UsabilityNews: Events (full)

Training Course: Intranet Usability - London

Jo Pryce — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 4 November 2008 to 5 November 2008
For intranet developers who want to help employees find and use content quickly and easily, "Intranet Usability" is a 2-day immersion seminar that gives delegates hands-on experience with several usability tools and techniques. Unlike web usability courses, this intranet-specific workshop contains examples of award-winning intranets for delegates to compare their own intranet against.

YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO
- Describe the general principles of user-centred design and communicate the benefits of usability.
- Articulate the specific usability issues facing intranets by examining the "before" and "after" re-designs of award-winning intranets.
- Observe and interview users to understand their requirements and their tasks.
- Write better content and improve the layout of individual pages and forms.
- Simplify site structures and intranet navigation.
- Use rapid techniques to design and prototype sites.
- Test the usability of your intranet.

Location: Userfocus Usability Training Centre, London
Price: £675 + VAT

WORKTECH 08 - London

Joanna Bawa — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 17 November 2008 to 18 November 2008
Following the sell out success of previous WorkTech conferences at the British Library, UNWIRED is pleased to announce this year’s event on 17th & 18th November, 2008 at the British Library, London

Programme highlights include:
· Jeremy Myerson launches the Royal College of Art’s global research, Welcoming Workplace.
· Case Study - Google Zurich. Hear the innovation Googlers demand in tomorrow’s internet workplace.
· Imagine a world where virtualisation and ‘computing in the cloud’ challenge the traditional roles of bricks and mortar. Brought to you by Peter Ecsery-Merrens, Cisco.
· Robert Heller Britain’s best-selling author on business management, who predicted the beginning of the revolution in the architecture of IT, reflects on reality twenty years on.
· Renowned professor, academic and broadcaster, Adrian Furnham will shed light on how age and the psychology of sex, will reshape work and the workplace.
· Eddie Obeng, Workplace Change guru, ‘agent provocateur’, ‘emerging revolutionary’ will share his thoughts about what is revolutionising our workplace and why.
· Andy Law, author of Open Minds: 21st Century Business Lessons, and founder of St Luke’s, will shed light on the link between physical space and behaviour of people.

In addition to the conference on 18th November, two masterclass sessions on 17th November will explore planning your future workplace, sustainability, workplace, new design for an ageing workplace, ‘homo zappiens - the ‘txt’ generation, generations at work, beating the credit crunch – operating in an economic downturn and much more.

Places are limited. Book your place today at the link below, or email info@unwired.eu.com, or call 020 8977 8920 for more information.

Submit your Entries to the DiMAS: Digital Media Awards South - Brighton

Joanna Bawa — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 27 November 2008 to 27 November 2008
The Digital Media Awards South recognise and reward passion, creativity and business genius in the digital media sector in the south of England. If you work for or run a web agency or a games studio, or are engaged in social networking, e-learning, write a blog, or are an animation or digital TV company and have delivered creativity, commercial growth, or collaborative activity, then these awards are your chance to shout about your successes. We’re inviting entries from bedroom freelancers through to well-established digital media brands. Entry is free and the deadline for entries is 22nd October, for the awards ceremony on 27th November.

The DiMAS came about through the work of SCIP and Wired Sussex delivering the legendary Brighton and Hove Web Awards down the years. We recognised that the digital cluster in the south (and especially in Brighton) had become much more than the web agencies alone and we wanted to reflect that in these awards whilst maintaining that uniquely Brighton spirit which always made the Web Awards such an entertaining evening.

The DiMAS are about rewarding work done by the digital media community, so if you’ve developed work for a client – be it a website, e-learning platform, animated viral or beautifully-designed digital marketing campaign - it’s you we want to hear from. Equally, if you produce content for yourself – your own website, say, or piece of digital film – then we want you to enter too.

All DiMAS entries will be judged and shortlisted by a panel of industry movers and shakers - so just by entering you’ll get your work in front of the people helping to shape the industry in the UK and beyond. Plus you’ll benefit from all the marketing and publicity we’re undertaking around the Awards.

AWARDS CATEGORIES:

- Peoples’ Choice Award
Wired Sussex members (that means anyone with a Wired Sussex directory entry) are invited to nominate an individual, business, group, website, agency, piece of digital content - anything they think represents the best in digital media. The public will then vote from the shortlist.

- Digital Icon Award
This award will identify a someone or something that has, in the opinion of the organisers, reached such a level of influence and impact in our digital universe that they truly deserve to wear the label ‘iconic’.

- Breakthrough Business Award
Have you started a hot new digital media business in the last 12 months or has your company seen significant growth through new products, strategies or just plain old hard work? If your business has broken on through to the next level this is the Award for you.

- Digital Collaboration Award
Digital convergence may be the future, but this is about rewarding it in the here and now. Are you a web company that has collaborated with a TV or music producer, games company that worked with a mobile developer or have you have partnered with another digital media company and produced something greater than the sum of its parts - if so - enter it here and reap your reward.

- Gamesindustry.biz Best Games Studio Award
Our good friends at gamesindustry.biz will be putting their powdered wigs on and judging this award. If you are a games studio and want to be recognised for all you do to make this sector a happy and prosperous one, then enter this category now.

- Outstanding Digital Design Award
Awarded for the most outstanding piece of design work in the digital space – be it graphic design for a website, animation for a viral, character design for a video game, or a title sequence for digital TV. More info…

- User Experience Award
Did you get it right, I mean really get it right, by creating a website that is a joy to use? Great user experience is key to online success and if you have delivered it to a client in the last 12 months, then we want to hear about it. More info…

- Strongest Community Award
So much of the new digital universe is about connecting, communicating and co-creating with people who share common interests and needs. If you have successfully achieved this, either for a client or for yourself, let us know. More info…

- Best Blog Award
You talk online, do people listen? Is your blog noticed, admired, derided but never ignored? Enter here and let the audience at the awards night pass judgment.

- Digital Marketing Award
Are you a digital marketing agency that has delivered a campaign that really ticked all the boxes on the brief and then some? Wallow in it (you deserve it) and share your success. More info…

- Best in E-Learning Award
If you are in the business of delivering learning online and want the excellence of a specific example rewarded with a DiMAS gong, this award is for you.

- Farm Freelancer Award
Anyone currently working on freelance projects can enter this award, which will be judged by The Farm, Brighton’s wonderful digital freelancers network.

- BANG Best Animation Award
Brighton Animators Networking Group judge the most creative and inspirational use of animation.

- The SCIP Award: Technology for Good
Recognising innovation in the not for profit use of web and mobile technologies that deliver social justice and positive change in our local communities.

The Digital Media Awards South are organised by Wired Sussex very ably supported by the hard work, resources and brains of the good folks at Midnight Communications and Sussex Community Internet Project (SCIP).

Advertise your event here from just £50 per month

Sponsorship — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 1 February 2008 to 1 February 2009
EVENTS
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We offer a range of advertising packages, starting from just 1 month standard adverts through to long term contracts.

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PREMIER
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- Listing in the top part of the events page
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(NB: only a limited number of premier packages are available.)

Limited Time Offer!
Book a three month premium event advert and receive your first month for only #50.

For more information and pricing contact: sponsorship@usabilitynews.com

New MSc Interactive Systems: User Experience - Edinburgh

Phil Turner — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 29 September 2008 to 29 September 2008
MSc/PGDip/PGCert INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS: USER EXPERIENCE, NAPIER UNIVERSITY, EDINBURGH

The MSc Interactive Systems: User Experience is based on best practice in industry underpinned by a solid understanding of the theoretical concepts. This programme may be particularly suitable for psychology, computing or design graduates but other disciplines are also encouraged. The programme has been designed to meet the needs of the digital media industries in producing a stimulating, enjoyable and effective interactive experience. The MSc Dissertation offers you the opportunity to specialise further and investigate very recent research, interactive media and techniques.

You will be based at our Merchiston Campus near Edinburgh city centre, where you will be able to use the 24/7 500-seat award-winning computer centre for practical work as well as special purpose labs.

WHAT YOU STUDY
Subjects include: interaction design, user experience, usability methods, audio and video narrative, and a choice (subject to availability) of two modules from web development, web programming, research methods and a group project.

DELIVERY
In its standard form, it is a three-trimester programme. Two trimesters comprise taught classes, the final trimester comprising the MSc project. You can study full-time over approximately one year, or part-time over approximately two and a half years.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
This MSc will equip you for very many openings (check out jobs on www.usabilitynews.com) in the design of interactive media in consultancies and corporate settings. Design houses, web solutions providers and mobile device manufacturers are examples of employers who have user experience designers on their staff.

Alternatively, you may wish to pursue an academic career as a PhD student or research assistant, for which there are many opportunities in interactive user experience and related fields.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants are expected to hold a British honours degree or equivalent in any discipline. A lower qualification may be considered if accompanied by appropriate work experience. This programme may be particularly suitable for psychology, computing or design graduates but other disciplines are also encouraged.

ENQUIRIES
Informal enquiries are welcomed. Contact Dr. Phil Turner (p.turner@napier.ac.uk), School of Computing, Napier University.

Serco Usability Services Training Course Calendar

Gemma Wisdom — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 8 October 2008 to 14 May 2009
Serco Usability Services is now taking bookings for the following two-day training courses in 2008/2009:

- Effective Layout and Design, 8 – 9th October 2008
- Designing with Users, 7 – 8th February 2009
- Usability Evaluation, 13 – 14 May 2009

Training takes place at our Usability facilities in central London, and each course is limited to a maximum of 8 participants to encourage free discussion and learning. Our training instructors are practicing usability professionals with at least 6 years experience, who bring a wealth of experience to the sessions.

All courses can also be delivered as private courses. Further information on all courses can be found at serco.com/usability/services/support/training.

To discuss any of our courses, or to make a booking, please contact Gemma Wisdom (020 7421 6480).

Understanding User Centred Design Workshop - Bristol

Stuart Church — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 16 October 2008 to 16 October 2008
This one-day workshop is designed to provide an insightful, practical, hands-on overview of the User-Centred Design (UCD) process and the range of different methods and tools that can be used to enhance the user experience of websites and web applications. The workshop is aimed at senior management, project managers, developers, marketing professionals, business analysts and anyone else who wants to explore the benefits that a UCD approach can bring to their project or organisation.

Workshop: An introduction to eye tracking for web site user testing

Panayiotis Zaphiris — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 24 October 2008 to 24 October 2008
An introduction to eye tracking for web site user testing

Friday 24th October 2008 (10AM - 4:30 PM)

One-day workshop for usability consultants and web designers

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
The workshop will take place at the City Interaction Lab, a purpose-built usability lab at the Centre for HCI Design, City University London. The workshop will provide an introduction to eye tracking as a means for web usability testing. By the end of the workshop you will:

* learn about what eye tracking is and what it can do
* find out what kind of eye tracking data can be collected, and how to analyse and present that data
* look at an eye tracking case study showing its application in real life
* get experience in using eye tracking through a hands-on interactive demonstration
* find out ways in which you can use eye tracking to improve your web site

WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This workshop is aimed at usability consultants, web designers, and information architects who require an introduction to eye tracking.
But other staff such as managers, PhD students and researchers can also benefit from attendance.

Presenters
The workshop will be facilitated by Rajiv Arjan. Guest presentations will be provided by researchers from the Centre for HCI Design and Bunnyfoot.

Rajiv Arjan is the Interaction Lab Manager at City University London and can be contacted with all quieries related to the upcoming workshop.

Duration
The course runs from 10:00 to 16:30 and the price includes lunch and refreshments.

Price: £350 excluding VAT

Bookings can be done via e-mailing rajiv.arjan.1@soi.city.ac.uk

City University's Centre for HCI Design is London's largest research group in human-computer interaction. The Centre for HCI Design's research is respected nationally and internationally and has attracted numerous research projects from research councils and EU frameworks. The City Interaction Lab, sponsored by the UK Vodafone Foundation is equipped with state-of-the-art evaluation tools for screen capture, eye-tracking, data recording and analysis. The importance of web usability is now becoming more of an issue and one major instrument in conducting user evaluations is the eye tracker.

Eye trackers provide a meaningful insight into interactions between users and computers and knowing how to work with and analyse results
from this technology can provide an invaluable asset to those working in this realm of study.

Contact Us

Rajiv Arjan
Interaction Lab Manager
Centre for HCI Design
City University
London EC1V 0HB

T 020 7040 3087
F 020 7040 8859
E: rajiv.arjan.1@soi.city.ac.uk
W: soi.city.ac.uk/interactionlab

2nd International Seminar on Usability and Accessibility for the Web - Mexico

Luis Carlos Aceves Gutierrez — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 5 November 2008 to 7 November 2008
Join the Second International Seminar on Usability and Accessibility for the Web in Monterrey, Mexico

Usabilidad y Accesibilidad para la Web A. C. (UA Web) will be hosting the Second International Seminar on Usability and Accesibility for the Web on November, 5, 6 and 7, 2008. There will be keynote conferences by Jesse James Garrett (Adaptive Path) and Jose Manuel Alonso (W3C), two of the most renowned experts in the area.

This seminar will provide a forum for exchanging experiences in web usability and accessibility. It will allow us to gain a common ground and set common objectives.

Workshop: CSCW and Human Factors - where are we now and what are the challenges? - San Diego, USA

Michael Pettitt — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Event Date: 9 November 2008 to 9 November 2008
A one-day workshop discussing the experience of applying human factors methods to the design, development and evaluation of collaborative systems.

Advanced technical visions of supporting collaborative work are now becoming plausible commercial solutions. However, success relies on applying human factors techniques to ensure that systems meet actual user needs, support real collaboration, and can demonstrate measurable benefits. This workshop addresses the current status of human factors research in CSCW. We will draw on the organisers’ experiences of the European Commission project CoSpaces (FP6-IST-5-034245) to discuss the various challenges facing human factors professionals in software development.

Three main topics will be considered:
• Collaboration models – development of a descriptive collaboration model; how models could guide the development of CSCW tools
• User requirements elicitation – challenges and techniques appropriate for CSCW
• Evaluation – methodological and logistical challenges; model and framework driven approaches; usefulness of results.
This workshop will interest human factors specialists, organisational and social psychologists, those interested in collaboration modelling, and anyone with experience of evaluating CSCW applications.

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS
Participants will be required to give a short presentation (max. 15 minutes), with the remainder of the session involving discussion, brainstorming and small-group break-out sessions.

Attendance will be limited to between 10 and 15 places, selected according to submission of position papers covering interesting research in the areas described above.
- Position papers should be no more than four pages and conform to the CSCW conference format.
- Abstracts should be submitted by 26th September 2008 to Michael Pettitt (michael.pettitt@nottingham.ac.uk)
- Successful participants will be informed by 29th September 2008.
- Late submissions may be considered depending on the volume of applications.
- Early-bird conference registration ends on 30th September, however workshop fees do not increase after this date.

ORGANISERS
John Wilson, University of Nottingham, UK Harshada Patel, University of Nottingham, UK Michael Pettitt, University of Nottingham, UK