Web Directions » user research http://www.webdirections.org Just another WordPress weblog Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:02:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Juliette Melton — Mobile User Experience Researchhttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-mobile-user-experience-research/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-mobile-user-experience-research/#comments Sun, 29 May 2011 05:22:01 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=3321 Photo of Juliette MeltonIn this talk, Juliette Melton will guide you through how to use some great existing research methods in a mobile context, how to incorporate some new (and fun!) methods into your arsenal, and propose next generation tools and services to make mobile user experience research even better.

]]> Web Directions Unplugged 2011, Seattle, May 13th 11:30am.

Presentation slides

Session description

Most user experience research takes place sitting behind a computer. And yet these days, most networked experiences are happening on mobile devices. Some common user experience research methods work well in a mobile environment — others don’t. In this talk, Juliette Melton will guide you through how to use some great existing research methods in a mobile context, how to incorporate some new (and fun!) methods into your arsenal, and propose next generation tools and services to make mobile user experience research even better.

About Juliette Melton

Photo of Juliette Melton
Juliette has ten years of experience building, managing, and researching digital environments and is a human factors researcher based at IDEO in San Francisco. She’s deeply interested in the intersections between digital culture, learning, and communication. Her work has spanned a broad range of industries including social media, casual gaming, education administration, electronic publishing, corporate banking, computer hardware, and public health.

Community education — through workshops, lectures, and writing — is an important part of her work. Remote user experience methods, agile project management, and research program planning are frequent topics.

Juliette holds an MEd from the Technology, Innovation, and Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she focused on developing models for innovative networked learning applications. She also has a BA in Comparative Literature from Haverford College.

Follow Juliette on Twitter: @j

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-mobile-user-experience-research/feed/ 0 Ryan Freitas — Balancing data-driven & “genius” designhttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/ryan-freitas-balancing-data-driven-genius-design/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/ryan-freitas-balancing-data-driven-genius-design/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:57:42 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=2961 Ryan Freitas PortraitWhat is the appropriate role of quantitative and quantitative data when designing for interaction? What are the most effective ways to gather and interpret data that effectively improves the quality of the consumer experience?

]]> Web Directions USA 2010, Loews Atlanta Hotel, September 23 2.40pm.

Presentation slides

Presentation slides are available to download (PDF).

Session description

Building compelling consumer experiences is often described as being more art than science. Increasingly, those who build them are under pressure to validate their design decisions with data. What is the appropriate role of quantitative and quantitative data when designing for interaction? What are the most effective ways to gather and interpret data that effectively improves the quality of the consumer experience? Ryan Freitas will tackle these and other issues while discussing the importance of integrating data-based iteration into your heuristics-driven design process.

About Ryan Freitas

Ryan Freitas PortraitRyan Freitas is the founder and principal strategist at Second Verse, an experience design consultancy in San Francisco, California. Second Verse specializes in combining superior interaction design with compelling product strategy for technology startups and global media companies. Ryan enthusiastically pursues the opportunity to work on emerging user experience principles, and he has a strong interest in informatics, empathic design, and democratizing access to technology. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Kristen.

Follow Ryan on Twitter: @ryanchris

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/ryan-freitas-balancing-data-driven-genius-design/feed/ 0 Juliette Melton — Remote research: Running effective remote studieshttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-remote-research-running-effective-remote-studies/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-remote-research-running-effective-remote-studies/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:34:20 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=2959 Juliette Melton PortraitIn this workshop-style talk, Juliette Melton will cover recruiting sources, technology tools, and caveats you might not have thought of, including managing time zones and participant distraction. We will also address pros and cons of increasingly popular non-scripted research services.

]]> Web Directions USA 2010, Loews Atlanta Hotel, September 24 10.10am.

Presentation slides

Session description

Remote research can raise the quality and lower the costs of your user research efforts; using a combination of surveys, video, screensharing, and phone, you can connect with a much broader range of users than you could using traditional lab-based usability tests, while using resources more efficiently than you would doing contextual research. In this workshop-style talk, Juliette Melton will cover recruiting sources, technology tools, and caveats you might not have thought of, including managing time zones and participant distraction. We will also address pros and cons of increasingly popular non-scripted research services.

About Juliette Melton

Juliette Melton PortraitJuliette Melton is a user experience researcher and design strategist based in San Francisco. Her background in web development and product management gives her a practical perspective on how to conduct effective user experience research. She advocates building products that delight users while supporting organizational realities.

Juliette holds a master’s in education from the Technology, Innovation, and Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she focused on developing models for innovative networked learning applications. She runs Deluxify, a boutique UX consultancy, writes about her various projects at juliemelton.com, and makes lots of terrariums.

Follow Juliette on Twitter: @j

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-remote-research-running-effective-remote-studies/feed/ 0 Juliette Melton — Running effective remote studieshttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-running-effective-remote-studies/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-running-effective-remote-studies/#comments Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:32:37 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=2905 Juliette Melton PortraitRemote research can raise the quality and lower the costs of your user research efforts; using a combination of surveys, video, screensharing, and phone, you can connect with a much broader range of users than you could using traditional lab-based usability tests, while using resources more efficiently than you would doing contextual research. In this workshop-style talk, Juliette Melton will cover recruiting sources, technology tools, and caveats you might not have thought of, including managing time zones and participant distraction. We will also address pros and cons of increasingly popular non-scripted research services.

]]> Web Directions South 2010, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, October 15 10.45am.

Presentation slides

Session description

Remote research can raise the quality and lower the costs of your user research efforts; using a combination of surveys, video, screensharing, and phone, you can connect with a much broader range of users than you could using traditional lab-based usability tests, while using resources more efficiently than you would doing contextual research. In this workshop-style talk, Juliette Melton will cover recruiting sources, technology tools, and caveats you might not have thought of, including managing time zones and participant distraction. We will also address pros and cons of increasingly popular non-scripted research services.

About Juliette Melton

Juliette Melton PortraitJuliette Melton is a user experience researcher and design strategist based in San Francisco. Her background in web development and product management gives her a practical perspective on how to conduct effective user experience research. She advocates building products that delight users while supporting organizational realities.

Juliette holds a master’s in education from the Technology, Innovation, and Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she focused on developing models for innovative networked learning applications. She runs Deluxify, a boutique UX consultancy, writes about her various projects at juliemelton.com, and makes lots of terrariums.

Follow Juliette on Twitter: @j

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/juliette-melton-running-effective-remote-studies/feed/ 0 Dan Hill — Closing keynote: 15 years inhttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/dan-hill-closing-keynote-15-years-in/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/dan-hill-closing-keynote-15-years-in/#comments Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:42:56 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=2149 Dan Hill PortraitIt is time for the practice of web development and design to broaden its horizons. How can the skills and experience we’ve acquired over the last 15 years of working on the internet be applied more broadly to, say, the design of cities, buildings, organisations, government and so on?

]]> Web Directions South 2009, Sydney Convention Centre, October 9 4.05pm.

Presentation slides

Session description

It is time for the practice of web development and design to broaden its horizons. How can the skills and experience we’ve acquired over the last 15 years of working on the internet be applied more broadly to, say, the design of cities, buildings, organisations, government and so on?

In a slightly foolhardy, ambitious talk, Dan will draw from his experience of leading design across the BBC’s websites, co-founding the global media product Monocle, working with projects like Lonely Planet, Channel 4, Urbis museum and the Spice Girls website, and now his current work with the multidisciplinary design consultancy Arup, where he helps design better cities, buildings and streets.

Dan will suggest that some of these core ideas — harnessing user-centred thinking with the sparks of individual insight, working with real-time data, separating content from presentation, multidisciplinary design-centred practice, enabling adaptation and hackability, balancing top-down intervention with bottom-up emergence, amongst others — might work effectively as core principles of service design, offering new ways to build, design, innovate and operate to services, products and organisations well outside of the Australian web industry’s traditional focus.

About Dan Hill

Dan Hill PortraitDan Hill is a Senior Consultant in Urban Informatics currently working for Arup, a global firm of designers, engineers and planners. He has been working at the forefront of information and communication technologies since the early ‘90s, developing many innovative, popular and critically acclaimed products and services. He conducted significant strategic work as one of the key architects of a BBC redesigned for the on-demand media age, launched Monocle magazine, organised the architecture and urbanism conference, Postopolis, and runs City of Sound, generally acclaimed as one of the leading architecture and urbanism websites. Dan has experience of product development and management in design, software and innovation, applied to sectors ranging from media and music to city government and academia. This is combined with a background of research and practice in urban regeneration through cultural industries and urban informatics. For Arup, Dan is helping clients explore the possibilities of ICT from a creative, design-led perspective, re-thinking how information changes streets and cities, neighbourhoods and organisations, mobility and work, play and public space.

Follow Dan on Twitter: @cityofsound

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/dan-hill-closing-keynote-15-years-in/feed/ 3 Donna Spencer — Information seeking behaviourshttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/donna-spencer-information-seeking-behaviours/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/donna-spencer-information-seeking-behaviours/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:34:41 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=2180 Donna Spencer PortraitEach information seeking behaviour needs very different approaches to information architecture, information design and page layout. During this presentation, Donna will talk about each information behaviour, its key attributes, key design needs, and show good and bad examples of each.

]]> Web Directions South 2009, Sydney Convention Centre, October 8 2.40pm.

Presentation slides

Session description

When people use websites and intranets they are doing more than just ‘finding’ information. They may be looking for something they know about or exploring something brand new; filtering through large volumes then comparing results; getting an overview of a topic or diving deep. They may even think they want to find one thing, but actually need something entirely different.

Each of these information behaviours needs very different approaches to information architecture, information design and page layout. During this presentation, Donna will talk about each information behaviour, its key attributes, key design needs, and show good and bad examples of each.

About Donna Spencer

Donna Spencer PortraitDonna’s a freelance information architect, interaction designer and writer. That’s a fancy way of saying she plans how to present the things you see on your computer screen, so that they’re easy to understand, engaging and compelling. Things like the navigation, forms, categories and words on intranets, websites, web applications and business systems.

She’s been doing this professionally since 2002, and she’s a regular speaker at Australian and international events.

Follow Donna on Twitter: @maadonna

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/donna-spencer-information-seeking-behaviours/feed/ 0 Suze Ingram — Would you like service design with that?http://www.webdirections.org/resources/suze-ingram-would-you-like-service-design-with-that/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/suze-ingram-would-you-like-service-design-with-that/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:11:07 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=2199 Suze Ingram PortraitService design is well established in Europe and North America and there’s already a handful of Australian businesses offering service design. What is it? Does experience in designing for screen interaction translate to designing services too? Will service design be the next big thing? Suze offers insight by drawing on her years of experience as a UX designer and researcher. She shows how service design might fit into your business in the future, who you might pitch it to, and what sort of skills you might need to deliver service design.

]]> Web Directions South 2009, Sydney Convention Centre, October 8 1.40pm.

Presentation slides

Session description

Service design is a new discipline which focuses on understanding what customers want, then designing services which meet their needs. Sound familiar? Web designers have focused on user-centred design for years to create websites and applications that are user friendly.

Service design is well established in Europe and North America and there’s already a handful of Australian businesses offering service design. What is it? Does experience in designing for screen interaction translate to designing services too? Will service design be the next big thing? Suze offers insight by drawing on her years of experience as a UX designer and researcher. She shows how service design might fit into your business in the future, who you might pitch it to, and what sort of skills you might need to deliver service design.

About Suze Ingram

Suze Ingram PortraitSuze Ingram is Lead User Experience Consultant with Stamford Interactive, Sydney. Suze has been creating better user experiences for over 9 years with her user-centred design, interaction design, visual communication and information architecture skills. Suze has designed the user experience for applications, software, intranets, websites and online games. Suze also really loves yoga, photography and illustration.

Follow Suze on Twitter: @SuzeIngram

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/suze-ingram-would-you-like-service-design-with-that/feed/ 0 Jeremy Yuille — The social life of visualizationhttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/jeremy-yuille-the-social-life-of-visualization/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/jeremy-yuille-the-social-life-of-visualization/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:41:45 +0000 Guy Leech http://www.webdirections.org/?p=2190 Jeremy Yuille PortraitWhen visualization is coupled with collective intelligence it becomes a very powerful tool for making sense of the data that is now an increasing part of our personal and organizational experience. But how do you design social web applications so they can use visualization effectively?

]]> Web Directions South 2009, Sydney Convention Centre, October 9 10:45am.

Presentation slides (synced with audio)

Session description

When visualization is coupled with collective intelligence it becomes a very powerful tool for making sense of the data that is now an increasing part of our personal and organizational experience. But how do you design social web applications so they can use visualization effectively?

In this session I’ll present a model for using visualization on the social web; discussing why social settings are a great match for visualization and how more general UX ideas can be applied to the design of social visualization. I’ll also describe 5 interaction design patterns that will help designers and developers make the transition from theory to practical application.

About Jeremy Yuille

Jeremy Yuille PortraitJeremy Yuille is a user experience designer, and academic specializing in the design of systems for online collaboration and real-time expression. Jeremy manages the Multiuser Environments Program for the Australasian CRC for Interaction Design (ACID) where he works with industry to solve thorny Interaction Design problems. He is a co-founder of the Media and Communication Design Studio at RMIT, where he supervises postgraduate students and holds interaction design studios, and is also a Director of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA).

Follow Jeremy on Twitter: @overlobe

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/jeremy-yuille-the-social-life-of-visualization/feed/ 0 Daniel Burka — Changing successfully: Adapting your interface over timehttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/daniel-burka-interaction-design-case-studies/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/daniel-burka-interaction-design-case-studies/#comments Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:34:22 +0000 jessie http://www.webdirections.org/?p=941 Web Directions South 2008, Sydney Convention Centre, September 26 1.40pm.

Daniel Burka PortraitUser interface design is an iterative process — the design of Digg and Pownce have been a study in evolution and adaptation. This talk will inspect the why and how of these iterations by looking at specific case studies from the two projects as well as previous client work Daniel has tackled.

The case studies will examine specific user interface challenges that have arisen and will chop them up into their various bits. How do I identify a challenge? What is the best approach for getting started? How do I solve the problem conceptually and technically? How will I know if I solved the challenge successfully? Case studies have been selected that are especially pertinent outside of their specific contexts to help you in your everyday UI design.

The presentation will focus on design inspiration, decision-making processes, technical solutions, and learning from missteps as part of a designer’s iterative process.

]]> Web Directions South 2008, Sydney Convention Centre, September 26 1.40pm.

Presentation slides

Session description

User interface design is an iterative process — the design of Digg and Pownce have been a study in evolution and adaptation. This talk will inspect the why and how of these iterations by looking at specific case studies from the two projects as well as previous client work Daniel has tackled.

The case studies will examine specific user interface challenges that have arisen and will chop them up into their various bits. How do I identify a challenge? What is the best approach for getting started? How do I solve the problem conceptually and technically? How will I know if I solved the challenge successfully? Case studies have been selected that are especially pertinent outside of their specific contexts to help you in your everyday UI design.

The presentation will focus on design inspiration, decision-making processes, technical solutions, and learning from missteps as part of a designer’s iterative process.

About Daniel Burka

Daniel Burka PortraitDaniel is the creative director at Digg, a founder of Pownce, and a founder of the Canadian web firm silverorange.

At silverorange, Daniel worked with a wide range of clients including Mozilla, Ning, Revision3, and Sloan. He’s since been lured to San Francisco after Kevin Rose dangled the prospect of In ‘N Out burgers and the opportunity to develop the user experience for the social news website Digg. As Digg’s creative director, Daniel has helped the site grow from a niche technology news site into one of the leading media services on the web with a massive and passionate community. Recently, along with Leah Culver and Kevin, Daniel helped found Pownce — a social network that lets you share files, events, messages, and links with your friends. Daniel works on feature development and the user interface of Pownce.

]]> http://www.webdirections.org/resources/daniel-burka-interaction-design-case-studies/feed/ 2 Hurol Inan — Informing experience architecture with quantitative insightshttp://www.webdirections.org/resources/hurol-inan-informing-experience-architecture-with-quantitative-insights/ http://www.webdirections.org/resources/hurol-inan-informing-experience-architecture-with-quantitative-insights/#comments Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:35:51 +0000 jessie http://www.webdirections.org/?p=915 Web Directions South 2008, Sydney Convention Centre, September 25 1.40pm.

Hurol Inan PortraitQuantitative insights gathered through online analytics can contribute greatly to the design and optimisation of online experience architectures.
The success of an Experience Architect depends on the business impact of their architecture. Quantitative techniques can be used in benchmarking before and after performances of a website demonstrating the impact of the new architecture.

]]> Web Directions South 2008, Sydney Convention Centre, September 25 1.40pm.

Presentation slides

Session description

Quantitative insights gathered through online analytics can contribute greatly to the design and optimisation of online experience architectures.

Analytical techniques can be used to understand

  • Who is really using the site
  • What they are using it for
  • How well the site responds
  • What needs changing to enhance the experience

These insights not only provide you with behavioural profiles of users for consideration throughout the design process but also can help you make important decisions on content classification, labelling, page layout and interaction design.

During the design process, you don’t need to rule out all design options to reach a single solution. Through multivariate testing (MVT), it is possible to test various options real time (and with real users) to find the optimal solution.

The success of an Experience Architect depends on the business impact of their architecture. Quantitative techniques can be used in benchmarking before and after performances of a website demonstrating the impact of the new architecture.

About Hurol Inan

Portrait of Hurol InanHurol Inan is a sought-after consultant, speaker and author. He is widely recognised as a global authority on online analytics and research, and has authored two books on the subject – Measuring the Success of Your Website (2002) and Search Analytics (2006). Hurol has also written numerous articles for print and online publications.

Hurol is the Managing Director of Bienalto Consulting, a specialist consultancy based in Sydney that enables its clients to realise the full potential of online marketing and website performance. Bienalto provides web analytics, customer experience architecture and online marketing services to some of Australia’s leading businesses. Prior to founding Bienalto, Hurol consulted with Accenture and Deloitte for 11 years.

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