August 10, 2003

Remote Usability: Process, Tools and Techniques of UCD from Afar

The economy, travel restrictions and technology innovations have challenged us to apply new processes, tools and techniques to accomplish common user centered design activities. Initial project kickoffs, requirements gathering sessions, design reviews, collaborative design meetings and usability tests all provide opportunities to apply new technologies. Our speakers will discuss new processes, tools and techniques they have used to apply remote collaboration technolgies to typical usability activities. The strengths and weaknesses of tools used will be covered, as well as learnings about which techniques do and don't translate well to the virtual space. Some interesting learnings from remote International usability testing will also be discussed.

A number of tools will be discussed: PlaceWare, WebEx, NetMeeting, EDS AppShare (not commercially available yet), and SmartBoard. If you would like to participate remotely via conference call, contact DeeDee at deedee.demulling@eds.com. She can help you get set up for the meeting. You should have cable, DSL or other high speed network access - dial-up connections are not recommended.

About the Speakers:

Delight 'DeeDee' DeMulling has been practicing remote design and testing for more than a couple of years, before the tools to support it were very good. She originally spoke on this topic at a PMI conference in 2001 and has been refining those skills ever since. DeeDee currently manages a team of Usability Engineers and works with development and management teams internationally.

John Wooden is a usability consultant with Fredrickson Communications who has spent the last five years working on a variety of web projects and developing expertise in knowledge management, information architecture, and usability. He has conducted usability assessments, competitive analyses, and usability tests for several companies and organizations in the Twin Cities area, including 3M, Mortenson, Target, the City of Minneapolis, and the Department of Children, Families and Learning. John has a Ph.D. in English literature.

Here is the PowerPoint presentation from the meeting.

Meeting Details:

Date/Time:
Thursday, August 14th / 6:00pm
Place:
EDS / Metaphase
Address:
4233 Lexington Avenue North, Arden Hills MN 55126-6198
Phone:
651.482.2705
Hosts:
DeeDee DeMulling
Speaker:
UPA MN Members
Topic:
Remote Usability: Process, Tools and Techniques of UCD from afar

Agenda:

RSVP & Dues

Please email Lyle_Kantrovich@cargill.com if you plan to attend. Please indicate the number of guests, if any, you've invited.

Visitors and past members are welcome, but are asked to pay five dollars if they haven't paid chapter dues for the year.

Note that membership runs from January to December, so you'll want to renew your membership now that 2003 is here.

Directions & Map:

map to Cargill Clearwater

 

Driving Directions (from West / Intersection of 35-W & 694):

  1. From 35W take 694 East to Lexington Avenue exit
  2. Turn left to go North on Lexington Ave.
  3. Look for the Guidant building on your left
  4. Enter at Entrance 1 doors closest to Lexington Ave.

Driving Directions (from East / 35E & 694):

  1. Take 35E to 694 West (veering left)
  2. Take 694 West to Lexington Ave.
  3. Turn right to go norther on Lexington Ave.
  4. Look for the Guidant building on your left
  5. Enter at Entrance 1 doors closest to Lexington Ave.

EDS is in the North end of the Guidant building in Arden Hills at Entrance 4.
We will be meeting in the EDS Customer Conference room. Anyone arriving after 6 pm, please enter at Entrance 1 and security will escort you.

Upcoming Meetings & Events:

Do you have an idea for a future meeting topic or know someone you think would be a good invited speaker? Contact Lyle (lyle_kantrovich@cargill.com) with your suggestions.

Last update: September 10, 2003