Live Social Networking 2009

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti

The Michigan UPA invites you to an evening of networking and fun on Tuesday, December 8th at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti. This is your chance to skip the speaker and enjoy the company of fellow usability professionals.

New Update: The Ypsilanti Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (Thank you Mary Zucchero) will be providing a number of tasty appetizers throughout this event as their way of welcoming the Michigan UPA and the announcement of next year’s Internet User Experience 2010 conference.

Also, the Michigan UPA will be raffling off a copy of IUE2009 Conference Proceedings along with IUE2010 T-Shirts.

The Corner Brewery is located in Ypsilanti, near historic Depot Town. There is abundant parking, great drinks, and great atmosphere. This is a free event and a great opportunity to catch up with other people in the field and meet new people. We hope to see you there!

When

Tuesday, December 8, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Where

Corner Brewery
720 Norris St
Ypsilanti, MI 48198

Map

Cost

Free admission! And now, free appetizers! (except for any drinks or additional food that you choose to order)

Registration deadline extended! Michigan UPA Live Usability Event at Michigan World Usability Day 2009

The registration deadline has been extended to by Monday, November 9, 2009. Please register at http://usability.msu.edu/conf/2009/

The Michigan UPA will be presenting a live usability experience with the Michigan Chapter of the Usability Professionals’ Association from 3:00 – 3:30pm on November 12, using everyday clocks and focusing on button types, display technologies, and product features. We will present our findings at the end of the conference.

We need volunteers and participants! Please contact events@miupa.org to sign up as a volunteer.

World Usability Day event information:

You are invited to Michigan World Usability Day 2009, hosted by the Michigan State University Usability & Accessibility Center.

When:

Thursday, November 12, 2009
9:00-5:00

Where:

Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, East Lansing

Event Description

This year’s theme is Designing for Sustainable Communities, and the event will feature a special session on accessibility in the global knowledge economy, talks from the Ford Motor Company, Comerica Bank, and Oakland County eGovernment, an Assistive Technology Expo, a workshop on WCAG 2.0, and more!

Please register at http://usability.msu.edu/conf/2009/ by Monday, November 9, 2009.

Participants are given a choice of two exciting events in the morning. An Assistive Technology Expo will present an opportunity to observe real-world usage of text-to- speech software and other assistive technologies with Steve Pollo (Mee, Inc.) and Al Puzzuoli (Information Technologist, Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, MSU). The WCAG 2.0 Workshop will educate attendees on the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and how they apply in a Web 2.0 world, presented by Mike Elledge and Graham Pierce (Assistant Director and User Experience Researcher, Usability & Accessibility Center, MSU), and Carl Bussema and Carl Raymond (Information Technologists, University Outreach and Engagement, MSU). Tours of the Usability & Accessibility Center will be available after the morning events, and will be followed by lunch.

The afternoon will begin with a special session on Contemporary Issues of IT in the Sustainable Global Knowledge Economy, moderated by Dr. Rex LaMore (Director, Center for Community & Economic Development, MSU). George Boersma (Director, Office of Technology Partnerships, Michigan Department of Information Technology), will discuss current federal initiatives that will extend broadband infrastructure into under-served and rural areas. Kirk Riley (Executive Director, Information Technology Empowerment Center, MSU), will discuss the work of the Information Technology Empowerment Center (ITEC) in increasing the technology skills of Lansing area residents. Sharron Rush (Executive Director, Knowbility) will discuss how IT accessibility allows individuals with disabilities to more fully participate in the modern world, and Dr. Mark Wilson (Associate Director, School of Planning, Design & Construction, MSU) will explain the global knowledge economy and how each of the topics presented fits in. After the talks, the presenters will be engaged in a panel discussion, and the audience will be invited to ask questions. Later in the afternoon, Shane Schulze (HV Battery Engineer, Ford Motor Company) will present on the topic of hybrid car usability, Salina Washington (Oakland County eGovernment) and Dr. Constantinos Coursaris (Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, MSU) will discuss eGovernment Services for a Sustainable County, and John Rivard (Comerica Bank) will speak about virtual forms delivery.

Start a UX Movement at Your Company

Strategies and tactics for starting and fueling a user-centered movement inside your company.

Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

ProQuest, Ann Arbor

Selling user experience for internal corporate systems–where overall user experience standards are often lower than external-facing systems–can be an incredibly difficult challenge. Brian will showcase strategies and tactics to help start and keep a user-centered movement inside your company. Brian spent several years developing Web-based applications and then employing user experience methods with internal systems while successfully evangelizing user experience at Pfizer, Inc.

Brian Phelps has been designing and researching systems for more than 10 years, with over 8 years of experience in user-centered design techniques, including usability testing, heuristic evaluation, user interface design and development, field usability studies, and contextual inquiry. Among the products and services Brian has evaluated as a consultant at Tec-Ed are consumer-oriented wireless phone websites, an in-home wireless hardware product, Web-based educational systems, a volunteer organization’s website, e-commerce workflow, virtual desktops, a test authoring system, and alternative Web-based survey designs. His clients include Campbell-Ewald, McAfee, ETR Associates, VMware, Nextivity, McGraw-Hill, Seagate, Chrysler, IEEE, RightNow Technologies, The American Academy of Ophthalmology, and Monarch Teaching Technologies. Prior to joining Tec-Ed, Brian was a user experience researcher, designer, and evangelist at Pfizer, Inc. where he designed Web-based applications and acted as the user experience lead for more than 15 projects.

When

Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Where

ProQuest
789 E Eisenhower Pkwy
Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Map

Cost

$5 for Full-time Students (ID must be presented)

$10 for MIUPA and MOCHI members

$20 All others

RSVP

Seating is limited, so please RSVP at Upcoming.org to ensure entrance to this event. You can also send an RSVP to events@miupa.org

Schedule

6:00 PM Registration, networking, and pizza

6:45 PM Announcements

7:00 PM Program

Press Release:
ProQuest Hosts Michigan Usability Professionals’ Association Workshop

ANN ARBOR, Mich., October 28, 2009 – ProQuest, an information and technology company, will host the Michigan Chapter of the International Usability Professional’s Association’s (MIUPA) “Start a UX Movement at Your Company” workshop at its Ann Arbor, Michigan headquarters on Wednesday, October 28. The workshop brings together a group of interface designers, usability engineers, information architects, students, and other information professionals to network and learn from Tec-Ed consultant and usability expert Brian Phelps. The session will showcase strategies and tactics for starting and fueling a user-centered movement inside an organization.

“ProQuest is proud to be a cornerstone in Michigan’s continuing development in high-tech and information industries, said Bipin Patel, ProQuest’s Chief Information Officer. “Our R&D and User Experience teams have been recognized worldwide for their innovations. We’re very pleased to provide a venue for knowledge sharing, and I’m confident that we’ll all be inspired by the user-driven information technology found within our own community.”

The workshop will help participants conquer a common corporate dilemma: lower internal user experience standards for internal corporate systems than in external-facing systems. Mr. Phelps will showcase strategies and tactics to help start and then maintain a user-centered movement inside organizations. He has been designing and researching systems for more than 10 years, with eight years of experience in user-centered design techniques, including usability testing, heuristic evaluation, user interface design and development, field usability studies, and contextual inquiry. As a Tec-Ed consultant, Mr. Phelps has evaluated consumer-oriented wireless phone websites, an in-home wireless hardware product, Web-based educational systems, a volunteer organization’s website, e-commerce workflow, virtual desktops, a test authoring system, and alternative Web-based survey designs. His clients include Campbell-Ewald, McAfee, ETR Associates, VMware, Nextivity, McGraw-Hill, Seagate, Chrysler, IEEE, RightNow Technologies, The American Academy of Ophthalmology, and Monarch Teaching Technologies. Prior to joining Tec-Ed, Brian was a user experience researcher, designer, and evangelist at Pfizer, Inc. where he designed Web-based applications and acted as the user experience lead for more than 15 projects.

The “Start a UX Movement at Your Company” workshop will be held Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at ProQuest’s Ann Arbor headquarters. The session is $5 for Full-time Students (ID must be presented) $10 for MIUPA and MOCHI members $20 for all others. All proceeds go to MIUPA.

For more information, visit http://miupa.org/

Seating is limited, so please RSVP at Upcoming.org to ensure entrance to this event. You can also send an RSVP to events@miupa.org

ProQuest is best known for the creation of information tools and technologies that support research around the world in schools, libraries, universities and businesses. Last month, the company was ranked by InformationWeek magazine among the top 30 U.S. firms for innovative use of business technology. It was also honored with the 2007 Red Hat Innovation Award for Increased Return on Investment.

About ProQuest
ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. A global leader in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the expertise of such respected brands as Chadwyck-Healey™, UMI®, SIRS®, and eLibrary®. With Serials Solutions®, Ulrich’s™, RefWorks®, COS™, Dialog® and now Bowker® part of the ProQuest brand family, the company supports the breadth of the information community with innovative discovery solutions that power the business of books and the best in research experience.

More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered discovery technology, ProQuest offers billions of pages of global content that includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its customers and their end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that blends information accessibility with community to further enhance learning and encourage lifelong enrichment.

For more information, visit http://www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website, http://www.cambridgeinformationgroup.com.

Ford presentation: Human Factors and in-vehicle technology design

When: Thursday October 1st, 2009, 5:00PM
Where:
IOE Building, Room 1680
Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering
The University of Michigan
1205 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2117

Members are welcome to attend a presentation by Chris Demeniuk, an In-Vehicle Systems Designer at Ford and UM IOE alum. Chris’ talk will highlight how good human factors and proper design practices have played a role in the development of safe and usable in-vehicle driver-operated technologies, such as the Ford SYNC and Ford Nav. Chris will also bring either his own 2010 Mustang GT, or a pre-production vehicle for students to see.

To find out more, visit HFES U of M Student Chapter web site.

What Makes an Effective User Experience Professional and Team: The UX Management Perspectives

A summary of this sold out event is listed on the SOCHI web site (Thank you SI Students!)

September 22, 2009, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

West Hall, Room 411 (aka “Ehrlicher Room”), University of Michigan

The Michigan chapters of UPA and CHI (currently in formation), in conjunction with the University of Michigan School of Information Career Development Office and Student CHI Chapter, invite you to a very special evening networking and panel session. Four industry UX managers and executives will give short position presentations on the individuals and skills that make a successful team. This will be followed by panel and audience Q&A discussion. Come to network, learn, and position/reposition yourself for success in this exciting field.

When

Tuesday September 22nd, 2009 6:00 – 8:30PM

Where

West Hall, Room 411 (aka “Ehrlicher Room”), University of Michigan

1085 South University Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1107

Schedule

6:00 PM Registration, networking, and pizza

6:45 PM Announcements

7:00 PM Program

Panelists

James M. Anderson

Vice President – Electronic Services, Michigan First Credit Union

Barbara Hernandez

User Experience Manager, Techsmith Corporation (makers of Snag-It, Camtasia, Morae, and more)

Keith Instone

Information Architecture Lead, ibm.com User Experience Design Team, CIO’s Office, IBM Corporation

Laurie Kantner

Vice President of Client Services, Tec-Ed, Inc.

Moderator

Dave Mitropoulos-Rundus


(aka ‘the Jerry Springer of panel moderators’ and a staunch supporter of the ‘Brawls for Better Brains Society’)