Maine, USA

NH UPA February Meeting: UX Cliff Notes!

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.

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | Organizations | UPA
Tags: books | moderating | nh | nh upa | prototyping | upa | Usability | user expereince | UX
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NH UPA October Meeting

As we all know, exploring alternative solutions early in the design process through the use of wireframes and prototypes significantly improves chances of developing a successful design. In the past, the effort required to create multiple electronic prototype alternatives was a barrier to exploring a number of options. Fortunately, over the past several years, there has been an explosion in the number of software applications available for electronic wireframing and prototyping. These applications allow for user validation early in the design cycle, allow business stakeholders to visualize the potential solution before development, and sometimes give developers a head start with actual code.

In our October meeting, several of our members will report on their research and experience with different electronic wireframe and prototyping tools. If you are a researcher, designer, or developer, this meeting will help you stay current on the tools of the trade. Learn about Axure, Balsamic Mockups, iPlotz, Microsoft Expressions/SketchFlow, prototyping in Adobe, and much more!

Please RSVP to info@nhupa.org if you plan to attend so we can plan appropriately.

Topic:
Electronic Wireframing and Prototyping Tools: A Market Review

When:
Tuesday, October 27th
Networking and refreshments: 6:00 – 7:00pm
Workshop: 7:00 – 8:00ish

Speaker:
Our Members

Where:
Mad*Pow
40 Pleasant St.
Suite 201
Portsmouth, NH 03801

Abstract:
This meeting will start with an introduction and an overview of the types of wireframing and prototyping tools available on the market today. We will discuss where they fit into the development cycles, their overall strengths, and issues to consider. The bulk of the meeting will include reviews of different products from members of our group. For each product, they will review the output, intended audience, strengths and weaknesses. In addition, they will give a brief demonstration. This will be an interactive session where questions and discussion are encouraged!

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.

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Locales | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | UPA
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NH UPA Sept. Meeting - Large Scale User Testing with Bill Albert

Do you ever work with people who question findings from usability study using only a handful of participants? During our September 2009 meeting, Bill Albert, a local expert and author on large-scale user testing will compare different methodologies and give practical advice and guidance for conducting user experience studies that small sample skeptics would appreciate.

Please RSVP to info@nhupa.org if you plan to attend so we can plan appropriately.

Topic:
Beyond the Usability Lab: Exploring Large-Scale User Experience Research

When:
Wednesday, September 30th
Networking and refreshments: 6:00 – 6:30pm
Workshop: 6:30 – 8:00ish

Speaker:
Bill Albert
Director, Bentley College Design and Usability Center

Where:
Autodesk
100 Commercial Street
Manchester, NH 03101
http://tinyurl.com/mr7y7n

Abstract:
In this presentation Bill Albert will discuss the emerging interest in large scale user experience research. This type of research involves collecting qualitative and quantitative feedback from a large group of users, as well as full suite of behavioral data. Together, these data provide tremendous insight into the entire user experience, and fills a critical gap in our methodological toolkit. In the first part of the presentation Bill will review the strengths and limitations of this approach, how it fits in with other popular user research methods, and dispel some of the myths around measuring the user experience. The second part of the presentation will focus on how to conduct large scale user experience research studies. Bill will review some vendor solutions, and provide a basic guideline on how design your own research studies with a limited budget. Bill will also provide a set of practical tips on how to collect and analyze user experience data. He will conclude the presentation with a discussion on how to move your organization forward in thinking about the broader user experience.

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.

Hope to see you there!

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Locales | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA | UPA
Tags: nh upa | remote testing | remote usability testing | remote user testing | upa | Usability | usability testing | user testing
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NH UPA July Meeting: Mind Mapping

Please join us for the NH UPA July Meeting…

Topic: Maximize the Power of your Brain with Mind Mapping.

Facilitator: Rick La Vache (Liberty Mutual Group), Treasurer, NH-UPA

When:
Wednesday, July 29th
Refreshments & Networking: 6:00-6:30 PM – Food & beverages will be provided.
Meeting: 6:30 PM – 8ish

Where:
Liberty Mutual
150 Liberty Way
Dover, NH 03820

Parking Directions: Park in the front lot. License and plate number needs to be presented at security desk. RSVP required (see below).

Meeting Format:
·  Rick will tee off the discussion with a brief presentation on mind mapping concepts and present some examples from his own work.

·  The floor will be opened for an interactive group discussion, providing attendees the opportunity to present their own experiences with using mind mapping to support their work.

·  Feel free to bring examples to share with the group.

RSVP:
You must RSVP to attend, as security is tight at Liberty Mutual. Please 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.

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

Event: MaineUX Presents… Kyle Soucy on Trends in Usability Testing

When: mingle cocktails: 5:30-6:30 | program 6:30-8 | dinner at local venue 8+ ?

Locale: St Lawrence Arts & Community Center
76 Congress St.
Portland, ME
directions/parking<http://www.stlawrencearts.org/directions.html>
RSVP:  maineux@gmail.com

*About Kyle’s Presentation*
Over the years, there have been many exciting developments in how usability tests are facilitated. During this session, Kyle will take us on a tour of the trends in the tools and techniques used in usability testing and discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each. Kyle’s presentation is spangled with videos and live demos– and from what they’re saying after Kyle’s talk at PhillyCHI,  this is an exciting, entertaining hands-on learning experience!

Some of the topics that will be covered include:

• Current Think Aloud (CTA) vs. Retrospective Think Aloud (RTA) Technique

• How to moderate using RTA
• When to use RTA

• Remote Testing

• Pros and Cons
• Tips for proper facilitation
• Testing paper and low-fidelity prototypes remotely
• Overview of different remote testing tools

• Automated Testing (unmoderated remote testing)

• What you can and can’t learn
• When it should be used
• Overview of different automated testing tools

• Interview-based Tasks vs. Pre-defined Tasks

• Tips for proper facilitation

• Observer Debriefing

• Tips for proper facilitation
• Overview of different debriefing techniques

*About Kyle*
Kyle Soucy is the founding principal of Usable Interface (www.usableinterface.com), an independent consulting company specializing in
product usability and user-centered design. Her clients have ranged in industries from pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer to publishing powerhouses like McGraw-Hill. She has created intuitive interfaces for a variety of different products, everything from web sites to touch screen devices. Kyle is the Founder and Past President of the New Hampshire Chapter of the Usability Professionals’ Association (NH UPA), she has served as the Chair of PhillyCHI, and she is the local UXnet Ambassador for New Hampshire. She is very passionate about the continued growth of the usability and user experience design community.

*About MaineUX*
It’s been described as “People doing cool things on the web…in Maine.” That totally nails the essence, but in fact, MaineUX is even broader and
more inclusive than that. MaineUX is an interdisciplinary, multi-practice multi-purpose statewide professional community interested in UX—meaning human-centric design, user experience, usability, information architecture, *design *of many stripes: visual, interaction, social, web, games, software, graphic, industrial—and stretched across the fronties of social and new media, collaborative tech, web 2.0/3.0, human-centric IT, information design, content creation and strategy, SEO/SEM, search, findability, agile and nimble programming, and more.
MaineUX holds occasional meetings and socials to network, explore current topics, and hear from the best in the country on emerging innovative design thinking. Learn more at http://groups.google.com/group/maineux

Posted in Boston, MA, USA | Calendar | Local meeting | Maine, USA | Manchester, NH, USA
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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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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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