UPA Minnesota

Usability Testing: Prove, Disprove, or Improve?

Program

Why do we conduct user research? In today's economic climate, do traditional reasons and approaches continue to make sense or serve the needs of clients? Have you heard the phrase: Usability is dead? Do your clients agree? We'll talk with Mahtab Rezai about how approaches and methods of conducting usability testing can grow and evolve to stay relevant and continue adding value.

About Mahtab Rezai

Mahtab has over 14 years of experience in planning, organizing, and improving web sites as well as listening to the people who use them. She has spent much of her career during the last decade leading teams to create compelling user experiences for online, software, and print applications. Mahtab has conducted research on many topics, from marketing sites to task-heavy online applications. Her experience includes sites for retail, travel, banking and financial services, and the healthcare industry.

Her education in visual design coupled with her experience in both interactive consultancies and advertising agencies enables her to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders to plan, develop, design and deliver user experiences that are elegant and effective. She has been a long time advocate of including users in the design process believes that you learn something critical EVERY TIME you observe and listen to your users.

Mahtab's client experience includes: Ameriprise Financial, Cargill, Dain Rauscher, FEMA, Lifetouch, Lawson Software, Medica, Medtronic, Merrill Lynch, Room & Board, T Rowe Price, Thomson West, UnitedHealthcare, US Marine Corps, and 3M.

Details, Directions & Payment

Date & Time: Thursday, March 12, 2009, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

RSVP: By 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 9, 2009

Event Cost: $10 members, $30 non-members (Cash/Check only at the door)

Online Pay via Paypal: (Credit Card or PayPal account).

• $10 - Members (UPA-MN Chapter Members only)
• $10 - Students
• $30 - Non Members
• $70 - Event ($10) + New/Renewing Membership ($60)

Location: Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. South, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Directions: http://www.openbookmn.org/openbook_map.cfm

Parking Tips:

• Parking lot: available in the lot on the east side of the building on a first-come, first-served basis. (The main entrance is on Washington Avenue.) There are approximately 33 parking spaces in this lot, depending on snow conditions. The lot at the back of the building is mainly reserved for building use.
• Meters: on the streets surrounding Open Book. The meters can be set for extended times. The meters are all $1 / hour except for the meters on 3rd, which are 25 cents / hour.
• Ramps/Pay lots: the nearest ramp is the Guthrie / municipal ramp located at 2nd and 10th - about one block from Open Book. There are many other nearby lots and ramps as well.

Refreshments: Light appetizers and sodas will be provided.  Beer and wine will be available at the cash bar.

After Hours: We often go directly after the meeting to one of the nearby bars. For this location, there are many bars within walking distance. All are welcome.