Re: [IxDA Discuss] [Plug] How to be UX Team of One - April 29

[Mike Calvert]

I caught this at SXSW. Great presentation. Highly recommended.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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[IxDA Discuss] Detecting connection speed / light version of sites

[anne_gibson]

I'm working on a project to try to detect a user's connection speed and
ensure that we serve up the better page for their speed. Modem users will
get simpler pages, where high-speed users will get pages with richer
interactions.

We've tried a number of ways to detect the speed (and I don't have the
details of what we've already tried) but none of them have really met the
project team's quality standards, so we're now looking into ways to prompt
the user to tell us what speed they're on.

I'm looking for any examples you might have of pages that offer a "light"
version of a site or a page, and how it's identified to the users. (The
only examples I've found so far are a: Newegg.com offers a "lite" link at
the bottom of their page and b: If "loading" displays too long on the
Google Maps page they'll offer an HTML version of the page.)

If coincidentally you've discovered some rock-solid method of detecting
high-speed vs. modem usage, I'd love to hear about that as well!

thanks!
anne gibson
information architect
Vanguard

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[IxDA Discuss] Ixda.org down

[Nasir Barday]

Hi there,

FYI, ixda.org is down tonight as of around 9pm EST. All of our other sites,
including library.ixda.org and board.ixda.org, are still up. We've got a
trouble ticket open with our hosting provider, and we'll let you know when
the storm passes ...

- Nasir

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fireworks Symbols for UI elements

[contenthouse]

Hi Tuan-Anh,

You can download 'Form Elements" for free from Adobe:

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&loc=en_us&extid=617781

Good luck, Peter

Interaction Designer
Wells Fargo



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[Kelvin Dai]

Thank you all! Really appreciate all the comments especially the
detailed analysis from Dan, Scott, and William. 

Also add two points here that David Kelley made in our interview this
afternoon:

1. If you are a startup, start with your network, colleague,
professors. Get first small jobs done fantastically, beyond the
expectation of your clients.

2. visually describe your design concept and methodology to clients.
Let them be able to see what's the future looks like in your
solution.

Best,
Yusen


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[IxDA Discuss] JOB; Sr. Interaction Designer; Vancouver, B.C.; "Recruiter"; Contract - 5 months+

[Kris Kotzer]

Interaction Designer:



Premium Staffing Solutions is a full-service recruitment agency dedicated to
providing employers with the people essential for success in today's
competitive marketplace.

By utilizing our unique, innovative and comprehensive approach, we
consistently ensure our clients get the candidates they need while offering
our candidates the jobs they want.

Our success lies in helping you achieve your employment goals.

We're looking for a seasoned Interaction Designer to: 

 

*   Ask tough questions to determine design requirements and user goals
*   Pitch and brainstorm design solutions
*   Lead in the conceptualization of navigation structures, information
design, information architecture, and user flows
*   Work with project stakeholders to effectively translate both user
and business requirements into intuitive designs
*   Iterate through rapid prototyping 
*   Craft distinctive and pleasurable user experience
*   Identify and pitch strategic opportunities to improve overall user
experience
*   Participate in user-centered design research and usability studies 

 

Responsibilities: 

 

*   Collaborate with Product Management and Software Development teams
in translating product requirements into design solutions
*   Define user pain points and pitch creative solutions
*   Drive interaction design efforts through iterative process, from
concept through specification
*   Work with usability analysts to conduct customer studies of mockups,
prototypes and existing interfaces; and iterate designs based on usability
test results.

 

Skills and Experience: 

 

*   4 or more years of experience in product development teams working
in an Interaction Design role.
*   Bachelor's degree in Interaction Design, communication design, or a
related field. 
*   Exposure to information design, visual design, industry UI
standards, and usability best practices in both web and desktop
environments. 
*   Experience with design tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and
Flash experience. 
*   Experience in user-centered design and usability.
*   Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.

 

Contact:

 

Kris Kotzer

Premium Staffing Solutions

www.premiumsolutions.ca 

k...@premiumsolutions.ca 

604-602-9193 ext 103

 

 

 

 
  
Kris Kotzer, CHRP Candidate 
  Premium Staffing Solutions
Suite 101-1661 West 2nd Avenue
Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1H3
(604) 602-9193 ext. 103 (office)
k...@premiumsolutions.ca 
 
  
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kriskotzer
 
<>
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[Paulo Marques]

In my experience I found it is important when convincing people that
UCD is the way to go to really take into consideration the business
logic and how your UX process will impact the Return Of Investment.

Basically, what is the "bottom line"

Cheers
P.


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Opportunity: Input into the future of Recovery.gov

[live]

Except for the fact that it requires you to register, create a whole  
new username and password for yet another site, just to comment on  
someone else's idea.

Haven't they heard of IP tracking and Community Managers or even OpenID?
No thanks.


On Apr 28, 2009, at 9:46 PM, Janna Hicks DeVylder wrote:

Hey, folks in the US, you have an opportunity to give input into the  
future
of Recovery.gov.  It is meant to be the site at the center of the  
recovery

of funds distributed via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Making Recovery.gov a useful portal for citizens requires finding  
innovative
ways to integrate, track, and display data from thousands of  
federal, state,
and local entities. With this online dialogue, the Recovery  
Accountability

and Transparency Board is reaching out to the public, state and local
partners, potential recipients and solution providers to help  
fulfill the

commitment to a transparent and accountable recovery.



What ideas, tools, and approaches can make Recovery.gov a place  
where the

public can monitor the expenditure and use of recovery funds?



http://www.thenationaldialogue.org/



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[IxDA Discuss] Opportunity: Input into the future of Recovery.gov

[Janna Hicks DeVylder]

Hey, folks in the US, you have an opportunity to give input into the future
of Recovery.gov.  It is meant to be the site at the center of the recovery
of funds distributed via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Making Recovery.gov a useful portal for citizens requires finding innovative
> ways to integrate, track, and display data from thousands of federal, state,
> and local entities. With this online dialogue, the Recovery Accountability
> and Transparency Board is reaching out to the public, state and local
> partners, potential recipients and solution providers to help fulfill the
> commitment to a transparent and accountable recovery.
>

What ideas, tools, and approaches can make Recovery.gov a place where the
> public can monitor the expenditure and use of recovery funds?
>

http://www.thenationaldialogue.org/

Deadline for input is Sunday, May 3rd.

Thanks to Dori Tunstall from the U.S. National Design Policy Initiative for
the information.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[Jarod Tang]

Figuring out & formatting the real&root problems and figure out how to solve
it in solid way ( whether it be called by some guy as ucd or not)

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 6:25 AM, Kelvin Dai  wrote:

> Hi all, I am a graduate student at Stanford doing a course project for
> a design consultancy startup.  We are trying to understand how to
> effectively promote the user centered design process (or the buzzword
> "design thinking") to potentially unaware clients.
>
> During my internship at Google as a user experience researcher, I
> recall we used different methods to accomplish a similar goal, such
> as inviting engineers and PMs to the usability lab observation room,
> designing and promoting posters and brochures about user personas,
> and having sessions for engineers and users to have conversation
> face-to-face.  Also we think that IDEO gave a nice example by their
> "deep dive" TV show.
>
> So, we would be interested in hearing more examples, ideas, and
> stories from you.  How do you tell people what you are doing everyday
> as UX designer/researcher? How do you convince
> engineers/PMs/stakeholders/clients that the user-centered design is
> the right way to go? They are very important to us as we are in our
> "observation and understanding" stage.
>
> Thanks a lot for your time, and we hope to learn from your
> experience!
>
> Best,
>
> Yusen Dai
> MS, Management Science and Engineering
> Stanford University
> 650-575-9382
> yusen...@stanford.edu
>
> 
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
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>



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fireworks Symbols for UI elements

[Michael Moore]

That's great news! I thought about doing that myself, but quickly realized
it was a project beyond my available time and abilities.

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 5:54 PM, Christian Crumlish  wrote:

> Erin Malone has made a set of common library elements for Fireworks based
> on
> the Yahoo! Design Component Stencils (
> http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/wireframes/) and we'll be publishing
> them at the site within a few weeks, but if she's listening on this thread
> you might be able to ask her for them directly in the meantime.
> (Note, these tend to be compound elements and not primitives)
>
> -x-
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 7:47 AM, Tuan-Anh Tran  >wrote:
>
>
> > Does anyone know any existing library of common
> > UI elements such as buttons, dialogs, scroll-bars, checkboxes, etc?
> > Fireworks have few of them shipped with the product, but their
> > collection is not complete.
> >
> > I have been looking around but could not find one. Better if there
> > are different themes for the symbols, such as Vista theme, XP theme,
> > sketchy theme (look like drawing by hands).
> >
> > --
> Christian Crumlish
> I'm writing a book so please forgive any lag
> http://designingsocialinterfaces.com
> 
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
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>



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fireworks Symbols for UI elements

[Christian Crumlish]

Erin Malone has made a set of common library elements for Fireworks based on
the Yahoo! Design Component Stencils (
http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/wireframes/) and we'll be publishing
them at the site within a few weeks, but if she's listening on this thread
you might be able to ask her for them directly in the meantime.
(Note, these tend to be compound elements and not primitives)

-x-


On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 7:47 AM, Tuan-Anh Tran wrote:


> Does anyone know any existing library of common
> UI elements such as buttons, dialogs, scroll-bars, checkboxes, etc?
> Fireworks have few of them shipped with the product, but their
> collection is not complete.
>
> I have been looking around but could not find one. Better if there
> are different themes for the symbols, such as Vista theme, XP theme,
> sketchy theme (look like drawing by hands).
>
> --
Christian Crumlish
I'm writing a book so please forgive any lag
http://designingsocialinterfaces.com

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fireworks Symbols for UI elements

[Michael Moore]

Yes, there are Windows, Mac and Flex UI components in the common library.
What I've done is drag them into a blank document, use the Edit Symbol
command, make the changes in the symbol editor, then use the Convert to
Symbol command and put it in a new folder. That way the original remains,
but I have my modified symbol. If you don't rename any layers you can copy
the .JSF file into your directory and you'll be able to set the properties
the way you would with the original.
While you're in the symbol editor you can apply some texture to the shapes
to make them look "sketchy".

Hope that helps.
Michael Moore

On Tue, Apr 28, 2009 at 10:27 AM, Maxim Soloviev  wrote:

> I believe there are several sets of such symbols in Common Library, at
> least in CS4. Just bring it up via Window command and you ll find them
> there.
>
> As for sketchy look - I couldn't find existing ones so I just created
> my own for recent project. It's really easy to do, just draw it and
> then choose charcoal style for lines.
>
> On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:47:28, Tuan-Anh Tran 
> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > I am using Fireworks to sketch out few conceptual designs for my next
> > year product release. Does anyone know any existing library of common
> > UI elements such as buttons, dialogs, scroll-bars, checkboxes, etc?
> > Fireworks have few of them shipped with the product, but their
> > collection is not complete.
> >
> > I have been looking around but could not find one. Better if there
> > are different themes for the symbols, such as Vista theme, XP theme,
> > sketchy theme (look like drawing by hands).
> >
> > Thanks a lot for your help!
> > Tuan-Anh
> > 
> > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> > To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org
> > Unsubscribe  http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> > List Guidelines  http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> > List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
> >
>
>
> --
> --
> Maxim Soloviev
> Director of Product Development
> www.nakea.net
> 
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
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>



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[IxDA Discuss] [EVENT] IxDA Toronto: Creating a Culture of Mentorship in the TO UX community

[Meredith Noble]

This month, IxDA and UXIrregulars are co-hosting a talk about how to
create a culture of mentorship in our local UX community.

Wednesday May 6, 2009 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
215 Spadina Ave. 
Centre for Social Innovation, Room 120
FREE

The format of the evening will be: 

1) Video excerpt of Kim Goodwin's Interaction 09 talk, "Each One, Teach
One". (See a summary:
http://www.cooper.com/journal/2009/02/kim_goodwin_ixda_keynote.html) 

2) Various speakers will share how they found their mentor/mentee, what
worked in their relationship, and what didn't work so well. 

3) We'll break into small groups to brainstorm how we can foster a
culture of UX mentorship in Toronto. 

As always, we'll go to The Rivoli after the event to continue chatting. 

PLEASE RSVP (we got really tight on space last time):
http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/2511546/ 

Also, PLEASE spread the word -- anyone with an interest in user
experience / interaction design / information architecture / HCI / etc.
etc. etc. is welcome, and any experience level. Attending doesn't mean
you'll be committed to becoming a mentor or mentee. We just want to
start the conversation. 

Hope to see you then, 

Meredith & Matt 
Twitter: @IxDAToronto 
Email: toronto-lo...@ixda.org 

--

Thanks to our generous sponsors, Usability Matters
(http://www.usabilitymatters.com) and nForm (http://www.nform.ca), for
making this event possible.




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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Two "Delete" behaviors - one type of label?

[Erin Lynn Young]

I also like the undo idea.

Another suggestion could be a trash can icon for immediate deletion,
and a "Delete?" button for the delete requiring confirmation.

I can't recall ever having to have confirmed a drag into a trash can
or a click on a trash can, but the ? after Delete could indicate the
questioning nature.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Who codes your production HTML/CSS/JS?

[Danny Hope]

2009/4/24 Adrian Howard :
> I worked with one guy who did some great work and had a rather interesting
> technique. He jumped straight from fairly detailed sketches to XHTML/CSS. He
> obviously used Photoshop et al to produce graphical assets - but he never
> did a "full page" with them - just fragments needed for the XHTML/CSS page
> he was working on. His argument was basically that the constraints of the
> medium helped him create.

I am a fan of this technique.

I often go from paper/stickies to HTML. One cavaet: I don't care about
standards at this stage and will happily use tables etc to quickly get
a result.

Sometimes I get a coder to knock-up a bit of Javascript if I need to
demonstrate certain interactions. I'm planning to get my head around
jQuery in order to remove this dependancy though.

I then pass this to a front-end coder (XHTML/CSS/JS).

I don't expect my code to ever published. One exception to this is the
calss names I have chosen, which are human readable, semantically rich
and enter into a shared product vocabulary between all stakeholders.

To speed things up I have a small set of simple snippets which make
HTML prototyping more efficient.

I feel a blog post coming on :)

-- 
Danny Hope
User Experience Consultant, Brighton (UK)
07595 226 792
@yandle

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[IxDA Discuss] [event] A Journey from Ethnography to Design

[Danny Hope]

(cross posted)

Where: Brighton, UK
When: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 6:45pm

Info and booking: http://uxbrighton.org.uk/from-ethnography-to-design

If you are interested in using ethnography to improve design, this
event is definitely for you.

Simon Johnson & Miles Rochford will provide two perspectives on
ethnography, from client and agency points of view.

--

1. Simon Johnson: Bridging the Ethnography/Design Gap

Simon is a user experience consultant working with Flow Interactive.
He has worked for clients such as Reuters, Nokia and the Environment
Agency.

Simon has recently completed an research project for the Environment
Agency that has involved a mix of ethnography, user testing with
Silverback, depth interviews, war rooms, and design. Normally such
projects have tight NDAs, which stop the wider UX community from
learning about them. However, in this special case, the environment
agency has given the all clear, making this a great opportunity to
learn about a project that would normally be kept behind closed doors.

Some of the talk’s highlights:

* Learn how street research can be translated into a final design
– that is so challenging it changes the mind of the Secretary of State
for Environment.
* Get the ‘heads up’ on a national project that will affect 2.1
million houses on the coast, yes that includes Brighton.
* Hear how Silverback software fared in dated 1970 seedy hotels.
* Learn how to be jabbed in the chest by irate ‘users’ from
Norfolk and take it like a man.
* Marvel how simple ethnographic research can put the government
machine onto a different track.

2. Miles Rochford: [subject TBA]

Miles is a Design Specialist at Nokia Design, based in London, England.

He has been an information architect and user experience specialist
for more than six years, working on a range of projects for
government, non-profit, corporate and startup clients based in the
United States, Europe and Australia.

He has experience in a range of different areas, including interaction
design, spatial data, health informatics, social networking, media
sharing, mobile devices, and service delivery.

[talk description to follow. Updates via http://twitter.com/uxbri .]

After the talks, we’ll continue the conversation over a drink at The
Greenhouse Effect.

-- 
Danny Hope
User Experience Consultant, Brighton (UK)
07595 226 792
@yandle

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[IxDA Discuss] [EVENT] REMINDER: IxDA Los Angles & Yahoo! present "Personas SUCK! Personas RULE!" April 29th (TOMORROW!) at 7pm

[Los Angeles IxDA]

IxDA Los Angles & Yahoo! present "Personas SUCK! Personas RULE!" on
April 29th at 7pm.

Tomorrow's FREE event is shaping up to be a really great one. In
addition to two excellent speakers who will shed some light on why,
when, and how personas can be used effectively in your interaction
design process, we're also going to workshop what to do when you have
limited time or resources.

You must be on the list to attend so be sure to RSVP.

115 person max! RSVP while space lasts at http://ixdala.ning.com

Kind regards,
IxDA Los Angeles

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[Angel Marquez]

Since you are on the Stanford campus, I would take them to the Rodan Garden
and sit them in front of the Gates of Hell replica and let them know what
lies beyond that threshold is very un-UCD.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[Angel Marquez]

You want them to walk away feeling good.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Who codes your production HTML/CSS/JS?

[Joel Eden]

Last week, during a talk Bill Buxton gave in New Jersey, he talked
about how Gehry would have a structural engineer (or similar) work
beside him and go through a process of compromise...more like
co-evolution than compromise, really. He said Gehry would have an idea
put in form (whatever he used for building mockups), and the engineer
would say things like "it won't hold that way, what about something
like this..." and Gehry would sometimes get good ideas and go off of
what the engineer recommended to try.

I thought this was really interesting, because many times we talk
about the lone designer, architect, etc, and the constraints of the
materials, but this was a nice example of collaboration through the
materials between Gehry and the engineer. It's also rare to get inside
knowledge on how these greats design (and compromise).



On Fri, Apr 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM, Gilberto Medrano  wrote:

> When I see the work of Calatrava (he is both architect and civil
> engineer) or Gehry in Architecture I know that technical knowledge
> does not necessary limit creativity, the other way around, it can
> help you come up with viable solutions and push for innovation.  You
> may not like their designs, you may do; both it's easy to agree that
> they push the envelop for drafting technologies construction
> techniques (design evolving other - technical - fields)

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Call for applications for IxDA Board of Directors vacancy

[Elizabeth Bacon]

Dear IxDA members,

If you're passionate about what you do for a living and want to help
improve the world, please consider joining the global leadership team
of the Interaction Design Association. IxDA works to help advance the
profession of interaction design in a fast-paced world which needs our
expertise. 

I have grown both professionally and personally during my two years
on the Board. The IxDA Board of Directors meets monthly for
conference calls to discuss organizational business. We also meet
twice annually in person, once at the Interaction conference and once
for our annual retreat. At this point in time, those travel costs are
absorbed by the organization. 

I'm always invigorated by discussions with my fellow Board members,
and energized by the opportunity to meet with dedicated interaction
design practitioners at the forefront of the discipline. I hope that
some of you will be inspired to seek a leadership role at the Global
level!

Cheers,
Liz / Vice-President, IxDA 


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=41534



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[Scott Berkun]

As a general rule the best pitch is one designed for the person you are
pitching to. If you're pitching to a marketer, speak in marketing terms. If
you are pitching an engineer, pitch in engineering terms. Extra work is
required to do this and you do have to study their turf, but you really have
no business telling them how they should do things differently if you don't
know anything about them, their goals, or their problems. 

Most UX consultancies wear their pitches on their websites. Go to
http://www.cooper.com, www.adaptivepath.com, www.uie.com,
http://www.nngroup.com/, etc, and you'll see their pitches plain as day.
Frankly if a UX firm can't express their pitch well on their own website
something is wrong, isn't it? (You can find examples of this btw :)

The biggest mistake I've seen UX folks make in pitches is not being specific
in what they want. There is often a philosophical war they wish to wage -
they want to show a VP/Engineer/Marketer that they are wrong about their
view of the world, and that design is more important than they think, which
is mostly a waste of time. If you are outnumbered and outgunned, do not
fight philosophical battles out in the open because you will lose. 

If you drop the philosophy war for awhile you can find easy ways to pitch UX
without ever making people defensive. Instead of "UX process lifecycle
model" say you have a way to make the development team more efficient, or a
way to raise customer satisfaction. All progress on tough turf begins with
friendly trojan horses. Use their language and framework and make arguments
in terms of their goals. After you have some wins, then talk people up with
your philosophy and language - they might actually be open to listening
then. 

So to be clear, I highly doubt I'd come running in the door with a UCD
PROCESS banner trailing behind me. Or ever give a talk about "THE UCD
MODEL". It's offensive to all the managers and engineers who likely believe
they already have a UCD PROCESS in place, however ridiculously bad it is.
They don't know how ignorant they are and likely don't like feeling
ignorant, especially if your UCD Process is going to take away fun parts of
their job they'd rather not part with (tip: know who will be threatened by
your pitch, and why, before you make it). I wouldn't say "design thinking"
either - you'd be muddying water you need to cross. 

Instead I'd look for the most leveraged thing I can do first - e.g. an area
where easy moves have big payoffs. And that's what my first pitch would be
about. "How we can improve the Flooby Dooby widget customer satisfaction by
50% in two weeks". If I did my homework, that would be as large a part of my
pitch as I could comfortably make it.

In all cases always have clear, specifc, actionable things you are pitching
for. If you want veto power on feature decisions, ask for it. If you want a
seat at the table at requirements discussions, say so. Money? Budget? Fine.
ask for a reasonable thing, not too big but not too small, then totally
kick-ass at it - only after your asskicking performance is acknowledged
should you come back to ask for the rest of your shopping list.

If you do kick ass, which if you've chosen wisely should be entirely
possible, important people will ask you "How did you do this!? It kick-ass!"
And then you can smile as you talk about UCD PROCESS diagrams, UX
methodoliges, design thinking frameworks, rapid prototyping sessions, and
whatever else your heart desires. They'll eat it up, because they've already
seen it work on their own turf. 

Consulting situations have more wrinkles than the mostly in-house advice I
offer above, but the spirt is often the right one in both kinds of pitches.

-Scott

Scott Berkun
www.scottberkun.com 


-Original Message-
From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Kelvin
Dai
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2009 10:25 PM
To: disc...@ixda.org
Subject: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

Hi all, I am a graduate student at Stanford doing a course project for a
design consultancy startup.  We are trying to understand how to effectively
promote the user centered design process (or the buzzword "design thinking")
to potentially unaware clients.

During my internship at Google as a user experience researcher, I recall we
used different methods to accomplish a similar goal, such as inviting
engineers and PMs to the usability lab observation room, designing and
promoting posters and brochures about user personas, and having sessions for
engineers and users to have conversation face-to-face.  Also we think that
IDEO gave a nice example by their "deep dive" TV show. 

So, we would be interested in hearing more examples, ideas, and stories from
you.  How do you tell people what you are doing everyday as UX
designer/researcher? How do you convince engineers/PMs/stakeholders/clients
that the user-centered design is the right way

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Fireworks Symbols for UI elements

[Maxim Soloviev]

I believe there are several sets of such symbols in Common Library, at
least in CS4. Just bring it up via Window command and you ll find them
there.

As for sketchy look - I couldn't find existing ones so I just created
my own for recent project. It's really easy to do, just draw it and
then choose charcoal style for lines.

On Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:47:28, Tuan-Anh Tran  wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I am using Fireworks to sketch out few conceptual designs for my next
> year product release. Does anyone know any existing library of common
> UI elements such as buttons, dialogs, scroll-bars, checkboxes, etc?
> Fireworks have few of them shipped with the product, but their
> collection is not complete.
>
> I have been looking around but could not find one. Better if there
> are different themes for the symbols, such as Vista theme, XP theme,
> sketchy theme (look like drawing by hands).
>
> Thanks a lot for your help!
> Tuan-Anh
> 
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org
> Unsubscribe  http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> List Guidelines  http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
>


-- 
-- 
Maxim Soloviev
Director of Product Development
www.nakea.net

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[IxDA Discuss] Come design itsme with us - New project website 2.0

[nikhil paul]

Hi , 
I introduced itsme project to Ixda community in Feburary and received
some interesting comments related to the project.

For the new members, itsme is a new kind of personal computer based
on stories and venues. We are in the middle of the development phase
and you can see some on-going design activity on the new website.  

In the past, I also received feedback related to the project website
- that people would like a more interactive way to discuss, evaluate,
ask questions, and keep a track of itsme development process. 

In response to this, we have recently launched a new itsme website
2.0 that can be found at http://www.itsme.it. The site is still new,
but we plan to invest a lot of time and energy to enrich it. 
You are most welcome to join the community and post discussion
topics, comments etc. http://itsme.it/wp-login.php?action=register 
The aim is also to make the website a meeting point between
interaction designers, developers, and potential users to discuss
itsme and the realted scenario. So l would love to have you as a
member of our community and hear more from you. 

comments feedback are welcome. 
thanks
Nikhil 



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[Daniel Szuc]

Hi Kelvin:

Here are a few tips I have applied and learned:

* Understand the project/product/users/product team etc - what
problems is the product team trying to solve and learn how can you
help. Start with their needs first and foremost.

* Use terms people understand - if they want you to run a Focus Group
(but you think its better to run a Usability Test or something else),
call it a Focus Group and educate around it. Don't spend energy up
front trying to convince them that your method is better.

* Start small and grow - start with a UX method that provides some
real insights and then build around that. Sometimes it may not always
be the perfect approach.

* Use examples people understand - show products that have benefited
from good research or improved design and why people love it. Speak
to people's emotions and make them passionate about why you can
help.

* Find allies - People in your organization/other product teams who
can provide good stories about where user research or design or
usability testing or  has helped improve a product forward.

* Avoid jargon - UCD and other like terms for people outside of our
field sound scary and may be another thing they have to learn in
addition to their own job. Just as Engineering terms "can" sound
scary to us. Its less about convincing them that your way is better,
rather showing how the stuff we do may be able to compliment their
approach. Find a common language. Lead with what people understand.

* Turn insights into actionable design improvements - again less
about the focus on the academic and more about what you can do to
help improve the product.

Also see - 

* Selling UX -
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2008/10/selling-ux.php
* Selling Usability in(to) Organizations -
http://www.slideshare.net/dszuc/selling-usability-in-organizations-presentation
* Selling Usability -
http://www.amazon.com/Selling-Usability-Experience-Infiltration-Tactics/dp/1442103736

rgds,
Dan




. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=41562



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[IxDA Discuss] Colombia

[Juan Lanus]

Is there somebody from Bogotá?
We are creating the Buenos Aires branch of IxDA and want to share
experiences.
I'm in Bogotá for a few days and want to make contacts.
Please write or call 611 11 32 after 7pm.
Saludos!
--
Juan Lanus

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[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Mobile User Experience Designer / Project Manager; London, UK; Recruiter; Full Time

[Sean @ IC Software]

 
£To 50k + benefits
 

Ideal profile: Interaction design, user experience design, mobile experience, 
project management, people management

 

Cutting edge, London based mobile R&D firm is seeking a senior mobile 
interaction designer with either project management experience or a desire to 
move in that direction.

 

Candidates must have several years mobile IxD experience gained in an agency or 
client side environment. This role will be a combined senior designer and 
mid-weight PM position - it represents a great opportunity for project 
management minded creatives to move into this space.

 

Candidates must have existing eligibility to work in the UK.
 
 

 
Sean Pook

D +44 (0)118 988 1156
s...@ic-software.co.uk 

 
 

__
This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Recommendation needed: usability recruitment firms in LONDON

[Harry]

here's a list...

http://bit.ly/18WLEp

I'm currently using Saros, who have worked out cheaper than criteria for my
recent projects. They've also been very patient regarding arranging
replacements for mis-recruited participants, which as far as I'm concerned
is the hallmark of a good recruiter!

Harry


--
http://www.90percentofeverything.com
+ 44 (0)7920 474784



On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 2:54 PM, Johanna Kollmann
wrote:

> Back at Flow Interactive, I frequently worked with Criteria
> http://www.criteria.co.uk/
> I can recommend them!
>
>
> . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
> Posted from the new ixda.org
> http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=41549
>
>
> 
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
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>

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[IxDA Discuss] [Event] University of Maryland HCIL's 26th Annual Symposium: May 28-29

[Will Evans]

Please join us for our 26th Annual Symposium! - Registration is open  
until May 22nd.


HCIL's 26th Annual Symposium will highlight the cutting-edge research  
being conducted in the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the  
University of Maryland. The Symposium will take place Thursday, May  
28th, followed by a day of tutorials and workshops on Friday, May  
29th. Registration is now open.
There will be a series of talks followed by demonstrations of all of  
the lab projects with time to meet and talk with researchers in an  
informal setting.


Symposium - May 28, 2009:
KEYNOTE TALK: A Call to Action for HCI
Allison Druin and Ben Bederson
SESSION I: COLLABORATION
Social Network Analysis: The Human-Pet Relationship - Jen Golbeck
Mobile Collaboration for Kids - Jerry Fails
Expertise Tagging Game  - Yan Qu
Designing for Organizational Values - Ken Fleischmann

SESSION II: HCIL BOOK PREVIEWS
Cyberpsychology: An Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction - Kent  
Norman

Public Libraries and Internet Service Roles - Paul Jaeger
Computing with Social Trust - Jen Golbeck
Designing the User Interface: 5th Edition - Ben Shneiderman
Mobile Technology for Children: Designing for Interaction and Learning  
- Allison Druin

SESSION III: SEARCH
How do Children Search? - Allison Druin
Interactive Task of the TREC Legal Track - Doug Oard
Temporal Data Analysis and Electronic Health Records - Ben Shneiderman

SESSION IV: VISUAL INTERFACES
Intergenerational Stories on iPhones - Alex Quinn
Readability Metrics for Network Visualization - Cody Dunne
Enhancing Air Traffic Control Displays with Perceptual Cues - Tim  
Clausner
Evaluation of Visual Analytics: the role of Contests - Catherine  
Plaisant


Tutorials & Workshops: May 29, 2009:
TUTORIALS:
Introduction to HCI
An Introduction to Usability Testing
Distilling Expertise: The Art of Retrospective Interviewing
WORKSHOPS:
The Future of iSchool Doctoral Education (NSF Sponsored)
Evaluating Visual Analytics
Designing for People who Learn Differently
Collective Intelligence and Collaborative Sensemaking
Consumer Health Informatics
Treemaps: From Classroom to Boardroom.and Beyond (brought to you  
by The Hive Group)

Posters & Demos:
All interfaces introduced during the symposium will be demonstrated,  
along with several others including:

Wii for Learning
International Children's Digital Library (ICDL)
International Children's Digital Library on iPhone
Interactive Translation
and many more!
For more information: www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/
Questions? hcil-i...@cs.umd.edu



~ will

"Where you innovate, how you innovate,
and what you innovate are design problems"


Will Evans | User Experience Architect
tel: +1.617.281.1281 | will.ev...@twintechs.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/semanticwill
aim:semanticwill
gtalk:  semanticwill
twitter: semanticwill






~ will

"Where you innovate, how you innovate,
and what you innovate are design problems"


Will Evans | User Experience Architect
tel: +1.617.281.1281 | w...@semanticfoundry.com
http://blog.semanticfoundry.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/semanticwill
aim: semanticwill
gtalk: semanticwill
twitter: semanticwill



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[IxDA Discuss] [Plug] How to be UX Team of One - April 29

[Leah Buley]

[Apologies for cross-posting]

Just a quick plug for my virtual seminar on How to be a UX Team of  
One, which takes place tomorrow at 10:00am Pacific (1pm Eastern, 5pm  
GMT).


This seminar covers common challenges that small teams and lone UX  
practitioners face.  We'll be reviewing the whole team-of-one  
landscape, and talking about practical tools for navigating it  
successfully.


If you're interested, there's more info here:
http://www.adaptivepath.com/events/2009/apr/virt2.php

And, you can use the promotion code "FOLB" when you register for 15%  
off the price.


Hope to see you there,
Leah



Leah Buley
Experience Designer at Adaptive Path
l...@adaptivepath.com, 415-495-8270




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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How do you pitch UCD process (or design thinking)?

[William Selman]

I agree with Dan's points, esp. about using terms that people are
familiar with and then educating colleagues around that. 

There is a certain amount of theater that is required to get your
colleagues to buy into UCD practices. You have to start with the
assumption that they also believe that their methods are just as
effective as you believe (and obviously know of course!) that UCD is.
Also, remember because of these methodological differences, you are
asking people to make big changes to the way they work and not
everyone likes doing new things that feel unfamiliar. 

My strategy has been to slowly and iteratively introduce UCD
practices and then generally watch them take hold and prove their
value. It requires a lot of patience (esp. when you watch people do
and say things to users that you feel are counterproductive), but it
also is easier than trying to force people to change their ways all
at once.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=41562



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