You can see Catharine on the Accessibility Panel on Saturday, June 2 at the Big Design 2012 Conference.  She will be sharing her insights on web accessibility with a panel that includes Sharron Rush from Knowbility.  lara Becker will be moderating this panel.  For now, read this article to gain some of Catharine’s insights.

Seda: Catharine, thank you for agreeing to this interview for the Big Design Magazine.  How did you become involved with accessibility? 

Catharine: I lost all of my hearing to meningitis when I was a baby. When hearing aids didn’t provide me with access to sound and language, I underwent an experimental procedure for a cochlear implant.  As one of the youngest and first recipients of this successful procedure, I naturally became a role model for how technology can positively be used for accessibility.

Illustration of internal parts of a cochlear implant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What I mean by this is, I look at our existing technologies with a critical eye: how can our devices and software be used to make my communication with others easier and clearer? What are the hidden, untapped applications? Let me give you an example: twitter. I recently discovered these 140-character messages can serve as a “transcription” tool of sorts when attending presentations or talks at big group events. (Check out blog post here: http://www.agileapproach.com/blog-entry/discovery-white-house.)

I apply this type of thinking on a daily basis for my clients at Phase2 Technology, an open-source software development firm operating in the Government, Non-Profit, and Publishing sectors. As the lead Quality and Accessibility Analyst, I focus on educating and providing our clients with the resources and tools they need to develop accessible software and websites that not only meet the bare minimum, but go above and beyond to achieve optimal user experiences for everyone, regardless of their ability.

Seda: Fascinating! What inspires you to maintain that focus?

Catharine: I never want to be treated differently just because I’m deaf. Nor do I like to request different services to accommodate my communication strategy. I dread moments where I have to flag someone down to say:

“Hi. I’m deaf. I cannot use your [service/product/website]. Do you have other ways in which I can use your service that doesn’t require me to hear?”

That’s just not who I am – it can be embarrassing for me. And I know that’s the attitude of most people with disabilities; we just want to go about our daily lives with our families and friends.  Most of all, I believe no one should be left out. People with disabilities should be able to enjoy the same services and experience as everyone else.

That is why at Phase2 Technology, I’m at the forefront of working with our clients to ensure that their websites serve the greatest audience possible, and that they are not unintentionally setting up roadblocks to accessibility.

Seda: Based on your experience, what is the level of awareness of Accessibility with Business and GUI Developers?

Catharine: Typically, businesses know something about accessibility but perceive it as overwhelming, inconsistent, and costly.  That is an understandable fear as the available technology seems to be constantly changing; however, the foundational principles of accessibility stay consistent – videos need captions for those who are deaf, and images need descriptions for screen-reader users.

More often than not, businesses avoid addressing the aforementioned fears until someone complains. In fact, an executive of a national corporation once admitted to me,

“We’re not going to add captions to our online videos until we have a complaint or a potential lawsuit on our hands.”

Seda: Ouch!

Catharine: Interestingly, when accessibility is addressed at the beginning of a project, there’s an added cost of 10%. When a company delays such analysis or testing, there can be up to a post facto 200% added cost when the technology has to be changed after the initial stages to accommodate for accessibility. The lesson is, the sooner accessibility is addressed, the more beneficial it is in the long run from a time, cost, and management perspective.

Seda: What are the three top hurdles for making websites accessible?

Catharine: The top three hurdles for making websites accessible are, in my opinion, the following factors:

1.  Misconception that accessibility is difficult to implement, expensive, and applicable only to a very small audience.When having the right technology, knowledge, tools, and people in place, accessibility can be a smooth, inexpensive, and beneficial experience for everyone. When knowledgeable individuals understand the business goals of a site, they recognize the accessibility requirements and weave them into the development process, so that they are developed in parallel. A seamless user experience rises out of this process because the accessibility development is not “added on” as an after-thought, making the experience less usable and potentially more confusing than helpful.Also, this is nota small audience. Studies show that 1 in 10 people have difficulty accessing websites, whether it’s because of mobility, learning, or sensory disabilities.  Additionally, at any point in his or her life, a person may experience a “temporarily disabling condition,” such as broken wrists, a temporary brain injury, or an instance when a mouse isn’t working, that changes their typical web experience. So the important thing to do is to make the web experience seamless for everyone.In doing this, increasing usability and accessibility, a business is not only putting any potential users’ needs first, but also improving the brand within the community.
   
2. Lack of clear education and direction on how to test sites for accessibility, how to remediate, and how to fix.It’s understandably intimidating to think about how to make a website accessible.“Where to start?”  This is often the challenging and puzzling question.  I thought I’d point the readers to a few tools and resources to get started.
3. No culture of commitment to accessibility.This is a show-stopper. When an organization isn’t committed to accessibility, then it’s not going to follow through on the website or software. The end user’s experience is going to be negatively impacted, which leads to frustration. It helps enormously when the senior leadership is committed to accessibility and that effectively filters through to the entire company. I’m really proud of Phase2’s senior leadership for having this commitment both internally and to our clients.

The Accessibility Standards & Rules

• Section 508 – Part of the US Rehabilitation Act of 1978 to ensure equal access to technology offered and provided by the Federal Government.  All agencies that receive federal funding must comply with the requirements, which can be found here: http://www.section508.gov/.
•  Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)  – The World Wide Web Consortium develops these as “best practices” beyond Section 508 principles. These are developed in the past 10 years, and often include tips and tricks for making the more current technologies accessible. See the WCAG 2.0 guidelines here: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/.

Automated Testing Tools

• WAVE:  A free accessibility web-evaluation tool. You can view the original webpage with embedded icons and indicators that highlight where accessibility issues lie for easier remediation.
  http://wave.webaim.org/
  
• Chris Pederick Web Developer: A free browser extension for Firefox and Chrome that allows users to evaluate different elements on the site, such as how the site looks without images, CSS, JavaScript, and so forth.
  http://chrispederick.com/work/web-developer/
  
• Cynthia Says: A web-content accessibility validation solution that measures errors related to Section 508 and WCAG. It can be used free of charge, but validates just one page per minute and generates a report.
  http://www.contentquality.com/

Manual & Automated Test Tracking & Report

 At Phase2 Technology, I created a way to help our developers understand what to test, how to test, and how to notice the distinctions between Section 508 standards and WCAG 2.0 guidelines.  This 35-page PDF, divided up into specific sections (i.e., “CSS,” “Images,” and “Page Structure”), is great for keeping track of a website’s QA. It identifies areas where the compliance is not met and, on a broader scale, provides a reference to understanding if the bare minimum (Section 508) is being met, and/or whether or not the site is being built towards best practices (WCAG 2.0).

Seda: When you see opportunities to offer your solutions, what is your approach?

Catharine: Collaboration is the most important part of this process. As I review the business goals of the software that we are building at Phase2, it’s important for me to communicate to the client the potential risks for accessibility and usability. When identifying those risks, I often talk with our developers about ways to mitigate any risks early in the process, and that includes picking the right technology approach. As a common example, many sites have mapping applications, so I work with my developers to ensure that the proposed mapping application can support accessibility. If it doesn’t, I pursue the alternatives or workarounds that achieve the same objective. I then take this back to our clients so that they’re involved in this process.

By more fully involving our clients in the accessibility process, they are able to take ownership of the accessibility solutions and maintain commitment to following through, which emphasizes the culture of commitment.

In this collaborative approach, it’s important do the following:

• Identify and address accessibility early and often throughout the entire life of the project;

• Use technologies that have the greatest application and flexibility for multiple audiences and devices (for example, use optimal color contrast not only for people with low vision, but also to make readability easier on mobile devices outdoors) and;

• Conduct manual and automated testing to check for Section 508 compliance and WCAG best practices (see the list above).

Seda: What is your vision for accessibility?

Catharine:  When accessibility is so entwined into our products and services that it never stands out for people to think, “Oh, that’s there for people with disabilities.” I get to use the very same services and products as everyone else. That is the golden (?) standard.

Seda: What advice do you have for Architects, Designers, and Developers with regards to accessibility?

Catharine:  Think of accessibility as an opportunity for a better user experience, improved SEO, and a more inclusive way to serve your audiences – not as a burden!

Seda: Great advice! Thank you, for this very insightful interview.

You can talk with Catherine at the Big Design Conference on Saturday, June 2 at 4PM on the Accessibility Panel.

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The Windows Phone Bootcamp and Hackathon is a free, two-day event chock-full of everything you need to know to develop a Windows Phone application followed by an application building competition. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or just getting started with .NET development this event is for you!

Windows Phone Bootcamp

In this workshop you’ll learn what it takes to build a native Windows Phone application. We’ll talk about what the Windows Metro design language means to Windows Phone developers, discuss the basics of Silverlight development, a work together to build a complete Windows Phone app from the ground up from File > New Project all the way through app submission in the marketplace.

We’ll also talk about some of the very popular Windows Phone Starter Kits and how you can utilize those to jump-start your application development and start building your application profile in the marketplace. You’ll leave with at least one fully functional app that you can start customizing with your own data and submit to the marketplace for instant global reach.

Windows Phone Hackathon

Now that you know what goes into building a Windows Phone app, and have built your first application along with us, we’re going to turn you loose on the Marketplace in a Hackathon competition. At the end of the hackathon, we’ll award two sets of prizes:

• A $500 CASH PRIZE will be awarded to the applications voted HIGHEST QUALITY APPLICATION byall participants at the Hackathon.
• We’ll also draw for a STAR WARS XBOX + KINECT BUNDLE among every participant in the Hackathon, with extra prize tickets awarded for every Windows Phone application submitted to the marketplace during the event.

Additionally, we’ll have periodic drawings throughout the event for various Xbox and PC games just to keep things hopping all weekend!

Register Today

Seating is limited, so you will want to register right away.  Register today at: http://bigd12hackathon.eventbrite.com/.

Hackathon Agenda

Friday, June 1

Saturday, June 2

IMPORTANT! – Prerequisites

Bring a notebook computer fully loaded with all the software you’ll need to build Windows Phone applications. Some of the software is required, some is optional.

Required Prerequisites

• Windows Vista SP2 or later (Windows 7 preferred)
  • Windows XP is NOT SUPPORTED
  • Running Windows in a VM is NOT SUPPORTED
  • Running Windows via Parallels on a Mac is NOT SUPPORTED
  • Running Windows via BootCamp works great!
  • You can get a free, 30-day trial of Windows 7 from http://aka.ms/win7trial
• Windows Phone 7.1 SDK (http://aka.ms/wp7sdk)
  • Note that Visual Studio is NOT required before installing the tools, but if you have Visual Studio Pro or Ultimate, the Windows Phone tools will plug right in

Recommended Software

• NuGet Package Manager (http://nuget.org)
• Windows Phone Icons Maker (http://wpiconmaker.codeplex.com/)
• Windows Phone 7 Training Kit (http://aka.ms/wp7hol)
• Windows Phone 7.5 Training Kit (http://aka.ms/wp75hol)

If you have any questions at all about the Windows Phone Bootcamp and Hackathon at the Big (D)esign Conference 2012, please reach out to msnextdeATmicrosoft.com. Prize winners must be 18 years of age or older. Government employees and Microsoft Employees and their families are excluded from prizes.

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The second appeal was to help Dana Chisnell to kickstart a project to get Voter Field Guides into the hand of election officials this year.  At the time, Dana was $3,000 short of her goal of $15,000.  You came through for Dana’s project, again.  Dana’s project ended up getting over $20,000 in kickstarter funding.  She is producing the field guides now.  You can see Dana at the conference this year.

The latest appeal is your chance to help Roger Belveal offset the costs associated with creating some geek artwork for the Big Design Conference 2012.  If you attended last year, you got to see Roger’s piece called My Favorite Machine.  We spotlighted three 6-foot tall sculptures shaped as iPhones as the center-piece of the Big Design trade show.  People loved them.  He needs our help to offset the costs of the latest art, which is going to be bigger and interactive.

Introducing MyPhoneHenge

MyPhoneHenge is a sequel to My Favorite Machine.  MyPhonehenge, as the name implies is a circle of monoliths, each a smartphone abstracted into an individual statement about technology, design, history, and the interaction of people to machines and people to people. Like its names sake, it is a dichotomy of mystery and blunt straightforwardness.  MyPhoneHenge will have interactive elements, where you can make things move and twist.  Digital devices will be embedded into the art, so you can play with an element on one device, while it shows up on another piece of the art.

It is ambitious.  And, it is expensive!

Watch this video as Roger explains about MyPhoneHenge.

Top 10 Reasons to Donate to this Project

1. For a $150 donation, you get a free conference ticket.  Limited supply.  Better hurry!  Support the art and see the art.  Only 30 tickets available at this donation level.
2. Get some cool prizes.  The conference ticket is cool.  But, wait….there is more.  Roger has some cool prizes on the MyPhoneHenge Kickstarter page.  He has t-shirts and some phone stands called MyPhoneStone.  You gotta have this small version of MyPhoneHenge to take with you.
3. You are supporting the conference and the art.  You can become a Big Design Conference insider.  You are part of the in-crowd.  And, the art squad.  You are special and important.
4. Your donation makes a huge difference.  Every dollar counts!  Roger has already went over his budget.  He has spent alot of his own money on this project.  Skip your coffee and support the art.
5. You help to accomplish something by the start of June.  You don’t have to wait to see the results.  On June 1st, Roger is going to unveil the art.  Let’s help him with his June credit card payment by kickstarting the project.
6. Your donation supports something tangible.  You can see the art, touch it, and play with it.  Roger will actually encourage it.  Your donation does not go to something intangible.  Instead, it is real.  Touch it….in an appropriate way, please.
7. You get public recognition.  All donors are recognized publicly.  Plus, Roger will have your name on full public display at the conference.  Roger plans to tweet how much he loves you, too.  In some cases, it might be shameless recognition.
8. You get the inside scoop. Roger is providing some cool details that only donors know.  He is walking donors through the actual process of building the sculptures.  Plus, donors get to see videos, pictures, and special updates.
9. You can connect with other donors.  We mentioned that you can belong to the club of donors supporting the project.  Donors can also choose to follow other donors, chat with them, and post messages.  Donors get this special access because membership has its privileges.
10. You can answer a prayer.  I know Roger has prayed on how he is going to pay off his credit card.  You can be the answer to his prayer by supporting this project.  His credit card bill is looming.  You can become a donor angel!

Help Support This Project

Every dollar counts.  Give a dollar, it helps.  Skip your Starbucks Frappachino, give $5.  Bring a sack lunch one day, give $10.  You get the idea.  Every dollar counts.

You can donate money on the MyPhoneHenge Kickstarter page or click the picture below.

I have already sent in my $50 and plan to donate more.

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Get your tickets today! You are going to enjoy these talks.

LeeAnne Locken. Social Media for Radio/Film/TV Talent

LeeAnne Locken is a model, actress, spokesperson, and more.  You might recognize her from Miss Congeniality or her co-hosting during on Dallas morning shows. LeeAnne is very active in social media using it to further her career and connect to fans.  This talk is about creative ways for radio/ tv/ film personalities to use social media to advance their careers, help causes they support, talk with their fans, get leads on potential projects, and more. Social media allows celebrities to actively marketing themselves. In this talk, you will learn the essentials of social media, common pitfalls, hear real-world success stories, and more.

Keith Alcorn.  From Film Concept to Release

Keith Alcorn was nominated for an Oscar for the animated film, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.  Find out how to unlock your concepts to a final film or animated release from Keith Alcorn. Learn how to negotiate the business side of film and animation, while balancing the creative side of a production. Keith will share stories from his experience on projects, such as The Ant Bully, Jimmy Neutron, and Santa vs the Snowman.

Morgan Hanson. Herding Cats–Dealing with Creative Personalities

Morgan Hanson wins Addy awards almost annually.  He deals with many strong, creative personalities.  You have seen the commercial where a cowboy talks about herding cats. For Morgan Hanson, he herds creative “cats” in his daily work. Morgan explains how creatives need to move beyond their typical roles in specific silos to better understand the business needs of flexibility, time to market, social channels, and more. If you think you have a hard time herding cats, wait until you hear Morgan’s talk about his advertising campaigns, commercials, and short films. People who can successfully herd cats are more effective and efficient at meeting their deadlines and working with creative personalities.

Brett Briley. Digital Sculpting with ZBrush

ZBrush is a digital sculpting tool used by movie, game, and animation designers to create high-resolution models. Besides sculpting, ZBrush allows designers to model, texture, and paint their models, which includes digitally storing the lighting, color, and depth information for very detailed renderings.

In this talk, Brett Briley will demonstrate Zbrush techniques for developing characters for games and 3d printing. Brett will also talk about his artistic process. Plus, you will get to see examples from his own portfolio (which includes work at Disney and ID Software).

Dan Kuenster. Delivering Animation and Games in Schools

Dan Kuenster has worked on many animated films, such The Land Before Time, An American Tail, and The Secret of NIMH.  Dan will discuss the technology and artistry behind the online education software company, istation. They will discuss the process of delivering an effective educational program using proprietary software, and the challenges presented across different platforms. istation is a Dallas based company that has developed a series of assessments and interactive curriculum that monitors and strengthens student’s progress in the classroom. Creative solutions give struggling students a new perspective on learning in a fun game-like environment. Come see how technology is transforming education, and reshaping how students succeed.

Will Nicholson. The Life of a Visual Effects Shot

Will works on summer blockbusters like Spider-man, Iron Man, and Fantastic Four.  He specializes in particulate matter special effects shots. Design is in the details.  If you think you are detail-oriented, wait until you meet Will and see his work.

You would be absolutely shocked and amazed at how many people, how much effort, and how many different disciplines it really takes to achieve a director’s vision for one special effects shot in a movie. Will Nicholson knows what it takes to create special effects shots from summer blockbusters like Spider-man, Ghost Rider, The Mummy, Sin City, Iron Man, Seven Pounds, and (yes) Snakes on a Plane. Will is currently working on a horror film. Will plans to show you different shots from his past. You will learn about the life of a special effects show from concept to creation to release. This talk is like a real-live DVD extra!

Get your tickets today!

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1. Be Known as One of the “300.”  We need to book 300 room nights to keep costs down.  The conference space free, as long as we book 300 room nights.  Help us keep costs down.  Become one of the “300”.  This is Sparta…uh, Big Design!
2. It’s Just Plain Fun.  The conference is not all about work.  You get a chance to play with like-minded people.  Mock gambling, playing video games, testing new products, tweeting about stuff, and more.  Why miss anything?  Book a room.
3. Value.  You get a great rate of just $89 per night, when you use the conference code of BDS at theCrownePlaza.  BDS stands for Big Design, Sexy.  Seriously, we think you are sexy, when you book a room at the hotel!
4. Networking.  Stay at the hotel, so you can network with your new friends, meet a potential client, land a new job, play at Casino Night, watch a movie, and more.  You can do it all, and then walk to your hotel room.
5. Special Access.  We are going to have a Patio Party on Friday night before Casino Night.  You can only get into the Patio Party with your room key.  You get the details when you check-in at the Crowne Plaza.
6. Location, Location, Location.  All of the events are happening at the Crowne Plaza—workshops, conference talks, trade show, parties, casino night, movie night, and meetups.  It is the place to be in Dallas on June 1 and 2.
7. Impress Your Friends.  Go back to the office with battle-tested ideas.  Brag about how stayed at the same hotel as the Big Design speakers.  Gossip about all the shenanigans you saw at the hotel.  They’ll be jealous.
8. Employment Opportunities.  Jobs are coming back, especially for User Experience professionals.  You can easily find 10 companies looking to hire people in the trade show.  Stay at the hotel to maximize these opportunities.
9. Hang Out with the Speakers.  Most of the speakers are staying at the hotel.  You can get them to sign a book, ask them a burning question, buy them a beer, or just listen to them.  It is your chance to dance with the stars.
10. Help Us Keep Costs Down.  We have done our best to keep your costs low.  Become one of the “300.”  We want you to have a low-cost, high value experience.  300 room nights really helps us out.  We need your help.

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MyPhoneStone is called “The 99 Crush!” With a pledge of just $99, you can transform your own smart phone into a touchable piece of art right on your desktop! You would be surprised at how many people stopped by to see MyPhoneStone, when had it placed on a table in a busy hallway at work. In just 15 minutes, we have 30 people stop and ask about it. Several people took out their own phone to take a picture of MyPhoneStone, too.

Sometimes, You Just Want a T-shirt

Roger has also designed some t-shirts for a pledge of just $42. Why forty-two dollars? Roger is keeping it a mystery from us. I do know it was the number worn by Jackie Robinson, when he broke into Major League Baseball. Roger had a wry smile, when I told him my theory.

The t-shirts come in two styles. The first t-shirt is called “No Sissy Art”.
Front: belveal logo, Back: “NO SISSY ART”

The second t-shirt is called “Think Outside the Glass”
Front: My Favorite Machine #3, Back: “Think outside the glass”

These are high quality silkscreen printed shirts. If you have been waiting to support Roger, don’t delay. You can support his kickstarter project, see the finished MyPhoneHenge at the conference, and get one of these great gifts, too.

MyPhoneStone! You know you want one.

Get your tickets today!

Rahel Anne Bailie. Content as a Design Framework

Content strategy promises – or threatens, depending on one’s perspective – to upend the framework used for development projects. Content becomes the lynchpin around which the rest of the design, technology, and user experience revolve. Good content is the logical nexus of the user experience; it makes sense to start a project with the content. Content strategy in design agencies may differ from product content strategies that include documentation, training, and user assistance. Yet both of these practice areas are business-critical and depend on each other in order for the host organization to thrive.

What content is part of a content strategy?: web content, social documentation, user-generated content, web apps, social media, mobile, localized content, delivered across multiple delivery channels. In a time where organizations are looking at alternative ways of producing, managing, and publishing content that supports users, unique content strategies being demanded – from documentation being produced in wikis, content being delivered by RSS, social documentation, connection to social media, visual tutorials delivered via YouTube, and so on.

Angelos Tzelepis.  Designing Documents for Translation & Localization

Historically, translation has been an afterthought to content creation. “Hey, get this brochure translated into French, we have a trade show in Montreal.” That works when necessary, but it’s not exactly a strategy.

What used to be the translation industry is now the GILT (Globalization Internationalization Localization Translation) industry. These are important distinctions, but the most important thing is to get your information and consulting up front. From a 2-page flyer to building a new corporate CMS, engage a GILT consultant/agency from the beginning.

Do you have a bank of culturally appropriate pictures? Does your corporate font work beyond romance languages? Do your designers know how to build translation-friendly files? Come see how the translation sausage is made, and how you can make it easier on yourself and your clients/employer.

Hassan Bawab. SEO Best Practices for HTML 5

HTML5 is the latest language for website and database creation. Many of these web pages are designed and programmed with the HTML 5 language.

On its own, the use of the HTML language has many advantages. One of them is that it gives a better usability of the website. It also makes SEO indexing and crawling rather effective and easy as well.

What You Will Learn

• How it brings several improvements in usability and user experience
• Which new tags that will help developers classify important content
• Why it is awesome for sites rich in media (audio & video)
• How it is an amazing alternative to Flash and Silverlight
• How HTML5 is SEO-friendly when it comes to website crawling and indexing
• How HTML5 is going to be heavily used for mobile apps and games

John Lloyd. Content Design in Physical Spaces

We want to be inspired by the spaces where we work, we want the digital spaces we design to be intuitive and as mobile explodes, we are increasingly more concerned about the spaces that our products are being used. When we consider content, space has is a powerful design principal.

Space crosses so many disciplines of design. Spaces tell stores, they create ambiance, they direct traffic and they provide purpose. We’ll take a step back from the technologies and the business practices of design and I’ll share some of the amazing spaces, how content is used, and the visceral reactions that inspire our work. I’ll share stories from St. Jude’s, where we fund the fight against childhood cancer. We’ll also talk about how design creates atmosphere, how physical spaces and virtual spaces coexist, and the various spaces that we design our content for, around and in-between.

Giovanni Gallucci. Social Media for Indy Filmmakers & Musicians

Most music, TV & film today is produced by semi-pros and enthusiasts on a tight budget. Since social media tools like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are free, it makes sense for musicians and filmmakers of all stripes to take advantage of them to develop an audience for their work. But that doesn’t mean that just anyone should be doing the outreach. You cannot be effective in social media by randomly blasting out random content to the internet. Social media tools work best when the people behind them have a genuine passion for what they’re sharing. During this presentation Giovanni will teach videographers and musicians alike how to effectively use social media to promote their work and advance their careers.

Mark Kraemer. Sketching Matters

Can’t figure out your content.  Stuck in a creative rut.  Don’t be afraid, start sketching early. Sketching provides a way for you to visualize your concepts, content, and creativity. When trying to solve problems, drawing is the best way to reach real understanding quickly.

Sketching is more than doodling.  It is visual thinking.  When done correctly, it also problem solving.

Get your tickets today!

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This video originally appeared on It’s Our Research site. It is shown here with permission from Tomer Sharon.

Video on UX Illustrations

Amberlight Partners Uses UX Illustrations

Amberlight Partners is a London-based research and design consultancy with over 10 years experience of maximizing ROI for UK and global blue chip organizations by optimizing their digital products, services and communications. Amberlight helps organizations understand the whole of the “customer experience” across multiple touch-points including web, mobile, TV, retail and the product itself. Amberlight delivers insight and advice at every stage of the product development lifecycle:

Before products have been developed, they help identify what should be developed. During product development, they help understand the content, functionality and interaction required. After products have been launched, they advise on how their performance can be improved. Amberlight works with leading organizations in Europe and globally including eBay, the Guardian, HTC, Microsoft, Orange (France Telecom Group), Samsung, Sony, T-mobile, Vodafone, and the UK government.

Main Points

• They have trained UX illustrators in their research team who use illustration to communicate with users, designers, and product teams.
• They use illustration to communicate complex ideas and concepts as clearly as possible UX illustration before a research session means the illustrator turns a verbal discussion into something visual and engaging.
• UX illustration during a research session means the illustrator captures insights and ideas from study participants in visual form. They show them back to participants to stimulate further discussion.
• UX illustration after a research session means the illustrator visualizes findings, analysis, and recommendations. Reports, if written, become more visual and engaging for stakeholders.
• An illustrated book can help define product strategy without a single line of code being written. UX illustration helps researchers to clearly explain difficult concepts and build consensus around ideas and conclusions.

Be sure to check out Tomer’s talk on.

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