Austin UPA

June Meeting at BuildASign

Craig — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:13:05 +0000

“The Modern E-Commerce Site: Optimizing for Conversion and Usability”

Come join your fellow Austin UPA and UX fans for a real-world example of eCommerce usability optimization in practice. Our hosts, BuildASign, will be providing pizza and drinks while they walk us through actual examples from their eCommerce website optimization. In addition, the BuildASign team of Cameron and Bobby will offer both the business and the design perspective for what makes a good website experience.

The presentation will walk through the redesign of BuildASign.com as a case study for sharing best practices around creating a site that offers best-in-class user experience while still driving conversions. It will cover the primary challenges of the original site and the reasons for redesign. In addition, they will cover the strategy and goals for the redesign including early tests and the results shown. They will provide insights into the key elements for any redesign effort. Finally, they will review the plan moving forward.

RSVP: Please RSVP on our Austin UPA Facebook even page, and we will look forward to seeing you there!

WHAT: June Austin UPA Meeting, “Modern E-Commerce: Optimizing for Conversion and Usability”

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5^th, 6:30pm (networking) 7:00pm (presentation)

WHERE: BuildASign, 11525A Stonehollow Dr. Suite 100, Austin, TX. Located at the corner of Metric and Stonehollow

WHY: Come enjoy food and drinks while you learn about an tips and best practices from an actual E-Commerce site that is using UX and usability to improve conversion and sales.

BuildASign.com™ is a national e-commerce leader in custom signage and development of related industry innovations and software applications.

Senior UX UI Designer and Developer at Adlucent

Craig — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:19:00 +0000

Job Opening for Senior UX/UI Designer and Developer at Adlucent

A friend of the Austin UPA sent us a recent job opening for Senior UX/UI Designer and Developer at Adlucent in Austin. Here’s the details:

As a Senior UI Developer, you will

Lead UI/UX efforts
Own interaction design
Work closely with our software engineers and product managers
Create clean, elegant code using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Contribute to the evolution of our style guides, markup library (e.g., future development and extension of widgets sets) and digital icon library

About You

You get slightly anxious if something is a few pixels off
You can bend JavaScript, CSS and HTML to your will
You excel at taking feature lists and turning them into clever and intuitive user interfaces
You have a great eye for stunning visual design
You love to collaborate with users, developers and product managers to make beautiful and simple software that’s a joy to use

Must Have

At least 3 years of solid UI/UX experience transforming your designs into actual code
Expertise in HTML, CSS and JavaScript
A design portfolio of completed works
Experience working in the software development environment
Passion for graphic design, human-computer interaction and interaction design
Strong eye for typography, color and hierarchy
Familiarity with user research methods
A commitment to producing quality, innovative work
Excellent communication skills
Desire to work in a collaborative environment where you thrive on iteration

Nice to Have

Icon design experience
Knowledge of HTML5 beyond the buzzwords
Experience with Backbone.js or Ember.js
Familiarity with version control systems, especially Subversion
Working knowledge of Java and GWT

For more information on this position:

http://adlucent.com/careers/

Review of Austin UPA Usability Workshop

Craig — Sat, 05 May 2012 14:37:50 +0000

Austin UPA Meeting Review: Usability Workshop

Usability testing workshop

Our Austin UPA chapter May meeting was a usability workshop and based on the feedback receive was in every way a resounding success!

Attendees had a chance to learn, via hands-on training, exactly how to conduct a one-on-one moderated usability session. Based on the survey feedback we received this was one of the best meetings yet, as members enjoyed having a chance to learn how to conduct a session, and got to flex their usability testing skills.

A few comments from the surveys included:

“I think the hands-on experience was great”
“Nice overview of user testing”
“Super helpful”

The meeting started with networking, always a favorite with our members. Each member had a chance to get to meet fellow members and learn a bit more about them, where they work, what they do and how they became interested in UX and usability.

Next, the meeting started with a quick review of the entire usability testing process, which among other things includes creating Personas, identifying critical tasks, developing a usability testing protocol, recruiting participants who match the Personas and conducting and analyzing the test. For purposes of this meeting we focused just on the moderation techniques necessary for a 1-on-1 performance based test.

The board then went through a brief demo of how a typical usability test works. Members watched as the moderator asked the user to try to accomplish a critical task on a website. In this case the critical task was to book train travel for her parents, who live in New Jersey, to visit her in Austin, Texas via amtrak.com. As it turned out, the usability of amtrak.com caused several issues. The group listened intently while the user tried to accomplish the goal, using the think out loud method so everyone could evaluate the experience.

User and moderator at the usability testing workshop

After the brief demo, our members broke into groups of three. One member took the role of moderator, one took the role of the user, and the third took the role of observer. Testing started by having the moderator ask the user to conduct one critical task on a website they were already familiar with. The moderator practiced asking non-leading questions to help probe for potential issues, or to gather additional insight into user expectations vs. the actual experience.

After ten minutes of testing, the group stopped and the observer provided feedback to the moderator on the technique he or she used, offering tips on what went well and where the moderator might want to focus on technique.

After the usability testing review was completed, the team of three switched roles, the moderator becoming the observer, the user becoming the moderator and the observer becoming the user role. The next session of 10 minutes started and at the conclusion of testing the new moderator received feedback from the observer. This process then continued a third time, so that each of the three participants had a chance to do each of the three roles.

Usability testing workshop in full action

At the conclusion of the workshop, each participant voiced their thoughts to the group on the key things they learned from the workshop. All members agreed the workshop was a resounding success and they learned practical information they could put to use immediately at their work. One participant even noted that just that quick test of his application had uncovered several issues he couldn’t wait to address the next day at work!

Based on the resounding success of this meeting we will plan on doing more hands-on workshops in the future around other UX and usability methods!

May Meeting: Usability Testing Workshop

Craig — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:26:54 +0000

May Meeting: Usability Testing Workshop

Hi Austin UPA members!

You’ve been asking for it, and we’ve listened! This meeting will be a hands-on workshop of how to conduct a 1-on-1 performance based moderated usability test. If you’ve ever wondered how to set-up and run a moderated usability test, or how usability testing works, this is your chance! We will conduct an example usability test for you to watch, explaining how it works and what to do (or not do).

After that it will be YOUR turn! We will divide you and your fellow members into groups and let you do your own practice usability test. If possible, make sure you bring your laptop with wireless so you have access to a website.

In this workshop, you will learn:

What is a 1-on-1 moderated Usability test?
How do you set up a moderated usability test?
Who do you test?
How do you run a moderated test?
What do you do with test results?

This is a great session for beginners or advance usability practitioners alike. Improving moderated usability testing is the easiest and fastest way to gather user feedback that can directly be used to improve performance of any website or application.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to get hands-on with usability testing!

WHO: Austin Chapter of the UPA

WHAT: Usability Testing Workshop

WHERE: The Atrium Office Building, 1st floor conference room. 8701 N Mopac Expy, Austin TX (http://g.co/maps/9c3ur)

WHEN: Tuesday, May 1st, 6:30pm Networking, 7:00pm session starts

WHY: Learn about how to conduct moderated usability testing or hone your skills

RSVP: Please RSVP on our Austin UPA Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/events/348516511871426/

We look forward to seeing you there!

Meeting Review of Your UX Career, Today, Tomorrow and Into the Future

Candice McFarland — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:32:52 +0000

We had a great roundtable discussion last week talking about individual members’ UX careers, as well as where we think our industry is heading.

What do our members do? Everything from information architecture (IA), research, interaction design, strategy, project management, graphic design, coding and teaching. Some UX professionals specialize in one area, while others have a more broad range of skills. We found that almost no two people share the same set of skills, and every job is different.

What is the future of the UX career? While we don’t know the answer, one thing is clear: Many companies, especially smaller ones, expect UX employees to have a wide set of skills.

So who’s in the best position right now with that wide set of skills? We think the answer is the IAs. We noticed the IAs in our group were most likely to be generalists rather than specialists, and came equipped with a number of UX skills.

How can the specialists in the group ensure they stay competitive? Either by continuing to specialize and maintain focus on what keeps us us or by adopting new skills, especially in the interaction design and information architecture areas.

Job posting for UX Designer

Candice McFarland — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 01:56:35 +0000

athenahealth is recruiting a senior ux designer for our Austin office.

This position is part of a small/growing cross-functional office in Austin. The role is to support the development of one of athena’s newer products. This is an excellent team with an ambitious project calendar.

athenahealth is looking for high-level design thinkers who can dive into complex design challenges and create solutions to help transform the health care industry. Our UX team of top-notch designers, copywriters, and usability researchers has grown significantly this past year, and we need additional talented interaction design professionals to join us in transforming the UX of health care applications. Do you have a passion for solving complex design problems, and for designing solutions that balance practical constraints with the needs of health care professionals for efficiency and clarity in multiple contexts? Do you thrive when working on critical business challenges at a fast pace on small cross-functional teams? Do you take pride working collaboratively to produce client value every day? If so, help us help doctors better manage their practices, patients, and cash flow as we revolutionize the health care process.

More info: https://sjobs.brassring.com/tgwebhost/jobdetails.aspx?jobId=608784&PartnerId=25409&SiteId=5492&type=mail&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&JobSiteId=5492&JobSiteInfo=608784_5492&gqid=0

Job Posting for Senior UI/UX Designer

Craig — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:47:05 +0000

Hi all,

Here’s a job posting sent to us by a friend of the Austin UPA. If interested please contact Laura:

Senior Level UI Designer

Full-time

Cambridge, MA Relocation assistance offered

The company

My client is a small startup looking to make a big splash. With Google Ventures as their lead investor, they’re hoping to scale their product into a game-changer for the consumer web. And, lucky for designers, the organization truly believes that great design is the way to get this done. What they’re looking for: To put it simply, they need a solid UI designer that knows their way around HTML and CSS.

Responsibilities

Prototype user experiences with both low and high fidelity wireframes
Develop pixel perfect Photoshop comps of said wireframes
Work with their engineers to implement the experiences you design
In a pinch, implement designs into production-quality HTML and CSS
Where applicable, both adhere to and develop our brand guidelines.
Help concept new ideas for product and testing

Requirements

A great portfolio that demonstrates your design skills.

Working knowledge of front-end development — HTML, CSS, jQueryStrong Adobe CS skillsBFA/MFA or equivalent experience

Bonuses

Responsive design experience
User testing experience
Street Fighter Alpha 2 or NBA jam experience

What you’ll get from my client:

They only hire great people, so that’s what you will find there. They love their product, love working together and love to go home with the feeling that they accomplished something everyday. They’re looking for great candidates and take hiring very seriously.

Interested parties will please email a resume with current portfolio of great design sample to me for consideration.

Thank you!

Laura

Laura Hunter

Vivid Resources

424-237-2602-O

559-303-9018-M

310-919-1801-f

Laura.hunter@vividresources.com

April Meeting: Your UX Career — Today, Tomorrow and Into the Future

Candice McFarland — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:20:46 +0000

Hi all,

Join your fellow UX professionals for Austin UPA’s April meeting, a roundtable discussion on the UX career: today, tomorrow and into the future.

Networking starts at 6:30 p.m. and we’ll start the meeting at 7:00.

What do you do right now? Do you wear a bunch of hats? Or are you a specialist? Where would you like to be headed?
Where do you think our industry as a whole is headed? What are our options?
When someone asks you what you’re going to be doing in 5 years, what do you say? UX management? Really good at what you’re doing now?
Let’s read the tea leaves for what’s really going on in our industry.
Is the conversation around specialization/generalization or something entirely different – say moving away from UX and into marketing, product development or somewhere where UXers typically aren’t found?

Start the conversation now by Tweeting us at @AustinUPA.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 3, 6:30 p.m. networking, 7 p.m. meeting

WHERE: Atrium Office Building, 8701 N Mopac Expy, Austin 78759, 1st Floor conference room
Map: http://mapq.st/GJOKdT

RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/322703007784845/
—
www.AustinUPA.org
AustinUPA@gmail.com
Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AustinUPA
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AustinUPA

Meeting Review of Near Field Communication with Rachel Youens

Craig — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:00:08 +0000

Meeting Notes from the Austin UPA March Meeting: SXSW Preview of Near Field Communication Discussion with Rachel Youens

Rachel Youens giving a talk at the Austin UPA meeting regarding near field communication

Our latest meeting of the Austin Chapter of the UPA was a packed audience of UX practitioners who were receiving valuable insights into the latest on Near Field Communication. Our host and presenter, Rachel Youens of Mutual Mobile, provided an excellent overview and latest status on Near Field Communication, a cousin of RFID but with key user experience differences.

The meeting started with a very well received networking session, in which attendees had a chance to get to meet each other and learn more about their fellow UX advocates. The networking session included people looking to hire, and people looking for their next career opportunity, which provided to be very beneficial for all involved.

Austin UPA members listening to Rachel Youens discuss Near Field Communication

If you’ve not come to an Austin UPA meeting yet, and you are involved in any way with User Experience and would like to network, then be sure to attend one of our meetings! Austin UPA meetings are a great way to get introduced to the Austin UX community!

Yours truly, Craig Tomlin, President of the Austin Chapter of the UPA , started the meeting by introducing everyone to the Usability Professional’s Association (UPA). The UPA is an organization devoted to promoting good UX practices through research, education and networking. There are multiple benefits to being a UPA member, many of which are described in the UPA member benefits page.

With SXSW also coming up, a show of hands indicated that only a couple of the 25+ attendees were planning on attending. This is disappointing as there are multiple UX tracks, and meet-ups, for user experience fans. The major issue was the cost, which at the full Interactive-only rate of $950 is completely understandable, as that is VERY expensive especially given the economy.

Rachel Youens and Mutual Mobile, our host, provide free food and drinks which were very well received by the attendees. After the networking, Rachel began her presentation by providing a brief overview of Near Field Communication (NFC). Her presentation is a sneak preview of her 2012 SXSW discussion, NFC No Freakn Chance?

For those of you new to NFC think of the ability to pass data from one source to another like RFID, but enhanced because security is improved, as is the ability to pass more data. The “near” in NFC means your device needs to be not more than about (if I recall correctly) four millimeters away from the other device. This can mean problems if the chip is closed behind a glass divider or other object that increases that distance.

The security component of NFC is enhanced, Rachel explained, because payment transactions will require a PIN, unlike the current more loose security of RFID. However, this can cause problems as well because the usability of how users will tap devices, enter pins, and be informed of transactions completed is still something being worked on.

Rachel Youens speaking about near field communication at the Austin UPA meeting

Likewise, Rachel noted that NFC is itself still being worked on, from a standards point of view. There’s still much work to be done, including determining what icon to use, and how to notify users if a transaction has occurred, or not.

Rachel told the audience that an industry consortium composed of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon has banded together to create Isis, the NFC payment standard that they hope will become the new standard in secure mobile payments. But Rachel informed us that the latest news for NFC and Isis is troubling, because WallMart and Target have pooled their own resources to create a competitor NFC standard to NFC and Isis. Which one will eventually win out is at this point not a safe bet, according to Rachel.

After Rachel’s presentation we opened up the floor to questions, and to comments and feedback. There were really good discussions on the UX of Near Field Communication and the implications from a design and standards point of view. We finished the evening by thanking Rachel Youens and Mutual Mobile for their hospitality. Preliminary survey results from the attendees indicated this was an excellent presentation and excellent meeting!

If you’ve not yet been to an Austin UPA meeting, don’t miss out! Plan on attending one of the next meetings and you too can network with your fellow UX advocates and learn some very interesting and useful information!

2012 Austin Design Community Survey

Llewyn — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:56:54 +0000

This is the last week to take the Austin design community survey. Please take a moment to tell us who you are and what your experience has been with professional events in Austin!

Mar Meeting SxSWi Sneak Peek at Mutual Mobile

Craig — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:54:57 +0000

Austin UPA March Meeting: SxSWi Sneak Preview of Near Field Communications with Rachel Youens of Mutual Mobile

Join your fellow Austin UX professionals for a rare treat, a preview of the upcoming SXSWi discussion on Near Field Communications (NFC). Our speaker, Rachel Youens of Mutual Mobile will provide an overview of NFC today and where it might be going tomorrow. Learn about UX design issues and opportunities, and how NFC may change the way users interact with their smart devices. And we would appreciate YOUR thoughts on the subject too!

Networking starts at 6:30 pm and the presentation starts at 7:00 pm. Free food and drinks are provided by our host Mutual Mobile!

Thank you to Mutual Mobile for being our host and providing Food and Drinks!

WHAT: March Austin UPA Meeting of a SXSWi preview on Near Field Communication by Rachel Youens of Mutual Mobile

WHEN: Tuesday, March 6th, Networking at 6:30 pm, Presentation at 7:00 pm

WHERE: Mutual Mobile, 206 East 9th Street, Suite 1400, Austin, Texas 78701 (http://g.co/maps/98y83)

WHY: Network with your fellow Austin UX fans, learn about the new and exciting world of Near Field Communications and the design of the experiences

RSVP: Austin UPA Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/events/238290959593495/)

Parking is available in the building (Capital Towers) on San Jacinto, but it’s $8. Meter parking is available on the street, and if my memory serves is free after 6pm, so consider parking on the street.

Near Field Communication:

Although NFC, or Near Field Communication, is currently in just a handful of mostly Android phones, this short range wireless technology is seeing quick adoption and is expected to be in almost 40% of smartphones by 2015. NFC promises us a future of tapping the register to pay, or brushing against a store display for a coupon, and opens a whole new realm of interaction for UX designers to explore and define.

We’ll look at the types of experiences that NFC, a close cousin to the popular RFID, can enable and the task that UX designers have ahead of them to help people know why, how, and when to use the technology. The real-world interaction that NFC facilitates means that everything from how thick the glass above an NFC smart-poster is, to how a person using NFC banking can properly cover the pin pad on their phone are all new concerns for UX designers. This session will give designers the tools they need to start designing for NFC initiatives and be pioneers in the latest form of interaction.

Attendees will learn:

What is NFC and how does it compare to technologies like QR and Bluetooth
Case studies on app using NFC, what they have done right and what they have done wrong
What are the physical constraints of NFC (what type of data can be exchanged, how much power is needed, how close you have to be)
Use cases for NFC (opening your car door, paying for a soda at a machine, checking into a venue)
Current known UX issues for NFC (validation, call to action, which card am I using?)

If you’ll be at SXSW, come join the conversation about this topic at the SXSW panel “NFC: No Freakin Chance”: http://schedule.sxsw.com/2012/events/event_IAP11123

Feb Meeting Tomer Sharon

Craig — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:27:48 +0000

Feb Meeting: Tomer Sharon and Getting More UX Research Projects

Hello fellow UX fans!

Do you want to do more UX projects this year? Is your organization UX projects challenged? Are you having trouble ‘selling’ UX? If the answers to any of those questions are yes, we have an Austin UPA meeting you MUST NOT MISS!

Tomer Sharon

Tomer Sharon, one of Google’s leading UX researchers, will be our speaker and will present a sneak preview with tips and tricks of his soon to be published book “It’s Our Research: Getting Stakeholder Buy-in for User Experience Research Projects.”

During the meeting, Tomer Sharon will be live via a web video conference call to present a fascinating and intriguing look into the UX research maturity model based on buy-in and researchers in the organization. You’ll be able to use this information to help you better “sell” your UX research projects in your (or any) organization!

The talk will begin with a discussion about a UX research maturity model for organizations that develop technology. The model introduces four levels of maturity based on UX research buy-in and the existence of researchers in the organization. Tomer will then give a short preview of his upcoming book, “It’s Our Research: Getting Stakeholder Buy-In for User Experience Research Projects” that focuses on getting the approvals you need for UX research projects. We’ll finish with Tomer’s discussion about trends in UX research for 2012 and beyond.

This is one meeting you NEED to attend if you are interested in expanding your UX research activities!

RSVP: Please RSVP on our Austin UPA Facebook event page

WHAT: Austin UPA and Tomer Sharon presentation of; “It’s Our Research: Getting Stakeholder Buy-in for UX Research Projects”

WHEN: Tuesday, February 7^th, 2012, 7pm

WHERE: 8701 N Mopac Expy, Austin, TX, 78759, Atrium Office Building, 1^st Floor conference room

WHY: To learn how to sell UX research

Tomer Sharon Biography: A User Experience Researcher at Google New York since 2008, Tomer is currently conducting user research for Google Search. Previously, he led the UX research effort for Google’s online advertising management platform, DFP (Doubleclick for Publishers). Prior to working for Google, he was a user researcher at Check Point Software Technologies in Israel, where he led the research effort for dozens of networking and Internet security products on various platforms. As founder and president of UPA Israel, Tomer led the chapter to many achievements, including raising awareness of the need for easy-to-use, efficient, and fun technology products, as well as growing and nurturing a professional community of 1,000 practitioners. He speaks at conferences and professional events, is a published author of articles and papers, and a past editorial board member for UPA’s UX Magazine. Tomer is the author of the forthcoming book, “It’s Our Research: Getting Stakeholder Buy-in for User Experience Research Projects” (Morgan Kaufmann, 2012). He holds a master’s degree in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University.

He is @tsharon and his book is @itsourresearch on Twitter.

2012 Austin UPA Board Members

Llewyn — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:16:23 +0000

We are pleased to announce the new Austin UPA board members for 2012. They are Craig Tomlin, President; Llewyn Paine, Vice President; Sasha Wolosin, Secretary; and Candice McFarland, Treasurer.

As an award-winning marketing, SEO and usability leader, Craig Tomlin has generated millions of dollars in revenue for start-ups, small businesses and Fortune 100 companies like Countrywide, Disney, IBM, Kodak, Prudential, WellPoint and many more since 1996. He specializes in generating a complete marketing & sales experience that starts at branding, global marketing and awareness, optimizes continuously via testing (A/B, Google Analytics, Usability Testing), and ends at completed order forms or eCommerce results (KPI’s, leads, sales). Craig specializes in directing the creation and deployment of email, online media, SEO, SEM and customized marketing microsites. He leads web site development and redesign projects to maximize SEO, leads and sales. Craig produces usability tests and is a Certified Usability Analyst and long-time member of the Usability Professionals’ Association. Craig lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and daughter and 4 dogs.

Llewyn Paine (llewyn.com) is a cognitive psychologist and user experience research fellow with the Disney Media & Advertising Lab. She conducts studies on a variety of media platforms ranging from web and mobile to 3D television in order to inform strategic decision-making by major network clients. Her specializations include perceptual organization, implicit measures, performance metrics, and eye tracking. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Sasha Wolosin (www.sashawolosin.com) is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin. Her current research focuses on the influence of motivation on human memory. Sasha has completed an internship in interaction design at Mutual Mobile and plans to work in user experience/interaction design after finishing her degree. She is passionate about good design, bikes, music and travel.

Candice McFarland is the customer engagement manager for Dell’s Public and Large Enterprise websites globally. What does that mean? Well, she’s a combo researcher/strategist with a huge dollop of user advocacy. Go, IT pros! Before that, she was up in Dallas working with clients like Disney, Microsoft, Michelin and Moen on fabulous methodologies like usability testing, card sorting, cognitive walkthroughs and focus groups. Alas, why aren’t there more field studies-obsessed clients? But Candice’s fake biographer digresses. When she’s not stalking Tom Tullis, you can find Candice playing the Rosenfeld Media parlour game in which friends bet on the subjects of upcoming titles, keeping things she reads in UTest a state secret and crossing her fingers for bigger research budgets.

We welcome the new board members and extend our sincere thanks to outgoing board members Shari Crisan and Tulsi Patel for their hard work in the 2011 term.

Dec Meeting: Improving Your UX with User Feedback

Craig — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:22:33 +0000

December Meeting: Improving Your User Experience with Better User Feedback

Greetings Austin UPA members! Our December meeting will be a good one for anyone that is struggling to improve the user experience through better user feedback. We will have a guided tour of the latest user feedback tool from OpinionLab, a leading voice of the customer service, during the first half of the meeting.

The second half of the meeting is a chance for YOU to share YOUR favorite user feedback tools! This will be a GREAT way to learn about tools that can directly plug you into the brains of your users! And as you know, gathering good user feedback is half the battle of a good user experience improvement project!

RSVP: Austin Chapter of the UPA Facebook events

Who: Austin Chapter of the Usability Professionals Association

What: Dec Meeting, Improving Your UX with better user feedback

When: Tuesday, December 6th, 2011, 7PM

Where: National Instruments, 11500 North Mopac Expressway Austin, TX 78759. Building B, Second Floor, Training Room 4.

NOTE: Main gate closes at 7pm. After that use the intercom to call the security guard and let them know you’re with the UPA.

Google Map of National Instruments (http://g.co/maps/jma2y)

Why: A critical component for improving your user experience is incorporating user feedback. There are multiple ways to gather user feedback, for example using website forms, online surveys or contextual inquiry. However, with the ever increasing utilization of multiple types of interaction devices (desktop, smartphones, iPads, etc.), how do you accurately gather user feedback both in channel and across channels?

The first half of our meeting will be a live online demonstration by OpinionLab. The second half of the meeting will be a chance for you to share YOUR favorite tools for gathering user feedback.

OpinionLab (http://www.opinionlab.com/) is a firm specializing in gathering user feedback as seen through their animated “[ + ]” buttons on some websites. OpinionLab’s client list includes Wal-Mart, Bank of America, Ford Motor Company, and many more. With real-time listening solutions for every brand touch point, OpinionLab invites consumers to share input in their own words, at anytime, from anywhere, helping organizations collect, understand, and leverage both structured and unstructured customer data.

This will be an interesting meeting for anyone that is looking to improve their user experience. We look forward to seeing you there!

WUD Meeting Tonight!

Craig — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:37:53 +0000

Just a reminder that our Austin UPA World Usability Day meeting is tonight!

We look forward to seeing you at The Austin Statesman at 7pm!

WHAT: FREE Seminar – “Fires, Education and Designing for Social Change – How the Austin American-Statesman utilized social media to inform a community during
Central Texas’ wildfires.”

FREE FOOD AND DRINKS: Provided by National Instruments!

WHEN: Thursday, November 10th, 2011, 7:00PM – 9:00PM

WHERE: The Austin American Statesman, 305 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX
78704

WHY: World Usability Day was founded in 2005 as an initiative of the
Usability Professionals’ Association to ensure that services and
products important to human life are easier to access and simpler to
use. This year’s theme is “Education, Designing for Social Change”
and is an opportunity for the community to learn more about making our
world work better.

RSVP: SEATING IS LIMITED! Ensure you are able to attend this rare
glimpse into the leading Journalism Social Media group. RSVP at
EventBrite today! (http://austinupawud.eventbrite.com/)

MORE INFORMATION:

On Sept. 4, 2011, a major fire disaster erupted within just a few
hours, and swept across several parts of Central Texas. Homes, pets
and livestock were lost and two deaths were attributed to the
wildfires. The Austin American-Statesman, through their reporting, web
and social media efforts, became THE source for the latest fire news.
Almost immediately, the Statesman’s Social Media Editor Maira Garcia,
sprang into action. The Statesman’s tens of thousands of Twitter and
Facebook followers turned to them for up-to-date fire coverage. The
Statesman became the leader in breaking fire news. Social media became
one of the primary ways for many in the community to stay informed
about a live and on-going disaster.

In this free World Usability Day seminar, Maira Garcia, the
Statesman’s Social Media Editor, will provide a rare glimpse into the
strategy and tactics surrounding the Austin Statesman’s disaster
coverage. You will learn how news was gleaned, vetted and distributed.
This is a very special opportunity to hear directly from those leading
the coverage how they did it, what they learned, and how education can
be provided by designing for social change.

Austin UPA World Usability Day

Craig — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:14:19 +0000

The Austin Chapter of the Usability Professional’s Association and the Austin American Statesman present:

The Austin World Usability Day Event, Nov 10th 2011: A FREE Seminar at the Austin American Statesman

“Fires, Education and Designing for Social Change – How the Austin American-Statesman utilized social media to inform a community during Central Texas’ wildfires.”

On Sept. 4, 2011, a major fire disaster erupted within just a few hours, and swept across several parts of Central Texas. Homes, pets and livestock were lost and two deaths were attributed to the wildfires. The Austin American-Statesman, through their reporting, web and social media efforts, became THE source for the latest fire news. Almost immediately, the Statesman’s Social Media Editor Maira Garcia, sprang into action. The Statesman’s tens of thousands of Twitter and Facebook followers turned to them for up-to-date fire coverage. The Statesman became the leader in breaking fire news. Social media became one of the primary ways for many in the community to stay informed about a live and on-going disaster.

In this free World Usability Day seminar, Maira Garcia, the Statesman’s Social Media Editor, will provide a rare glimpse into the strategy and tactics surrounding the Austin Statesman’s disaster coverage. You will learn how news was gleaned, vetted and distributed. This is a very special opportunity to hear directly from those leading the coverage how they did it, what they learned, and how education can be provided by designing for social change.

WHAT: Free World Usability Day Event, a Seminar sponsored by the Austin Chapter of the UPA and the Austin American Statesman

WHEN: Thursday, November 10^th, 2011, 7:00PM – 9:00PM

WHERE: The Austin American Statesman, 305 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

WHY: World Usability Day was founded in 2005 as an initiative of the Usability Professionals’ Association to ensure that services and products important to human life are easier to access and simpler to use. This year’s theme is “Education, Designing for Social Change” and is an opportunity for the community to learn more about making our world work better.

RSVP: SEATING IS LIMITED! Ensure you are able to attend this rare glimpse into the leading Journalism Social Media group. RSVP at EventBrite today!

World Usability Day Hold the Date

Craig — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:28:39 +0000

World Usability Day Meeting is November 10th, 2011

Greetings!

We have some very exciting news for this year’s World Usability Day, which is Thursday, November 10th, 2011. Our Austin Chapter of the UPA, in partnership with the Austin American Statesman, will be hosting a free seminar:

Fires, Community, Education and Designing for Social Change – How the Austin American Statesman utilized Social Media to inform and educate a community during the fires of central Texas

Please hold the date and time!

Thursday, November 10th, 7PM

More information will be coming shortly about this truly rare opportunity to learn directly from the team in the Statesman how they used Social Media to inform Central Texans, and the world, about the fire disasters we recently experienced!

More details, including how to RSVP to this limited seating event, will be coming very soon.

Interaction Designer Job Posting

Craig — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:41:23 +0000

Interaction Designer Job from Mutual Mobile

Hi all,

Here’s a recent job opening for an interaction designer sent to us from our friends at Mutual Mobile.

Interaction Designer

Mutual Mobile is looking for the best and the brightest Interaction Designers to join our User Experience team. We practice user focused design and pride ourselves in having a creative environment practicing methods of Lean UX and other techniques to iterate efficiently. In order to achieve this, Interaction Designers are paired one to one with Visual Designers and sit co-located with developers to encourage collaboration and moments of inspiration. We are looking for Interaction Designers who want to surprise and delight users with their simple, creative, and innovative ideas.

Responsibilities:

Have a current knowledge of mobile best practices, including the Apple Human Interface Guidelines.

Have an understanding of Interaction Design principles and the ability to pick and choose from various techniques like wireframing, storyboarding and prototyping to provide valuable deliverables for communicating the user experience to clients and teammates.
Have an understanding and ability to execute various testing methods for pre-design research and in-design usability testing.

What we’re looking for:

You are an excellent written and verbal communicator who can present work clearly to clients, developers and other team members.
You are a problem solver who enjoys working on a variety of challenges who can stay self-managed under deadlines.
You intuitively understand what the end-user needs and can focus on converting that insight into designs that both the development and visual design teams can work with.
You have enough technical experience that you can comfortably express and react to the technical and user interface limits of mobile and touch interfaces.
You have a basic proficiency in Illustrator, and an advanced proficiency in a wireframing tool like OmniGraffle.

Please include any examples of mobile work that you have in your portfolio. Having an experience in mobile is not a firm requirement for applicants that have multiple years of industry experience.

Apply for this Mutual Mobile interaction designer job

October Meeting Recap UX Tools

Craig — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:35:21 +0000

Oct 2011 Austin UPA Chapter Meeting Recap: UX Tools

A packed room of UX fans sharing and learning about cool UX tools

Our October, 2011 Austin Chapter of the UPA meeting on UX Tools was a hit! Over 20 fellow UX-fans shared and learned about many free and low-cost tools. Some of the very cool usability and IA tools demonstrated included:

UserTesting.com – An easy to use and relatively low-cost ($39 per participant) way to gather unmoderated usability testing data.

Feng-GUI – A simulated or automated way to gather information about what objects on a screen may be capturing human attention. Displayed results include heatmaps, gaze plot, opacity and AOIs.

Five Second Test – A simple and fast tool for gathering feedback about a design. An image of a website is displayed for five seconds, then your participant is presented with questions you create. Also includes click-tracking and navigation flow testing tools.

Maqutta - An open source project originally started by IBM that enables WYSIWYG interface design in HTML5, all through the convenience of your browser.

Obsurvey - A simple and FREE, yet easy to use survey tool for gathering qualitative and quantitative feedback.

Qualtrics - Another powerful survey tool that includes additional features including; a research suite, a website intercept tool, and the ability to obtain panels.

PlainFrame - A fast and easy remote testing tool useful for gathering information architecture and navigation feedback, plus the ability to record each participant session, clicks and more.

TreeJack - Another useful tool for gathering information architecture and navigation feedback. Includes the ability to upload navigation via excel.

IBM Information Architecture WorkBench – A very cool tool, and very powerful, for developing complex information architecture maps and task flows. I also think this could be a dream tool for developing detailed, yet easy to navigate Use Cases

FlairBuilder - Another in the wireframe to prototyping tools that is becoming more common. This includes a free viewer that enables fellow team-members to leave comments.

Cacoo - A handy online tool that enables quick visualizations of diagrams, work-flows and information architecture. Real-time collaboration is another useful feature for those with disperse teams.

Partial UX Tools List

The amazing thing is the above is just a partial list of the UX tools that our meeting attendees thought might be of interest, but there are plenty more! The past few years has seen an explosion in the types of usability, IA and wireframing tools that practitioners can use to create and share designs.

Based on the great interest and excitement our attendees expressed in this topic we will look forward to doing a follow-up meeting on UX tools sometime in early 2012. We hope to see you there!

October Meeting: UX Tools Bring and Brag

Craig — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:36:42 +0000

October Meeting: UX Tools Bring and Brag

Our October Austin UPA Chapter meeting promises to be a good one, because YOU are going to be the meeting! That’s right, YOU get to brag about what UX tools you use to help you with your projects!

The format is simple, we’ll all take turns bragging about tools that we use, and just like any good shopper knows; the cheaper and the easier-to-use, the better!

You’ll hear about such interesting tools as “TreeJack, FenGUI, 5 Second Test, UserTesting.com” and plenty more! Not seeing your favorite tool? No problem, just share yours with the rest of the attendees. We’ll have a computer and projector so you can share your favorite with your fellow UX-ers.

Free food and drinks! And even more good news, you’ll have FREE Food and Drinks, which are provided by the good folks (and our hosts for this event) Apogee Results, the Online Marketing Authority.

RSVP on FaceBook

WHAT: October Meeting – UX Tools Bring and Brag

WHEN: Tuesday, October 4th, 7PM

WHERE: 8701 N Mopac, 1st Floor Conference Room (Left through the front door, down the hallway and last door on your left)

WHY: This is a GREAT chance for you to network, learn about (and share) some useful, cheap and effective UX tools designed to make your life easier, and to have some FREE food and drinks.

We will look forward to seeing you there!

Usability Analyst Needed for Contract Work

Craig — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:56:40 +0000

Contract Position – Usability Analyst

Howdy all!

Here’s a job posting directly from yours truly! I’m becoming ever more busy with projects, to the point where I need some freelance contract work from a usability analyst. Here’s the details…

Usability Analyst Job Description

Job Type: Contractor

Job Description

We are currently seeking an experienced usability analyst on a contract basis to conduct user experience research, expert reviews and usability testing aimed at optimizing the user experience and increasing the conversion of websites, landing pages and microsites. The usability analyst participates in all phases of the usability testing process, which include:

Working with our clients to understand their project objectives
Providing expert reviews (heuristic evaluations) of websites, landing pages and microsites
Developing a usability test plan which addresses the client’s objectives
Facilitating projects such as one-on-one usability sessions and focus groups to obtain user preferences and feedback
Analyzing and documenting the results discovered from the usability sessions as PowerPoint deliverables

Desired Skills & Experience

The usability analyst should have a prior history of creating heuristic reviews of websites for B2B and B2C websites, landing pages and/or microsites. Familiarity with developing usability testing protocols, common best practices for usable design, and the user-centric methodology are helpful. The usability analyst will be evaluating websites based on Analytics data, coupled with the application of usability testing tools such as 5 second test, automated eye tracking, click tracking and other interaction data. The usability analyst will then couple this data with evaluations of the client’s website based on variations between the existing user experience and common best practices. The output of this research will be PowerPoint and related documents with screen captures and commentary that clearly highlight optimization opportunities for the client’s site.

The usability analyst:

Gathers, analyzes, and documents user feedback, either through direct interaction with the user (1 on 1 usability testing) or through website data capture and analysis
Conducts expert reviews (heuristic evaluations) of websites against common best practices
Facilitates testing sessions including utilizing tools (GoToMeeting, Morae, Camtasia, etc) to record and scribe sessions either in-person or through remote methodologies
Presents analysis of feedback and recommendations to client based on improving the user experience to improve tasks and or conversion
Provides assistance and expertise to internal staff and clients in support of deliverable completion and successful project conclusion

Required Skills:

At least 2 years of experience as a Usability Analyst, Usability Researcher or similar role in a professional environment
Proven track record of consistently producing deliverables that are well-written and contain helpful information, providing solid and actionable recommendations for the client
Expertise at capturing the essence of usability issues and clearly communicating them with non-technical audiences using screen capture, PowerPoint documentation and commentary
Experience with an extensive variety of Usability methodologies and involvement in running a variety of tests, according to methodology and industry
Detail-oriented, with the ability to multi-task, including excellent written and verbal communication skills
Self-starter who is comfortable with minimal day-to-day guidance and independently managing deadlines
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, and virtual meeting software tools such as Adobe Connect or GoToMeeting, experience with Camtasia or Morae a plus
Good analytical and quantitative skills and the ability to make sound recommendations and decisions based on observed user behavior and prior experience

Company Description

Apogee Results is a complete online marketing company providing professional services across multiple online marketing disciplines. As a large independent marketing services agency we recruit top talent in the areas of search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, social media, website effectiveness, quantitative research and web analytics. Through client collaboration, intense focus on bottom-of-the-funnel metrics, and in-depth industry expertise, we help our customers take their marketing programs to higher levels of performance and effectiveness to generate significant returns on investment.

Apogee Results is located in Austin, Texas and has performed work on behalf of many large and smaller sized clients, across both B2B and B2C disciplines. Clients we’ve worked with include many marquee brands, Fortune 100 companies, and Inc. 500 companies in local, national and international businesses.

For Immediate Consideration

For immediate consideration, please forward your resume and hourly rate expectations to: hiring@apogeeresults.com with the Subject Line “Usability Analyst.”

Meeting Recap: UX Research is Dead, Long Live Research

Craig — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:30:43 +0000

Austin UPA Chapter Meeting Recap, Sentient Services:

Our September Austin chapter of the UPA meeting was a good one! Paul Janowitz and Kristen Gray of Sentient Services hosted a meeting devoted to eyetracking and learning about the latest trends in user experience research: social community via icanmakeitbetter.com.

Paul Janowitz of Sentient Services speaking about eyetracking and UX research

Over 20 UX and usability fans came to Sentient Services and were treated to sandwiches, free beer and drinks and some serious networking. Paul provided a review of eyetracking, including when eyetracking is useful, and when it’s not the right tool.

As you might imagine, it’s the background information gathering (can you say “Personas?”) and actual questions the research wants answered that determine how successful eyetracking will be. The well known phrase “bad data in, bad data out” certainly applies to eyetracking. Good to know that the basics apply to eyetracking just like any other form of UX research!

Eyetracking Data:

What are questions that eyetracking can answer? Paul indicated that eyetracking is useful for gathering data such as:

What elements or objects are attracting attention
Which of those SHOULD be attracting attention?
Which of those should NOT be attracting attention?
How long do people spend gazing at objects?
What paths are people typically taking when reviewing a page?

What are questions that eyetracking cannot answer? Paul provided a list including:

Which design do people like better?
What do people think about the Brand?
How do I make people stay on the page longer?
Why are people not completing their purchases?
How bad does my website suck (ok, I added that one!)

UX Research:

For the future of research, Paul provided us with an overview of his latest tool, simply titled ICanMakeItBetter.com. Paul’s latest creation, he shared with us, was inspired by air conditioning (I kid you not!). Paul told us he had recently purchased a new pick-up truck.

The old truck had air conditioning vents in the back for his kids to use (something that’s VERY important in a place like Central Texas with heat above 100 for over 80 straight days!). However, his new truck, he failed to note prior to purchase, did not have air conditioning vents in the back. He didn’t realize that until after he had purchased his truck, and his kids asked him,

“Daddy, where’s the air conditioning for us?”

Paul’s attempts at contacting the Dealer, then the manufacturer, to ask “What happened to the air conditioning in the back, and how do I get a truck that has it?” revealed that air conditioning vents in the back were simply not part of the new truck features! Something mission-critical for Paul and his back-seat passengers was left off the design consideration. Paul’s feeling was…

“There’s got to be a tool that allows me to communicate with the manufacturer, that they can use to gather user feedback for making design decisions.”

But there wasn’t, or at least not one that had enough function and features to make it fully research-useful.

So, Paul created one!

ICanMakeItBetter

Paul’s new research tool is called ICanMakeItBetter. To summarize, it’s a research tool (ala social and community communication portal) that couples users who are interested in a topic with companies and researchers who want to document and be connected with feedback from those users. ICanMakeItBetter.com enables sharing of information using the latest social tools, but adds to that by providing a private and controlled community that helps ensure no “bad data in, bad data out.”

ICanMakeItBetter.com can be used to create a user community that researchers can interact with, document, and ping for responses and data that help make better and more informed design decisions. The service is a SAAS model (Software As A Service) and comes in two business models; either a self-run tool that you manage, or a full turn-key community that Paul and team will set up and run for you.

Paul shared with us that interest is taking off for this new tool among many corporations, and that’s a good sign for research and the future of improving things in general!

If you’ve not checked out ICanMakeItBetter.com I suggest you head over there and review it, you may find that it’s a useful tool for gathering a community of users that you can use for your own research.

A BIG Texas-sized Thank You to Paul and Kristen for being such gracious hosts, and for the knowledge they imparted with the rest of the Austin UPA chapter. We’ll look forward to hearing more good things from Sentient Services and ICanMakeItBetter.com

September Meeting: Sentient Services; Research is Dead, Long Live Research!

Craig — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 19:40:17 +0000

September Meeting: Sentient Services; Research is Dead, Long Live Research!

Mark your calendars, our September meeting of the Austin chapter of the UPA is one not to miss!

RSVP on Facebook

What: September Austin UPA Chapter Meeting, Eyetracking and Research, Sentient Services

Where: Sentient Services, 205 Brazos Street (corner Brazos and 3rd in the uShip building)

Date: Tuesday, September 6th, 7PM

Eyetracking example

Eyetracking is one of the rather rare subjects in UX that seems to polarize practitioners. Some can’t live without it, some say they can’t live with it. Whatever your beliefs, now is your chance to explore the latest in eyetracking and research, and witness a live demo from long-time eyetracking expert and researcher Paul Janowitz, founder of Sentient Services and ICanMakeItBetter.com.

Paul Janowitz and Sentient Services will host a very special meeting. Learn about the latest in eyetracking research, watch a demo of the system in action and learn how advances in eyetracking are helping improve user experience optimization. In addition, Paul will present his latest research tool, ICanMakeItBetter.com, a community, research and innovation tool that Paul believes will vastly improve the ability of researchers to gather data to help improve products and services.

In addition, Paul and Sentient Services will be serving refreshments including beer and munchies. Yes, that’s right, free beer! Got your attention?

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn about the latest and greatest in eyetracking and research. Mark your calendar and we will look forward to seeing you there!

Paul Janowitz Biography:

Paul Janowitz

Paul specializes in quantitative and qualitative market research, user experience research, product development, branding, social media and marketing strategy. Prior to founding Sentient Services in 2003 Paul was a Research Director for The Gallup Organization, a founding employee of a leading technology research consultancy acquired by Market Strategies International and branding director on the agency side. His work spans worldwide brand launches to new product development, customer engagement, usability and market research for companies around the globe.

Paul specializes in providing innovative business intelligence driven by cutting-edge research and deep industry expertise. He has extensive experience in industries spanning technology (software, hardware, emerging) advertising, interactive, social media, healthcare, automotive and education. Clients and friends along the way include Intel, Yahoo!, IBM, HP, Dell, Aetna, The University of Texas, Microsoft, Sony, SAP and many others.

From this depth of experience Paul brings unique insights into how the marketplace reacts to and consumes products and services.

Paul holds a MA in Government (human behavior and research methodology) and a dual BA in Economics and Government from the University of Texas at Austin. Paul is actively involved in the Austin community as the founder of AustinProBono.org and through working with LifeWorks, The Trail Foundation and other local charities. Paul frequently guest lectures and writes about research, emerging technology, branding and usability.

August Meeting: Happy Hour and World Usability Day Project Brainstorming

Llewyn — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:46:23 +0000

It’s time for another Austin UPA Happy Hour this upcoming Tuesday, August 2, from 7 to 9 pm.

Event Details:

Description:
November 10 is World Usability Day, and the Austin UPA officers were thinking of doing a project on something usability related in our community. We’d like to brainstorm some ideas and start organizing the project at the happy hour.

When: Tuesday, August 2, 2011, 7 pm – 9 pm

Where:
Opal Divine’s Marina (near Fry’s)
12709 North Mopac, Austin, TX

RSVP on Facebook

Hope to see you on Tuesday!

July Meeting: UPA Conference Recap

Llewyn — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:32:15 +0000

This year’s international UPA conference held in Atlanta was full of great sessions and presentations over the latest technologies and trends. For those who attended the conference, please join us and share your favorite topics and take aways with members of the group who weren’t able to make it.

When: Tuesday July 12, 2011, 7 pm – 9 pm

Where: National Instruments
11500 North Mopac Expressway
Austin, TX 78759
Building B
Second Floor, Training Room 4

NOTE: Main gate closes at 7pm. After that use the intercom to call the security guard and let them know you’re with the UPA.

RSVP on Facebook

Hope to see you on Tuesday!