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.

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.

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.

Read full story ]]> http://www.experientia.com/blog/live-at-interaction%e2%80%9910-day-3/feed http://uxnet.org/archives/2274 http://uxnet.org/archives/2274#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:23:07 +0000 Ben Woods http://uxnet.org/archives/2274

February 10, 2010
6:30 pm	to	8:30 pm

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/