of a local not-for-profit. Learn from collaboration with other members and compare your end result with others, all while helping a charitable organization. Please RSVP to info@nhupa.org if you plan to attend so we can plan appropriately.

Topic
NH UPA Design Slam

When
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
Refreshments & Networking: 6-7pm
Meeting: 7-8:30pm

Where
Autodesk
100 Commercial Street
Manchester, NH  03101
Map/Directions: http://tinyurl.com/am6cpn

How does it work?
During the Design Slam, meeting participants will be teamed and introduced to a NH not-for-profit organization that needs input from a design/UX team for the web presence and interactive product design. A representative from the not-for-profit will be on hand to review the goals of the company, characteristics and drivers of the intended audience(s) and the success criteria for a successful design.

Following the presentation of the organization and the specific project, teams will be chosen at random and will have exactly 45 minutes to come up with a suggestion/solution and prepare suitable deliverables – whatever it takes to convince the organization to choose their team as the future development partner.

The representative of the organization will be circulating among the teams while they are working on their projects. Team members are welcome to ask any questions regarding the organization and its products. The representative will always answer to the best of their ability and will attempt to treat all teams equally.

Each team will be given a few minutes to make their official presentation. This will be followed by questions from the judging panel – the representative from the company and the NH UPA officers in attendance.

After all the presentations, the Slam judges will select winners and explain the rationale behind their decisions. Absolutely fabulous prizes will go to the winners – guaranteed to generate looks of envy!

What’s in it for me?
This exercise gives meeting participants a chance to share their techniques, ideas, and points of view with others. This is a chance for interested participants to get their hands dirty working side by side with colleagues from around the area as they tackle tough business problems. Knowledge transfer, technique sharing, and a social atmosphere will make this session stand out from the garden-variety “lecture-and-powerpoint” presentations. In addition, we will be helping a worthy cause in the region.

RSVP
We ask that you 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.

+  +  +

Stay informed about NH UPA meetings and events by joining the NH UPA Yahoo group at: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/nh-upa

+  +  +

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | UPA
Tags: nh upa
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NH UPA February Meeting: 10-minute Talks (Portsmouth, NH, USA)

Please join us for the NH UPA February Meeting featuring a series of 10-minute talks by professionals at various companies in our area. The 10-minute talk format is lively and engaging and keeps things moving for the audience. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear 5 great speakers in one night!

Topic: 10 Minute Talks

Speakers: Kirk Brote, Karen Anderson, Marc Dole, Luke Michel, Will Powley

When:
Wednesday February 25th
Refreshments & Networking: 6-7pm – Food and beverages will be provided.
Meeting: 7pm – 8ish

Where:
PixelMEDIA
222 International Drive
Suite 175
Portsmouth, NH 03801

(On Pease International Tradeport)
Map & Directions

Sessions:

• Kirk Brote: Product Stewardship in Software design or ‘How Not to Accidentally Kill a Forest With Your Product’
• Karen Anderson, Liberty International Underwriters: Bottom-Line Usability: Designing for Adoption
• Marc Dole, Hatchling Studios: Motion design with Video and Animation
• Luke Michel, PixelMEDIA: Punctuation and Usability
• Will Powley, Mad*Pow: Newspapers Have Folds, Websites Do Not

About our sponsor:
PixelMEDIA is an award-winning professional services consultancy focused on internet enablement. PixelMEDIA provides the strategic, creative, and technical expertise needed to increase revenue opportunities and reduce costs. Founded in 1994, PixelMEDIAs solutions include branding and transactional websites, application and portal design and development, user interface design, multimedia design, hosting, and website management. PixelMEDIA’s customers include industry leaders such as ECCO Shoes, Logica, Computer Associates, Nokia, Cbeyond, and Fidelity. More information on PixelMEDIA can be found at pixelmedia.com.

RSVP:
You must RSVP to attend, as we need a head count for food and refreshments. Send RSVPs to info@nhupa.org. You will receive an email confirmation once your name has been added to the list of attendees.

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

+  +  +

Stay informed about NH UPA meetings and events by joining the NH UPA Yahoo group.

+  +  +

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | Organizations | UPA
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Comics in Design (Portsmouth, NH, USA)

Please join us to kick off the New Year with our January NH UPA meeting – an interactive presentation on an alternative approach to communicating user experience ideas. Please be sure to RSVP to info@nhupa.org

Topic: Funny Business - Using Comics in the Design Process

Speaker: Amy Cueva, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Mad*Pow

When:
Wednesday January 28th
Refreshments & Networking: 6-7pm – Food and beverages will be provided.
Meeting: 7pm – 8ish

Where:
Mad*Pow
40 Pleasant St., Suite 201
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(Across the street from the Rusty Hammer in Portsmouth, NH)

Map: http://tinyurl.com/a7qlvh

Abstract:
For years, usability professionals have been using flow diagrams to demonstrate existing and proposed task flows. We have integrated the great thinking from Kevin Cheng into our design process by using the comic strip model to illustrate points of user frustration with existing flows, recommend new approaches, and communicate how the corporation and technology might support the solution. It has proven to be a very engaging communication, combining the persona, their context and mental model, other influencers, their multi-channel interactions and a high level start to interface design.

Want to start using comics as part of your design process? Amy Cueva, Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer at Mad*Pow will be conducting a “how to” session on how to get going with comics from a strategy, process and tools perspective.

Bio:
Amy Cueva is Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer at Mad*Pow, a user centered design studio in Portsmouth, NH. She has built Mad*Pow’s user centered design methodology as the vehicle to synergize business goals, user needs, and technology requirements. She partners with clients like Google, Aetna, Fidelity, and Monster to create strong cross-channel digital strategies, first class user experiences, and streamlined internal processes. She is the secretary and one of the charter members of the NH UPA. She is presenting this materials as a half day workshop at UPA 2009 as well as a presentation on designing next generation experiences.

Prior to Mad*Pow Amy worked for Putnam Investments simplifying experiences for both investors and employees. She also spent time at Sapient designing business to business financial applications and marketing sites, and at Sun Microsystems designing intranet sites. Prior to starting her career, Amy was privileged to have the opportunity to study art history, painting and architecture at La Sorbonne in Paris, France.

RSVP:
You must 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.

+  +  +

Stay informed about NH UPA meetings and events by joining the NH UPA Yahoo group at: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/nh-upa

+  +  +

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | UPA
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NH UPA Holiday Party!

2008 is coming to an end and NH UPA has had an amazing first year as an official UPA chapter. As a thank you to all our members who have supported us by attending meetings, volunteering and presenting we want to invite you to the annual NH UPA Holiday Party!

We have a terrific night planned with good food, drinks and surprises! This will be a great opportunity to combine celebrating the holiday season with getting to know your fellow NH UPA members better.

This year’s Holiday Party will be held at the beautifully renovated Beaux Arts Lobby in The Music Hall in Portsmouth. If you haven’t seen the striking new design of the Music Hall Lobby, trust me, you’re in for a real treat! We’ve worked hard to get sponsors for this event to secure this wonderful venue and provide a great spread as well as a free round of drinks for everyone!

When:
Wednesday, December 17th
6:00-8:00 PM

Where:
Beaux Arts Lobby in The Music Hall (http://themusichall.org/support/lobby_2008.asp)
28 Chestnut St.
Portsmouth, NH 03801

Parking Map: http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/transportation/downpark.htm

RSVP REQUIRED:
Space is limited for this event so don’t delay in sending your RSVP to info@nhupa.org.

OUR SPONSORS:
About PixelMEDIA
PixelMEDIA is an award-winning professional services consultancy focused on internet enablement. PixelMEDIA provides the strategic, creative, and technical expertise needed to increase revenue opportunities and reduce costs. Founded in 1994, PixelMEDIA’s solutions include branding and transactional websites, application and portal design and development, user interface design, multimedia design, hosting, and website management. PixelMEDIA’s customers include industry leaders such as ECCO Shoes, Logica, Computer Associates, Nokia, Cbeyond, and Fidelity. More information on PixelMEDIA can be found at www.pixelmedia.com.

About Mad*Pow
Mad*Pow is an experience design agency based in Portsmouth, NH. The company merges the science of human factors with the art of digital design to deliver powerful interactions that help clients increase customer satisfaction, improve conversion, maximize retention, and cut costs. The company’s services include e-business strategy, user research and analysis, interaction design, visual design, and interactive media production. Mad*Pow works with global industry leaders, including Google, Fidelity, Monster, Timberland, Aetna, and Autodesk. For more information, please contact Josh Corringham at 603.387.8307 or josh@madpow.net or visit www.madpow.net.

About UIE
User Interface Engineering (www.uie.com) has an expansive library of resources specializing in web site and product usability. One of most popular resources are the UIE Virtual Seminars. The December 2008 UIE Virtual Seminar will feature Josh Porter of Bokardo on Designing for Sign-up. If you have difficultly getting visitors to request your newsletter, subscribe to your service, or join your community, this is the seminar for you. Josh will will describe the steps you can use to create the motivation for people to care about your product, using techniques employed by successful sites, such as Netflix, TripIt, and BlinkSale. As a special to NHUPA members, we’ll include a complimentary archive of this seminar when you register. Use the promo code NHUPA at http://www.uie.com/events/virtual_seminars/

**Don’t forget to RSVP if you plan on attending**

I look forward to seeing you at the party!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | Social | UPA
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NH UPA November Meeting: 10-Minute Talks

Topic: 10-Minute Talks

When:
Wednesday, November 19th
Refreshments & Networking: 6-7:00 PM – Food & beverages will be provided.
Meeting: 7:00 PM – 8ish

Where:
Autodesk, Inc.
100 Commercial Street
Manchester, NH  03101

Summary:
Presenter talks are strictly limited to 10 minutes and 6 slides max. Following each presenter, there will be 5 minutes for Q&A. This makes preparation and presentation easy and keeps things moving for the audience.

For usability and user experience practitioners, you will find plenty of tips and tricks you can use in your job. For those who are new to usability, the variety of topics will give you a good idea of what the profession is all about.

RSVP:
Please send RSVPs to info@nhupa.org so we have an idea of the head count for the venue and refreshments.

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

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Event type | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | Organizations | UPA
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