Northern User Experience » event http://northern-user-experience.org Community blog Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:52:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Usability Event in Manchester 28th Jan http://northern-user-experience.org/2009/01/15/usability-event-in-manchester-28th-jan/ http://northern-user-experience.org/2009/01/15/usability-event-in-manchester-28th-jan/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:58:50 +0000 Paul Rouke http://northern-user-experience.org/?p=71 [...]]]> Some people may be interested to know of a free usability event being run by Manchester Digital on the 28th January 2009. I will be speaking at the event along with Judith Garmen and Pete Bagnall.

It’s focused on helping business owners understand the importance of usability for both their internal and external facing websites and systems, with the aim of improving companies bottom line through the likes of improving staff efficiency and the conversion rates from marketing budgets.

A few details below:

  • Title: Usability: What’s The Use?
  • Date: 28th January 2009
  • Time: 6.00pm – 9.00pm
  • Venue: CUBE (Centre for the Urban Built Environment), 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester M1 6DW
  • Cost: FREE!
  • Official Event Page: http://usabilitywhatstheuse.eventbrite.com/

Further details and a brief overview are below:

For the digital sector, usability and user experience are more than new fads.

These topics, and their perceived value to businesses, have been talked and written about many times, but lets get it straight: just exactly what is the use of usability to a company looking at improving their performance, ROI and staff efficiency?

In this FREE event Paul Rouke, User Experience Director at PRWD, and 2 guest speakers Judith Garman of AbilityNet and Pete Bagnall of SurfaceEffect, will be providing a range of real-life examples and industry insights which will help reveal some of the tangible benefits businesses can gain by embracing usability and user experience.

Through the course of the evening you will see why usability can play a significant role in the likes of e-commerce websites, B2B websites, lead generation sites, intranets, internal software systems and the development of bespoke web and software applications.

The event will be followed by drinks, some food and networking.

]]> http://northern-user-experience.org/2009/01/15/usability-event-in-manchester-28th-jan/feed/ 0 Dates for Jan/Feb/March Meetings http://northern-user-experience.org/2008/12/23/dates-for-janfebmarch-meetings/ http://northern-user-experience.org/2008/12/23/dates-for-janfebmarch-meetings/#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:42:19 +0000 Paul Rouke http://northern-user-experience.org/?p=64 [...]]]> I’ve had confirmation from MDDA regarding the use of their facilities in the early part of 2009. To fit with their schedule of staff and other user groups using the offices, they have suggested the 3rd Wednesday of each month.

So the next 3 months dates would be:

  • Wednesday 21st January
  • Wednesday 18th February
  • Wednesday 18thMarch

Can anyone who normally comes along shout up if this causes a problem – I know the last 3 months have been on a Tuesday, but based on us continuing to use the facilities FOC we’ll need to be flexible on the day of the week that we meet.

I plan on confirming to the MDDA wc 5th Jan so I’ll wait till then for any comments.

Merry Christmas one and all!

]]> http://northern-user-experience.org/2008/12/23/dates-for-janfebmarch-meetings/feed/ 5 Possible Subjects For Future Meetings http://northern-user-experience.org/2008/12/20/possible-subjects-for-future-meetings/ http://northern-user-experience.org/2008/12/20/possible-subjects-for-future-meetings/#comments Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:32:42 +0000 Paul Rouke http://northern-user-experience.org/?p=60 [...]]]> I though it would be useful to make available the list of subjects which we came up with at October’s meeting, where lots of ideas where brought forward.

Perhaps this list will be useful in getting people to consider doing a mini presentation as part of one of the 2009 monthly meetings.

  • Complex business / manufacturing systems
  • Rapid prototyping
  • Pragmatic / shoestring usability
  • Design evangelism / internal communication
  • ROI and selling the benefits of usability
  • Testing and observation techniques
  • Engagement and organisational culture
  • Open source / agile development
  • Heuristics – do we need a rethink?
  • Ethnography
  • Non-standard design (mobile / accessible etc)
  • Accessibility / WCAG 2
  • Information architecture
  • Words and language
  • Interaction design
  • Usability in news media
  • Internal business systems
  • Perceived vs. “actual” usability
  • Attractiveness and visual design
  • Employee engagement & involvement (internal comms)
  • Personas
  • Internationalisation
  • Talking the language of business

In particular, subjects around ROI and commercial benefits of usability, complex business/manufacturing systems (MRP, ERP), usability for internal business systems, employee engagement, talking the language of business and open source, agile development methods are the type of things that are very close to our hearts at PRWD. We could therefore provide some presentations on these types of topics in due course.

Its a comprehensive list, but shout up if there are more suggestions for topics!

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