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@... 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@....

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!

Thanks,

Mike Hawley

NH UPA Chapter President

I recently posted a first draft of slides for a presentation on the Parallel
Collaborative Design process on my website at:
http://www.mylesdesignstudios.com/ParallelCollaborativeDesign.ppt

I've submitted a proposal for a presentation on this process at UPA 2010.

The slides only touch on the high points, and lack the detailed information I'd
provide in an actual presentation (I may add slide notes in future versions),
but even so, I'd be interested in feedback from other members on the content as
it currently stands.

Regards,

Mike Myles

Hi All,

Just a reminder of our event with Bill Albert on large-scale usability testing coming up on September 30th at Autodesk in Manchester. It promises to be a great discussion, and helpful to people at all levels of experience.

Please rsvp to info@... if you plan to attend.

Thanks,

Mike

--- In nh-upa@yahoogroups.com, "hawleymichael" <hawleymichael@...> wrote:

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@... 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@....

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!

Thanks,

Mike Hawley

NH UPA Chapter President

Just a reminder of our talk on large scale usability testing with Bill Albert this week. It is going to be an excellent talk that has implications even for those who don't do usability testing specifically. Please share with your colleagues, and don't forget to RSVP to info@... . Thanks!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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@... 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@....

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!

Thanks,

Mike Hawley

NH UPA Chapter President

We are looking for volunteers to present a 10-minute talk at our Wednesday
November 18th meeting, hosted by PixelMEDIA in Portsmouth, NH.

Our 10-minute talk meetings are an opportunity for each of you to share
something of interest with the membership and to practice your presentation
skills in a friendly environment. Topics can include small case studies,
usability tips, out-of-the-box approaches, mini-theories, or other usability
nuggets. In addition, the talks don't have to be related directly to usability –
ideas on topics related to the software development process, marketing, content
strategy, development technologies or others are all welcome.

Talks are strictly limited to 10 minutes and 6 slides max. This makes
preparation and presentation easy and keeps things moving for the audience.

If you are interested in presenting a 10-minute talk, please send a short
description of your topic to Megan Fields at mfields@... by Friday
October 16th, 2009. Of course, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Thanks,
Megan Fields
NH UPA Chapter VP

Last week the Maine ixda chapter hosted a program in which artist
Adiane Herman showed her work -- archiving simple transient lists
(such as shopping lists, to do lists, etc) into expressive and
archival art work.

We then spent time designing possible web sites to express the
content and complexity of her work.

In a recent blog post, I outlined the approach that I developed . . .
which included a number of new "tools" to let users explore a model
of her world.  I'd be interested in your reactions to my ideas --
both how they work as virtual designs, and how realistic it might be
to implement and then to maintain such a site.

My post is at
http://arthurfink.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/herman/

Adrian Herman's current web site is
http://adrianeherman.com/

= = =

I'd also invite you to look around my growing blog ... more on
listening to users, and also on art, spirituality, business, photography.
http://arthurfink.wordpress.com/

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A r t h u r   F i n k  Listening, Consulting, Coaching
				 Common Sense Business Advice

				 arthur@...   207.615.5722

				 Blog  www.arthurfink.wordpress.com
				 Consulting www.arthurfink.com
				 Coaching www.insightandclarity.com

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@... 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: 6:30 – 7:00pm
Workshop: 7:30 – 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@....

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!

Thanks,

Mike Hawley

NH UPA Chapter President

We are pleased to share with you this new job opportunity at IDEXX Laboratories in Westbrook, Maine.

Feel free to contact me for more information.

Mabel Ney

Principal Interaction Designer, IDEXX Laboratories

Here's the full job description.

Note you will need to applyvia the IDEXX job site. http://www.idexx.com/view/xhtml/en_us/corporate/careers.jsf 

Senior Interaction Designer

IDEXX Laboratories is a leader in pet healthcare innovation, serving practicing veterinarians around the world with a broad range of diagnostic and information technology-based products and services. IDEXX products enhance the ability of veterinarians to provide advanced medical care, to improve staff efficiency and to build more economically successful practices. Headquartered in Maine, IDEXX Laboratories employs more than 4,500 people and offers products to customers in over 100 countries.

The IDEXX User Experience team works on a variety of products from touch screen interfaces for medical analyzers and web applications to desktop software for our digital imaging and practice management products.

If you're a creative interactive design professional with excellent collaboration and communication skills then we'd like to hear from you.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: A key contributor to user experience initiatives and projects, this position is responsible for:

·        Teaming-up with usability engineers, and business and technical staff to understand and refine product requirements

·        Ideation and interaction design of innovative interfaces that meet the needs of our users and business partners

·        Building prototypes and simulations of user interfaces

·        Collaborating with visual designers and usability engineers

·        Working cross-functionally with internal customers and development teams (proficiency with "devspeak" is a plus)

·        Producing wireframes, flow diagrams, detailed specifications, other design related documentation

·        Contributing to the style guide and design pattern library to document a common approach to IDEXX user interface design

·        Participating in user research definition and observing usability tests

·        Being an advocate of the user-centered design process and contributing to the overall user experience of IDEXX products

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree required; course work at undergraduate or graduate level in graphic design, computer science, psychology, biology or human factors is desirable.

EXPERIENCE: A minimum of 5 years experience with interaction design for products; prior exposure to medical applications and software design is desirable.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES: The successful candidate for this position will have the following skills and abilities:

• Excellent visual, analytical and conceptual problem solving abilities
• Demonstrated ability to design, prototype and document user interfaces
• Ability to work collaboratively with product management, development, QA, visual design, and usability engineers in cross-functional teams
• Excellent organizational skills and a strong attention to detail
• Ability to effectively work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to recognize patterns in design and user research findings and make practical recommendations for changing the UI standards
• Working knowledge of visual design software such as Axure, Visio, Fireworks and Photoshop
• Familiar with user-centered design philosophy and process
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work well in a multi-team cross-functional environment
• Strong leadership skills

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: None

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Standard office environment, 15% of time will involve travel

Quick clarification on the meeting time: the discussion will start at
7pm, not 7:30 as listed below. Thanks!


--- In nh-upa@yahoogroups.com, "hawleymichael" <hawleymichael@...>
wrote:
>
>
> 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@... <mailto:info@... 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: 6:30 – 7:00pm
> Workshop: 7:30 – 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@... <mailto:info@... .
>
> 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!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Hawley
>
> NH UPA Chapter President
>

Just a quick reminder about our upcoming event on prototyping tools. Please RSVP to info@... if you plan to attend. Thanks!

--- In nh-upa@yahoogroups.com, "hawleymichael" <hawleymichael@...> wrote:

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@... 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: 6:30 – 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@....

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!

Thanks,

Mike Hawley

NH UPA Chapter President

Hi Rich,

While many of these tools can do web-based output, I wouldn't necessarily
consider them html prototyping tools. If you are designing a desktop
application, a hardware interface, or something else, you could use these tools
to quickly create a mockup for users to interact with. Some of them have outputs
that can run on mobile devices too.

So while web is a natural application for these tools, there are likely some
ways to use them in other environments.

Does anyone have any specific experiences with prototyping tools for desktop
applications or other tools?

Thanks,
Mike


--- In nh-upa@yahoogroups.com, "Rich Newman" <rich-newman@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> This looks like a heavily web oriented topic.  Is that correct?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rich
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nh-upa@yahoogroups.com [mailto:nh-upa@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
> hawleymichael
> Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 1:43 PM
> To: nh-upa@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [nh-upa] Reminder: NH UPA - Oct 27 Meeting - Wireframing and
> Prototyping Tools
>
>
>
>
>
> Just a quick reminder about our upcoming event on prototyping tools. Please
> RSVP to info@... if you plan to attend. Thanks!
>
>
> --- In nh-upa@yahoogroups.com, "hawleymichael" <hawleymichael@> wrote:
>
>
> 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
> <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/nh-upa/post?postID=Jo7eV7YYOxODMLsRwoND0
> Tlp2dPijMmAWugACK1ST_aiqe_PXuipIqrTOzidKwV4qlfhPWchDw> info@... 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: 6:30 - 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
> <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/nh-upa/post?postID=PfR5HrxZVJYXucX0Ra8gy
> a-nXcklp5kWCFOlK6-ceaFV8EU2Qv906mcRJzzHii8zRYxt0dY9> info@...
>
> 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!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Hawley
>
> NH UPA Chapter President
>

Just a reminder of our upcoming NH UPA meeting this Tuesday night at
Mad*Pow in Portsmouth. Networking and refreshments are at 6:30 and the
presentation starts at 7:00.

Thanks!

Mike


--- In nh-upa@yahoogroups.com, "hawleymichael" <hawleymichael@...>
wrote:
>
>
> 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@... <mailto:info@... 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: 6:30 – 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@... <mailto:info@... .
>
> 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!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike Hawley
>
> NH UPA Chapter President
>

If anyone is looking for a more permanent home away from home (in
Manchester) Archimedes Space will be opening up for membership the end of
next week. Membership levels vary from drop in to full time desk and
include use of all resources in the space (internet, printer, fridge,
conference room, etc). Contact me for more information!

Thanks,
Kelley Muir

> Attention work from home people: Thursday Afternoon Jelly!
>
> After working out of my home office for far too long, I stumbled across a
> magazine article about co-working. Coworking is when self-employed and
> remote workers join a little tribe and work together. It offers the fun
> and
> culture of a cool office (without the politics and timeclocks).
>
> I'm excited about the idea because I often work better when I have
> interesting distractions, not to mention the fact that my home office is
> quiet and lonely. I've talked with a few people around town that feel the
> same way, so we've starting a Jelly, which is essentially casual
> coworking.
> For one afternoon a week, we'll be working out of a local cafe.
>
> Every Thursday (that's today) we work at Bagel Works, in downtown
> Portsmouth, from around 1:30 through 5 pm. Bagel Works mgt is excited
> about
> the idea, as long as we buy a few lattes or bagels during our stay. And
> its
> easy to join the group: I put a sign that says "Jelly" on my laptop. So,
> home office mavens, put on some clothing and work with us.
>
> Check the wiki: http://wiki.workatjelly.com/JellyInPortsmouth
>
> Best,
>
> Nathanael
>
> --
> Nathanael E. Yellis
> inathanael.com
> 207.641.7018
>

RSVP: 
We ask that you RSVP to attend, as we need a head count for food and refreshments. Send RSVPs to info@....

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

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the nh-upa
group.

   File        : /Oct2009_RapidPrototype_Reviews.ppt
   Uploaded by : hawleymichael <hawleymichael@...>
   Description : Oct 2009 Prototyping Tools Slides

You can access this file at the URL:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nh-upa/files/Oct2009_RapidPrototype_Reviews.ppt

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/general.htmlfiles

Regards,

hawleymichael <hawleymichael@...>

Hi All,

The NH UPA is looking for folks to help out as officers for calendar
year 2010. Serving as an officer of the NH UPA sounds fancy, official
and a lot of work, but is actually fun, pretty easy and a great way to
expand your network and help grow user experience in our area.

We have four officers - a president, vice president, secretary and
treasurer. None of the positions require a huge time commitment. The
most significant thing we do is help organize some of the monthly
meetings (and we take turns at that).

If you have any interest in getting involved or helping out, please send
me a message and I can explain more details and answer any questions you
have.

Thanks!

Mike Hawley

NH UPA Chapter President

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Hello Everyone,

I'm in the M.Ed Instructional Design program at UMass Boston and am looking for
some feedback on a project course I'm developing on Moodle.

Is anyone able to offer some time on an evaluation this month? I'll be using the
D&CC format. At the most - it will be three complete lessons of a 6 lesson
course - Developing and Implementing a Social Marketing Campaign.

Thanks for your consideration.

-Paula Galvin
galvin1114@...

If anyone wanted some further reading on Font Embedding techniques, Smashing
Magazine had a great article on this. Definitely a worth while read for anyone
interested in the current font embedding techniques and possibilities.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/10/22/rich-typography-on-the-web-techniques\
-and-tools/

Thanks for the great talks, very much enjoyed last night's meeting.

Brigham Pendleton

The following job listing is from Kristine Harris, Human Resource Consultant at PC Connection Services:

--------------------------------------------

User Experience Architect

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of success designing highly-usable e-commerce sites targeting different customer segments, including business, government, and consumer.  This experience will include user-centered design activities, including requirements gathering, interaction design, interface design, and usability evaluations.

Primary Responsibilities include:

·     Elicit business requirements and conceptual designs from business owners (primarily Sales and Marketing), translating these into design documents, including functional specifications, use cases, usage scenarios, wireframes, and story boards.

·     Lead scope and design sessions, assisting in the definition of business requirements and prioritization of features into web releases.

·     Develop paper and interactive prototypes.  Facilitate prototype reviews and conduct usability testing with internal users and customer representatives to elicit feedback to the design.

·     Develop and maintain detailed site navigation maps, illustrating the interaction flow of various activities (checkout and product search, for example).

·     Support QA team in developing test plans.

Requirements Include:

·     Bachelor's degree in Information Technology or related field, or equivalent experience.

·     5+ years experience in a web interaction design role.

·     Experience with high-volume customer-facing sites built utilizing dynamic, data-driven content.

·     Strong presentation and communication skills.  Must have the ability to articulate user requirements and interaction in written design documents.

·     Should possess strong project management, analytical, and interpersonal skills.

·     Understanding of Content Management Systems (experience with SiteCore would be a plus).

·     Must have knowledge of web development technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AJAX, and platforms utilizing object-oriented, control-based design.

·     Ability to work in a collaborative team environment, with both technical and non-technical team members.

·     Understanding of data modeling and database design, and the ability to understand how an underlying data model might affect interaction design.

·     Understanding of and ability to follow systems development lifecycle.

·     Understanding of principles of Information Architecture.

·     Experience using prototyping tools.

Candidates can apply directly online at: www.pcconnection.com/jobs

Hello,
I'm seeking advice on how best to find usability test participants.

Do you generally offer incentives for participation?
Do you generally select people from within your organization (who may not have
familiarity with the UI) or do you select from other sources?

I appreciate any insight you can offer!

Sincerely,
Sandy
NewsBank, inc.

I find it's good to start with internal testers, even if it's just to pilot a
test. This will help work the bugs out before involving external participants.

Who to use really depends quite a bit on what you're testing. If it's a first
experience focused test you may want people with little to no prior experience
on the application. On the other hand, if you're testing improvements to a
product you may need people with some minimum level of experience. You need to
work with your product team to decide exactly what you want to test so that you
can narrow the scope on the types of participants you need. You also want to
plan on how the team can act on the findings after testing. Time needs to be
factored in for analysis, design revision, and implementation.

As for compensation - I don't compensate internal testers. For existing
customers it's not a bad idea to give something in return (swag), but I've found
that most customers are quite happy to participate in such testing. It makes
them feel like they are having a say in what gets built. If you need
non-customers then compensation is pretty much required, otherwise there is no
motivation to participate.

I've paid anywhere from $50 to $250 for test participants. The cost depends on
the complexity of the test and the supply of qualified participants. A 90 minute
test would be long, and require relatively high compensation to attract
participants compared to one that just ran 30 minutes. Also, if you need to test
an application for medical workers or another specialized skill you'll probably
need to pay more than you would testing the UI for say an ATM, where essentially
anyone off the street can participate.

In the past when I needed outside testers I've had good luck recruiting through
Monster & CraigsList. If you can use existing customers then you should have a
database of contacts to work from in your sales organization. It's a good idea
to keep track of customers you use, so as to avoid over utilizing a resource.
You can end up annoying a customer with too many contacts, or skew findings by
always going to the same small pool of testers.

Hope that's of some help,

-mike myles

--- In nh-upa@yahoogroups.com, "Sandy" <sdavern@...> wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I'm seeking advice on how best to find usability test participants.
>
> Do you generally offer incentives for participation?
> Do you generally select people from within your organization (who may not have
familiarity with the UI) or do you select from other sources?
>
> I appreciate any insight you can offer!
>
> Sincerely,
> Sandy
> NewsBank, inc.
>

• Lead research such as heuristics, focus groups, analytics, competitor evaluations and usability testing and communicate research findings and recommendations.
• Articulate a strategy for a proposed solution based on business goals, market conditions and audience needs.
• Produce user requirements specifications, including personas, scenarios, task analysis, flowcharts, and organization and navigation models.
• Specify user interfaces and information architecture using participatory and iterative design techniques that result in interaction design, wireframes, prototypes, and design specifications.
• Assess the context for integrating aspects of social media to promote and drive on-going engagement.
• Contribute to an interdisciplinary team that includes visual designers, project management, content strategists, usability/user research specialists, and software developers to create well-integrated solutions.
• Participate in new business development by helping to estimate resource needs, level of effort, deliverables and project scope.
• Believes in, and effectively communicates, the benefits of following user-centered design principles.

• An extensive portfolio that includes samples of user interface design as well as the documentation that led to the final design solution, including wireframes, site maps, navigation flows, and/or interaction design specs.
• Proficiency with interaction design toolkit programs such as Visio, Axure RP, and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to interact with executive management and experience across various industries.
• Solid background with Web framework and technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, Flash, and CSS.
• Excellent visual/verbal communicator with a proven ability to organize interactive information systems.
• Extremely detail-oriented, flexible, and able to work in a fast-paced environment with aggressive deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of user interface design processes and methodologies and how to incorporate them into agile and plan-driven development processes.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, HCI, visual design, or a related field
• 5+ years experience.
• Consulting or agency experience preferred