http://textpattern.com/?v=4.0.6 Refresh Dallas - Meetings http://refreshdallas.org/ Refresh is a community of designers and developers working to refresh the creative, technical and professional aspects of new media endeavors in the Dallas area. The Big (D)esign Conference Refresh will be forgoing a meeting this month. Instead we’re pointing every one to the Big (D)esign Conference.

The Big Design Conference is an intense day of learning within the scope of Strategy, Social Media, User Experience, and Code Development. Experts from across the country will gather to present theories, research, experiences, and best practices to students, professionals, and executives looking to stay on the bleeding edge.

The Big Design Conference is a joint venture of the Dallas/Fort Worth Usability Professionals’ Association, Refresh Dallas, and the Dallas/Fort Worth Interaction Design Association.

When & Where

Saturday May 30, 2009
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Southern Methodist University
3140 Dyer St.
Dallas, TX 75205
Get a Map.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to EMC’s 404 User Experience Group, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/q7TrlJbtsVw/the-big-design-conference Mon, 18 May 2009 09:00:00 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/the-big-design-conference http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/the-big-design-conference And Now It's Personal: Web Design & Personal Informatics The social Web is not only connecting us to other people, but to our favorite person in the world: ourselves. In this talk, Brian Oberkirch will look at ways Web designers are marshaling the vast amount of data we’re throwing off to create new forms of mirrors, new flows of feedback, and, one hopes, new ways to understand ourselves. Will include all the usual caveats about Not Being Evil and how we really don’t quite know where all this is going. Buckle up and take the ride.

Brian Oberkirch runs a social Web consultancy called Small Good Thing. He helps brands like Sony & Dow Jones concept, build & manage social sites. He helps startup Web services like Toobla & Chi.mp figure out product strategy. He trains marketing firms & professional organizations in the ways of the new Web. And he blogs and podcasts often at brianoberkirch.com.

When & Where

Thursday February 12, 2009
7:00pm to 9:00pm

The Art Institute of Dallas
8080 Park Lane
Dallas, TX 75231
Get a Map.

The event will be on the 8th floor. Parking available in the garage levels 4-7. When you come in the building through the sky bridge you will be met by people from the school's Interactive Media User Group (iMug).

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to The Art Institute of Dallas's Interactive Media User Group, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/YxIBOxxKsfg/and-now-it-s-personal-web-design-personal-informatics Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:15:18 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/and-now-it-s-personal-web-design-personal-informatics http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/and-now-it-s-personal-web-design-personal-informatics What 'Doodlers' and 'Coders' Can Teach Business About Experience Design If you are a key leader in your business, you might wonder why creatives and developers can be so argumentative about seemingly straightforward feature requests for your site. Likewise, if you are one of the talented people doing the actual design and code work, it can often be frustrating when “suits” don’t understand the fundamentals of good user experience. It’s time for an intervention!

Come explore an approach for clearly communicating, both internally and to the public users of your site. Learn how to keep your team motivated by thinking in terms of how real humans interact via technology. Beyond the typical planning process involving scenarios and personas, what personality does your site convey? Does it relate effectively? How does it affect profitability? Let’s get back to the basics of genuine dialog, and maybe even reminisce about high school.

Resources

When & Where

Wednesday January 21, 2009
7:00pm to 9:00pm

imc<sup>2</sup>
12404 Park Central, Suite 400
Dallas, TX 75251
Get a Map.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to EMC's 404 User Experience Design Group, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/JgJiwxs69g0/what-doodlers-and-coders-can-teach-business-about-experience-design Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:20:06 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/what-doodlers-and-coders-can-teach-business-about-experience-design http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/what-doodlers-and-coders-can-teach-business-about-experience-design Rock Bands, Guitar Heroes, and Management Theory Rock bands are a a great petri dish for exploring team dynamics. You have the egotistical frontman (who may or may not have any talent). The group of passionate musicians who just want to create music. The studio musicians who simply do the job for which they are hired. And of course, the rock stars.

So what does this have to do with management? Groups and organizations, just like musicians, don’t all work and behave in the same way. Speaker Stephen P. Anderson will look to the music industry to describe four organizational archetypes—each with a different set of values and way of working. By understanding each of these work cultures, the culture you work in, and the work style that best fits you personally, we can make sense of the conflicts we face at work and become more effective at our job, whether we’re employees, managers or—rock stars!

Resources

When & Where

Thursday December 11, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

imc<sup>2</sup>
12404 Park Central, Suite 400
Dallas, TX 75251
Get a Map.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to EMC's 404 User Experience Design Group, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/phloMmCau0w/rock-bands-guitar-heroes-and-management-theory Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:24:12 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/rock-bands-guitar-heroes-and-management-theory http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/rock-bands-guitar-heroes-and-management-theory Striking a Balance Middle ground in front-end development.

In the world of building Websites and applications, there will always be tension between opposing forces. One often wrestles with issues like Web standards vs. Flash, business objectives vs. real-world possibilities, and the age-old designer vs. developer tension. Nathan Smith will outline his philosophy and techniques for achieving balance in that gray area between idealism and implementation. He will also share some of his code tips and design insights gleaned while working at Viewzi.

He is convinced that many Web projects fail not because the people working on them lack intelligence or talent, but because personal agendas get in the way. Whether that be a client pushing that the Next Big Thing be included in their redesign, or developers disagreeing over the nuances HTML vs. XHTML, Nathan wants to return focus to building great apps. This session will be light on pontification, heavy on metaphor, and laced with pragmatism.

Resources

When & Where

Thursday November 13, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

The Art Institute of Dallas
8080 Park Lane, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75231
Get a Map.

Meeting is on the 8th floor. Parking in the garage is free from the 4th floor up.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to The Art Institute of Dallas, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/FEd8s4Q5HAo/striking-a-balance Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:45:04 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/striking-a-balance http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/striking-a-balance Effective Dashboard Design Practical tools and examples for your next dashboard project

As enterprises and other organizations look to sift through and make sense of the all the structured and unstructured data available to them, dashboards are being positioned as the solution to their problems. However, a dashboard needs special attention to the visual design or the dashboard will fail to meet expectations. If not carefully designed, a new dashboard can leave consumers unsatisfied, frustrated, confused, and even overwhelmed.

Aaron Hursman will share his experiences designing effective dashboards that deliver on the promise of targeted, accessible, and actionable information. He will discuss examples from both his personal work and contributions of thought-leaders in this space. Through these examples, he will present practical dashboard design techniques. He will also present effective approaches to take during design and construction. Finally, Aaron will explain the challenges and obstacles that dashboard designers face today, and how to mitigate the risks that result.

Resources

When & Where

Thursday October 16, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Ackerman McQueen
545 E John Carpenter Fwy
Irving, TX 75062
Get a Map.

Office is on 18th floor. Take ground floor elevator to 17th floor then you'll see signs that point you the way to the 18th. Garage parking will be a free exit until 9:30pm.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to EMC's 404 User Experience Design Group, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/Aus-1OKt-bQ/effective-dashboard-design Wed, 01 Oct 2008 06:09:05 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/effective-dashboard-design http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/effective-dashboard-design Web Application Interface Design A detailed look at what makes an interface great.

Designing a good interface is arguably one of the most difficult aspects of creating a Web application. Balancing user requests, business requirements, and technology makes it difficult to give quality time to the interface. However, a good interface can increase customer satisfaction, reduce support requests, and give your application a leg up on the competition. Time invested in improving the interaction of an application is some of the most valuable time you can commit to the future of your app.

Garrett Dimon will share all the details, both good and bad, from his experience designing and developing his own Web application. He’ll discuss the evolution of features from concept to execution and show the external forces that shaped the ideas along the way. From lessons learned to non-examples, he’ll talk candidly and in depth about the surprising amount of details that can make or break an interface. In addition to sharing his own hands-on experience, he’ll also discuss examples of unique visual, information, and interaction design that break the mold and are taking the latest Web apps to the next level.

Resources

When & Where

Thursday September 25, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Ackerman McQueen
545 E John Carpenter Fwy
Irving, Texas 75062
Get a Map.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to EMC's 404 User Experience Design Group, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/MmwiGBjFzd4/web-application-interface-design-2 Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:07:32 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/web-application-interface-design-2 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/web-application-interface-design-2 "See What I Mean?" We all work with information. In our web sites. Our web apps. Print communications. Graphs, and charts. But how exactly do you present information in a way that simplifies the complex, communicates powerfully, and actually delights people?

Join us, as Travis Isaacs and “Stephen P. Anderson”: http://www.poetpainter.com share their information design secrets. From travel plans to search results to quarterly earnings statements—they’ll present a handful of information design and data visualization case studies, identifying those principles we can apply to just about any project.

Learn how to identify and group related information, create a visual hierarchy, draw focus to the most important content, use images appropriately, see familiar data in a fresh new way, and much more!

Resources

When & Where

Thursday July 24, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Ackerman McQueen
545 E John Carpenter Fwy
Irving, Texas 75062
Get a Map.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to Viewzi, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/5NF4O7qTGPE/-see-what-i-mean- Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:12:42 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/-see-what-i-mean- http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/-see-what-i-mean- Blending Performance with Front-End Architecture Think web performance is all about load balancing, database indexes, and memory management? Think again. Recent research shows that 80-90% of the end-user response time is spent on the front-end.

The way you develop your site’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript makes a big impact on how long it takes your site to load. But, speeding up your site doesn’t have to mean throwing out best practices. Chris Griego will show you the guidelines and techniques to combine performance with a solid front-end architecture.

Blake Elshire will present a case study for Marblehead’s site, showing the benefits of implementing these changes. Also, a new tool will be demoed that helps automate some of these guidelines.

Resources

When & Where

Thursday June 5, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Rapp Collins Worldwide
1660 Westridge Circle North
Irving, TX 75038
Get a Map.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to Marblehead, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/NQ31p9SGfjc/blending-performance-with-front-end-architecture Sun, 01 Jun 2008 07:16:36 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/blending-performance-with-front-end-architecture http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/blending-performance-with-front-end-architecture Inbox Zero As a change of pace from the usual web design related fare, Jeff Whitfield will discuss a topic that everyone has to deal with…e-mail! Based on a presentation and series of articles by Merlin Mann, Jeff will discuss better ways to deal with e-mail and how it relates to his experience as an IT manager.

Everyone knows someone who takes over two days to respond to an e-mail. Since e-mail applies to just about everyone, feel free to bring a friend, family member, co-worker, or anyone else you know who is e-mail challenged. This is a great opportunity to have other participate who are not necessarily web designers or developers.

Jeff is a web developer and designer currently working for Collabpad. He is also part of the development team for the MODx CMS project. Jeff has worked full-time for the past three years as an IT manager for a small architectural firm in Dallas.

When & Where

Thursday February 7, 2008
7:00pm to 9:00pm

Christopher A. Parr Library
6200 Windhaven Parkway
Plano, TX 75093
Get a Map.

Here’s the Rundown

Come early (7:00) to mingle with like-minded designers and developers and then soak in a fresh presentation (7:30).

Free Pizza & Drinks

We’ll provide the pizza and drinks, thanks to EMC’s 404 User Experience Group, if you provide the questions and conversation.

]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rd/meetings/~3/JzKXYU5n_zk/inbox-zero Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:23:44 +0000 http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/inbox-zero http://refreshdallas.org/meetings/inbox-zero