Michigan Usability Professionals' Association

Accessibility Conference

Deborah — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:17:42 +0000

Thursday, September 30, 2010, 9:00am to 5pm

University of Michigan Union, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Join us for a full-day online conference with experts on web accessibility, presented by Environments for Humans. Learn strategies for universal design, mobile accessibility, how people with disabilities access the web, accessibility testing and more.

With the generous support and partnership from the University of Michigan Office of Institutional Equity and an anonymous sponsor, we will host the Environments for Humans Accessibility Summit at no cost for those who attend.

Speaker Schedule (tentative)

Matt May: Is Universal Design Still Possible
Derek Featherstone: Mobile Accessibility
Daniel Hubbell: Future Trends in Accessibility
Glenda Sims: Practical Accessibiity Testing
Marla Erwin: Accessible CSS
Aaron Gustafson: Progressive Enhancement with ARIA
Jared Smith: Accessibility and Compatibility
Christopher Schmitt: Accessibility and HTML5

Location

University of Michigan Union (map)
Wolverine Room
530 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1308

Cost and Registration

There is no cost to attend the conference. but registration is required. Attendees can register online via Guestlist.

Additional Information

Arrive before 9:00am since the session begins promptly.
The online conference will be presented via the Internet via Adobe Connect and will be viewed via a projector.
Attendees don’t need to bring their laptops, except for note taking.
The conference room will only have wireless Internet available to those with University of Michigan access.

While the conference is free, those attending will need to arrange for their own lunch (one-hour lunch break). Lunch is available from several restaurants in the Michigan Union as well as local Ann Arbor restaurants within walking distance.

Questions? Email events {at} miupa dot org.

Submission Reviewers Needed for UPA 2011 Conference

Deborah — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:51:34 +0000

It’s time to start planning for the UPA 20th International Conference which will be hosted in Atlanta, GA, USA June 20-24, 2011.

The 20th annual theme is Designing for Social Change. Join us… there is no better way to communicate what Designing for Social Change means to you than by connecting with peers, or by sharing your knowledge, ideas & experiences.

Call for Submission Reviewers

Have ideas for what content you would like to have as part of your UPA2011 conference experience? Sign up to be a submission reviewer and help select the very best content by reviewing proposals in October 2010.

Help decide UPA2011 content
Learn exciting breakthroughs and innovations first
Gain experience by reviewing for a professional conference

To become a reviewer, submit your application by September 1, 2010.

Questions? Contact UPA2011 Conference Director, Nicole Tafoya at conf2011 at usabilityprofessionals dot org.

User Experience Lead

Deborah — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:18:04 +0000

ITHAKA is searching for a User Experience Lead to join their User Experience Design (UXD) group and work closely with designers, business stakeholders, end users, and technical staff to create quality user experiences for a major web-based project.

The User Experience Lead will report directly to the User Experience Design Manager in the Ann Arbor, MI office. This is a full-time contract position with an anticipated end date of December 31, 2010.

ITHAKA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping the academic community use digital technology to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. ITHAKA provides innovative services that benefit higher education including JSTOR, Portico, and Ithaka S+R. ITHAKA is headquartered in New York, NY with additional offices in Ann Arbor, MI and Princeton, NJ.

Position Duties and Responsibilities

The User Experience Lead’s responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to the following:

Executing user-centered design techniques in support of an agile development team
Designing and executing usability studies, user research, and other data-gathering activities
Creating user experience deliverables, such as personas, video reports, and written recommendations
Creating mock-ups, wireframes, storyboards in support of development activities
Documenting system use and design rationale
Working with software developers, web developers, and quality assurance professionals to keep sprints focused and on time
Participate in sprint planning and represent the user experience in a product team
Working with external clients, product managers, and business stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of a quality product
Coordinating user experience activities and working with other UXD team members to ensure team efficiency and effectiveness

Required Qualifications

Five years of experience in the field
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Understanding of advanced usability standards, concepts, and methodologies
Strong decision-making skills
Ability to function successfully in a collaborative, cross-functional team environment
Demonstrated proficiency with a wide range of computer platforms, Internet tools and presentation and design software
Strong presentation skills
Ability to work with business stakeholders
Technical aptitude with penchant for learning
Ability to work independently with a high level of self-direction
Strong organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines
Ability to prioritize work with great efficiency and attention to detail
Ability to analyze processes for inefficiencies and suggest improvements to workflow
Enthusiasm and investment in the User Experience profession

Desired Qualifications

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
Data analysis experience and statistical analysis skills
Knowledge of web accessibility standards
Experience in a agile software development environment
Experience with Quality Assurance or Quality Control practices
Leadership/management experience

Qualified candidates should submit a resume, cover letter and salary requirements to: Userexperience@ithaka.org.

We will consider each response carefully, but only contact those individuals we feel are most qualified for the position. ITHAKA is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Internet User Experience 2010 Conference

DaveMR — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:04:10 +0000

July 24- 29, 2010

Ann Arbor, MI

The MIUPA is proud to co-sponsor the 6th annual Internet User Experience conference. This conference has grown every year and has now captured international attention. Come and participate as world-reknowned speakers and trainers cover aspects of web site design and strategy, including usability, marketing, branding, social media, mobile web, and more. Tutorials will be offered on usability testing, storyboarding, focus groups, personas, accessibility, and more.
Here are a few highlights:

40 presentations and panel sessions.
Keynote talks by Peter Morville, Susan Weinschenk, and Dan Klyn.
10 optional training tutorials will be offered both before and after the conference.
Gala opening reception Sunday evening July 25th.
Special reception and panel session on eye-tracking systems Monday evening July 26th.
First ever IUE Pub Crawl on Tuesday evening July 27th.
UPA Body of Knowledge (BoK) workshop and dinner on Wednesday evening July 28th.
Bookseller, author book signing, and exhibits.
Three copies of Axure prototyping software will be raffled off during the conference.

Starting on the final day of the of Ann Arbor Street Art Fair and the Michigan Beerfest, IUE2010 is allowing attendees a great opportunity to take advantage of what Michigan has to offer in the summertime.

Register

Registration for this conference is now open.

Sponsor

If you are interested in marketing your company, organization, or products, recruiting, or simply supporting this conference, review the numerous sponsor, exhibit, and recruiting opportunities available on the web site.

Holistic Usability: Making Stone Soup for Stakeholders and Clients

Deborah — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:30:46 +0000

Tuesday June 22, 2010, 6pm to 8pm

Quicken Loans in Livonia, Michigan

What things do you create that allow people to make connections and share experiences?

As UX professionals, we are often the champion of the end-user. Whether an IA, an IXD, or a usability specialist, our main goal is to create good experiences surrounding products.

But our products are more than just interfaces, designs, software, or widgets; they are reports, personas, presentations, recommendations, and a myriad of other deliverables that we created for the people who commissioned our work: clients and stakeholders.

The UX skills we employ every day in creating positive and memorable experiences for the end-user can be used on business stakeholders, software engineers, and clients of our services in order to:

increase investment
decrease productivity blocking
increase efficient information sharing, and ultimately
improve the end-user experience

Through the concepts of holism and corporate culture, this talk will present case studies that examine how UX techniques, methods, skills, and deliverables can be repurposed to create good experiences for all people who come into contact with our work. (Christina’s talk is based on a workshop given at the 2010 UPA Conference in Munich, Germany in May 2010.)

Christina York is Manager of the User Experience Design group at ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization that provides ways of finding and accessing scholarly information online in the creation of new knowledge. She is passionate about all things usable, useful, and meaningful.

Christina has worked in the UX field for more than eight years and still loves what she does every day. Her favourite things are the UX community, horror films, beer, and Deeeetroit Basketball. Find Christina on Twitter (@UXtina) and in local brew pubs in Ann Arbor.

Location

Quicken Loans
Puerto Rico Room – Third Floor
20255 Victor Parkway
Livonia, MI 48152 (map)
Website

Cost

$5, Current students
$10, Michigan Usability Professionals’ Association members
$20, All others

Register online at Guestlist so we can ensure we have enough refreshments to go around. We’ll also take payment (cash or check) at the door. Questions? Email events {at} miupa dot org.

Schedule

6:00pm, Networking and food
6:45pm, Announcements
7:00pm, Program begins

State of Michigan User Experience Awareness Day

John — Wed, 19 May 2010 02:29:10 +0000

Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Michigan State Police Training Academy Auditorium, Lansing

As part of our mission to promote usability in the state of Michigan, the Michigan Chapter of the Usability Professionals Association (MiUPA) is pleased to host the State of Michigan User Experience Awareness Day

This event is being held in conjunction with the State of Michigan Department of Technology Management & Budget (DTMB), and is primarily focused on supporting usability efforts throughout the state government.

When

Wednesday, May 26, 2010, 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Where (Please note location change)

Michigan State Police Training Academy Auditorium
7426 N Canal Rd
Dimondale, MI 48821-5001

map

There is limited seating available for the afternoon session, which runs from 1:00 – 4:00 PM

Afternoon agenda:

User Centered Design methods you can use today.

Method Discussions
- User Profiles and Personas
- User Requirements vs. Technical Requirements and the Separation of Designer / Programmer roles
- Web Evaluation Lite
- Writing for the Web
Open Discussion
Next Steps

There is no fee for this event, thanks to our generous sponsors:

Accenture
ForeSee Results
Michigan State University Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC)
TechSmith

Reservations will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please send reservation requests to president@miupa.org

Lead user experience engineer – Thomson Reuters

Sumanth — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:47:23 +0000

Lead user experience engineer to significantly contribute to the ideation and creation of highly usable and useful healthcare applications. These web-based solutions serve the hospital and payer markets and involve clinical workflow, search/Information display, reporting, visual information display, analytics, and complex user interaction and include mobile (Palm, Windows, Blackberry, iPhone, and Android) platforms. The UX engineer must apply appropriate methodologies and techniques in user research, information architecture, interaction design, visual information design, and prototyping to produce usable and effective products. This associate advocates and represents the customer in business strategy, conceptualization, and development phases of a project. He/she collects and interprets complex customer and user research findings and designs effective and elegant user experiences. He/she also influences the product development process to effectively integrate user-centered design.

Develop a deep understanding of customers’ business and individual needs by planning and executing user and ethnographic research activities including contextual inquiries, interviews, focus groups, heuristic reviews, surveys, etc. Develops conceptual models and user personas. Work with customers and other subject matter experts to identify and validate business requirements and translate those into highly useful and usable designs. Work with developers, product managers, business analysts, and QA, to create visually appealing, highly usable, and intuitive web interfaces in an Agile environment. Communicate your ideas using prototypes, wireframes, interactive mockups. Define and document user interface design specifications that include system process flows and business logic resulting from user interactions. Articulate the pros and cons of designs and support choices with clear, detailed evidence and rationale for decisions. Champion user needs while understanding the balance of user experience, business case, technical constraints, and time-to-release, and make tradeoffs when appropriate. Conduct usability testing and validation.

Some travel is required (10%) to visit customer sites, tradeshow/conferences, and development teams.

Master’s degree in Human Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Usability Engineering or related field.

10 years related experience in a mature software development organization. Thorough knowledge and significant experience with user-centered design practices. Expertise in user research methodologies, application of visual information design techniques, and an understanding of 508 and I18N requirements. Experience with prototyping tools (e.g., Visio, Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, HTML, CSS). Understanding of the technical possibilities and limitations of HTML, CSS, Ajax, Javascript, and Flash. Appreciation and commitment to incorporate high level of visual design Strong analytical skills and attention to detail. Excellent communication and presentation skills, and ability to consistently deliver on schedule. Ability to work independently, work on multiple projects at once, and handle shifting priorities. Self-starter with strong project management skills.

Experience with Agile software development practices. Healthcare domain experience (clinical workflow, hospital management/operations, and/or healthplan analytical applications). Mobile user interface design experience. Formal visual design training.

CPHF/CPE a plus.

Thomson Reuters employees take pride in providing our customers around the world with information that is timely, accurate, unbiased and trusted. We have a profound respect for the professions and customers we serve and define our success in terms of their success. Our work environment is dynamic, innovative and entrepreneurial. We have a result-oriented culture that demands excellence, agility, and the desire to move quickly and precisely to seize opportunities. Our environment is both challenging and supportive – we give employees the opportunity to develop their skills and do their best work.

http://careers.thomsonreuters.com/

PRO00002744

Thomson Reuters values diversity of culture and thought and seeks talented, qualified employees in all its operations around the world regardless of race, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other protected classification under country or local law.

Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the H-1B visa cap has been met for the fiscal year 2010 (October 1, 2009-September 30, 2010.)

University of Michigan Human Factors Short Course

Deborah — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:36:39 +0000

July 26 to July 31, 2010 and August 2 to August 6, 2010

The University of Michigan will be offering our 51st year of our two-week short course on human factors. If you are interested in human factors, ergonomics, human-computer interaction, or usability, this course will give you the opportunity to get some excellent training from experts in the field.

This two-week human factors course, concerns the design of systems, products and services to make them easier, safer and more effective for human use. The first week of the course focuses on human factors concepts and is a broad survey of human
factors topics important to designers and researchers.

Human-computer interaction is the focus for week two of the course and presents an overview of major topics and issues in human-computer interaction through workshops on selected concepts, methods, and procedures that provide the foundation for design of effective human-computer systems and web applications.

Details and registration for the Human Factors Engineering Training program are available online.

Social Networking with Lou Rosenfeld

Beasley — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:28:25 +0000

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti

Lou Rosenfeld, one of the fathers of information architecture, is in town, and this is your chance to rub elbows with him and your fellow usability, IA, and UX professionals!

Lou Rosenfeld is teaching two day long workshops in Ann Arbor on March 30th and 31st. On Tuesday, March 30th, starting at 7pm, the Michigan UPA will host a networking function at the Corner Brewery brewpub in Ypsilanti. This is your chance to network and have fun with your colleagues. There will be a cash bar, and Michigan UPA will provide snacks. There will be book giveaways, and Lou Rosenfeld will be available for book-signing.

This event is brought to you by MIUPA, and co-sponsored by Ypsilanti Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and Rosenfeld Media.

When

Tuesday, March 30, 7 PM – 9 PM
Lou Rosenfeld will only be there until 9PM, but feel free to stay and enjoy the Corner Brewery after that!

Where

Corner Brewery
720 Norris St
Ypsilanti, MI 48198
Map

Cost

Registration is $5. Please register at online registration service Guestlist.
Book giveaways will be based on registrations.

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

DaveMR — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:16:48 +0000

February 23, 2010, 7:00 PM – 9:00 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. Five industry UX practitioners will give short position presentations on the skills that make a successful practitioner and team. This will be followed by panel and audience Q&A discussion,and then a networking reception. Come to network, learn, and position/reposition yourself for success in this exciting field.

LEARN what user experience industry professionals are saying about what it takes to succeed in the field. Make sure you are developing the skills and competencies that will grow your effectiveness, currency, and marketability.

When

Tuesday February 23rd, 2010 7:00 – 9:00PM

Where

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

1085 South University Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1107

Cost

Free – University of Michigan School of Information full-time students and faculty
$5 – Other current students
$10 – Michigan Usability Professionals’ Association or Michigan Computer Human Interaction members
$15 – All others

Register online so we can ensure we have enough refreshments to go around. We’ll also take payment (cash or check) at the door. Questions? Email events {at} miupa dot org.

Schedule

6:45 PM, Registration opens

7:00 PM, Announcements

7:10 PM, Program begins

8:25-9:00 PM, Networking

Panelists

Mike Beasley

User Experiologist, Pure Visibility, Inc.

Dan Cooney

User Experience Consultant

Lija Hogan

Usability Team Lead, ForeSee Results

Sumanth Muthyala

Senior User Experience Engineer, Compuware Corporation

Michael Wuergler

Human Factors Engineer, OnStar by GM

This panel will be moderated by Dave Mitropoulos-Rundus (aka ‘the Jerry Springer of panel moderators’ and a staunch supporter of the ‘Brawls for Better Brains Society’)