Upa2010 day1

UPA 2010 CONFERENCEDAY 1: MAY 26

CHRISTINA YORK’S NOTES, THOUGHTS, AND TAKEAWAYS

DISCLAIMER:THESE WERE NOTES TAKEN QUICKLY DURING CONFERENCE SESSIONS.I DID NOT ALWAYS DISTINGUISH WHO SAID WHAT.I AM NOT TRYING TO STEAL SOMEONE’S THUNDER OR CONTENT.I AM TRYING TO SHARE THE IDEAS PRESENTED, THE IDEAS I HAD, AND THE EXPERIENCE OF THE CONFERENCE WITH THOSE WHO COULDN’T ATTEND.

MUNICH, GERMANY

KEYNOTE: TECHNOLOGY IS A CULTURAL PRACTICE

RACHEL HINMAN (90 MIN)

RACHEL IS SENIOR DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE RESEARCHER AT THE NOKIA RESEARCH LAB IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA.

“IN THIS KEYNOTE, RACHEL WILL SHARE HER THOUGHTS ON THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THE CURRENT CULTURAL WATERSHED WILL PRESENT TO OUR INDUSTRY AS WELL AS THE METAMORPHOSIS OUR FIELD MUST UNDERGO IN ORDER TO CREATE GREAT EXPERIENCES ACROSS DIFFERENT CULTURES.”

THE ROOM WAS PACKED AND THE QUESTIONS PLENTIFUL.I SAT IN THE BACK, BUT COULD EASILY SEE THE SLIDES CONTAINING BEAUTIFUL IMAGES OF HER TRIP TO AFRICA AND OTHER STUNNING IMAGES FROM CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD.

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STORYTELLING YOUR WAY TO A BETTER USER EXPERIENCE

WHITNEY QUESENBERY AND KEVIN BROOKS (90 MIN)

DESCRIPTION: “STORIES ARE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO COLLECT, ANALYZE AND SHARE QUALITATIVE DATA INFORMATION FROM USER RESEARCH, SPARK DESIGN IMAGINATION, AND HELP US CREATE USABLE PRODUCTS.”

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I HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK YET, BUT KNEW THE PRESENTATION WOULD BE GOOD.I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED.

EVEN THOUGH I REGULARLY USE STORY TELLING IN MY WORK, I WAS STILL INSPIRED.

INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION, WITH MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES FOR US TO TRY AS A GROUP.ONE OF THE BEST PACED PRESENTATIONS I HAVE EVER SEEN - NOT RUSHING AND NOT “FILLING” TIME.

BOTH PRESENTERS ENERGETIC AND PASSIONATE AND FILLED ME WITH THE LOVE FOR WHAT I DO.

THE PRESENTATION ITSELF WAS A STORY, AND I LIKED THE MESSAGE “JUST SHUT UP” NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT. LEARN THROUGH LISTENING.

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SOME COMMENTS AND LESSONS FROM THE AUDIENCE. GOOD PARTICIPATION ALL AROUND, WHICH IS IMPRESSIVE GIVEN THE LARGE NUMBER OF ATTENDEES FOR THIS SESSION.

NOTABLE NOTES: COLLECTING GREAT NOTES AT USABILITY TEST SESSIONS

KAREN BACHMANN (30 MIN.)

DESCRIPTION: “NOTE TAKERS ARE ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS IN CONDUCTING A USABILITY TEST. TAKING QUALITY, MEANINGFUL NOTES IS DIFFICULT AND REQUIRES SKILL AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PRODUCT AND ITS INTENDED USERS. KEEN OBSERVATION AND ANALYTICAL THINKING ARE CRITICAL.”

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UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS LATE COMING BACK FROM A WONDERFUL LUNCH AND GROUP DISCUSSION ON PERSONAS. I MISSED THE FIRST FEW MINUTES.

THIS WAS PRACTICAL, COMPREHENSIVE, AND DEFINITELY A GREAT SESSION FOR FUNDAMENTAL SEEKERS.

AGILE UX

THYRA RAUCH (30 MIN.)

DESCRIPTION: “AGILE DEVELOPMENT AND UCD/UX PROCESSES CAN EXIST IN HARMONY, EVEN AFTER A ROCKY START. THIS CASE STUDY DESCRIBES WHAT I DID AS PART OF AN AGILE TEAM. I WILL DISCUSS METHODS, SHARE OUR SUCCESS FACTORS, THINGS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY ROADBLOCKS, AND CONCERNS ABOUT FUTURE ISSUES.”

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SOME GOOD BASICS. SPEAKER WAS OBVIOUSLY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT SHE DOES AND EXUDED ENERGY.

THIS ROOM WAS PACKED. IT IS CLEAR THAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT AGILE.

HOW TO BASE DESIGN DECISIONS ON EMPIRICAL DATA

MARTIN SCHREPP, THEO HELD, PATRICK FISCHER (30 MIN.)

DESCRIPTION: “SCALING TECHNIQUES ARE AN EFFICIENT METHOD TO COMPARE USER INTERFACE DESIGNS CONCERNING GIVEN QUALITY CRITERIA, LIKE PERCEIVED USABILITY OR AESTHETIC IMPRESSION. WE SHOW HOW SCALING CAN BE EFFICIENTLY USED IN THE DESIGN PROCESS BY AUTOMATING TASKS LIKE THE CREATION OF AN ONLINE EXPERIMENT AND DATA ANALYSIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.”

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THE ROOM WAS PACKED WITH MANY PEOPLE SITTING ON THE FLOOR.

I LIKED THAT THIS WAS A REFRESHING OF A LONG-FORGOTTEN TECHNIQUE FOR ME. WHILE APPLICATION OF THIS TECHNIQUE SHOULD BE USED RATHER JUDICIOUSLY, I ALWAYS ENJOY A GOOD ANALYSIS METHOD THAT REMOVES BIASES INTRODUCED BY TEST DESIGN.

SELLING UX BY ALIGNING USER EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION’S GOALS

DANIEL SZUC (90 MIN.)

DESCRIPTION: “WHEN IT COMES TO ‘SELLING’ USER EXPERIENCE (UX) PROCESSES, METHODS AND TECHNIQUES IN OUR ORGANIZATIONS, EVEN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS OFTEN DON’T ALWAYS KNOW HOW TO SELL EFFECTIVELY. BUT SELLING UX ISN’T JUST ABOUT ‘CONVINCING’ YOUR BUSINESS OF THE VALUE OF USER EXPERIENCE...IT’S ABOUT ALIGNING YOUR GOALS WITH THE GOALS OF THE BUSINESS.”

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DANIEL IS A DYNAMIC SPEAKER: HE EXUDES ENERGY AND CLEARLY LOVES ENGAGING PEOPLE. I FELT ENERGIZED BY HIS WORDS.

HIS PRESENTATION WAS INTERACTIVE AND INSPIRING. ONE AUDIENCE MEMBER CALLED IT “MASTERFUL”.

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DAY 1 COMPLETE.LEFT WITH A SAD FEELING WHEN IT WAS OVER...