Re: [IxDA Discuss] [anthrodesign] Don Norman: Technology First, Needs Last
Great reflexions, but I strongly disagree with the basic assertion. What gave birth to that Technology first? Airplane for what? Radio for what? A miracle? Or an accident? Well, accidents did give rise to technologies in the past, but none of those mentioned in the article. The biggest missing thing here is that no technology comes up in a vacuum. And the fact that the inventor did not make any research efforts does not prove the invention didn´t come from a real human need: they saw the hidden need with bare eyes, then a tecnological insight, and only then, dedicated their lives to make it. But one thing is true: the technology innovation turns something possible, only then the design innovations can make better use for it. A new technology is like a new tool in a designer´s toolbox of insights. So it is even clearer to me that the article draw the lines between technology (or possibility) and design (form and behavior). So I would dare to correct the assertion, and add A genious´s lone observation and insight first, which DID come from quiet observation of needs, that took an audacious technical alchemist´s mind(s) to believe in it. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Web Job Posting at OptumHealth - Minneapolis Area
Happy Holidays! My company is looking for a web product experience team member. If you know anyone who might be interested or be a good fit for this position, please forward them the job description below. Thanks! Lyle ** *Lyle Kantrovich* ** *Sr. Manager - Web Experience* *OptumHealth Financial Services* ** ***lyle.kantrov...@optumhealthfinancial.com*lyle.kantrov...@optumhealthfinancial.com Product Research Consultant (Web experience) - Minnetonka, MN-315111 *Job Description* OptumHealth is part of the family of companies that make UnitedHealth Group one of the leaders across most major segments of the US health care system. If you want more meaning in your career - as a clinician or a business professional - think of OptumHealth as your calling. By providing 60 million Americans with information, tools and solutions, we are helping to guide them through the health care system, financing their health care needs, and enabling them to achieve their personal health and well-being goals. Consumers, employers, health plans and health care professionals rely on OptumHealth Financial Services offerings to make health care more accessible and more affordable. Our products and services include Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Reimbursement Arrangements, and electronic payment services. The Web Experience Consultant will lead web user research initiatives to deliver best in class web experiences for our customer groups including employers, consumers, brokers and payers. Primary Responsibilities: - Serve as the business representative to multiple web projects, representing business needs and facilitating collaboration between other business stakeholders and development teams. - Develop a deep understanding of our customers and users through qualitative and quantitative research and analysis. Support online product development activities with information about users needs and behaviors. - Evaluate the user experiences provided by OptumHealth Financial System and competitors to help develop and inform the organization - Online goals and objectives (e.g. using usability testing, heuristic evaluation, standards and guidelines reviews). - Manage and coordinate vendors that may be engaged on web or user experience projects including design, research and evaluation firms. - Develop and lead regular analysis and reporting of web metrics and user experience key performance indicators for the OHFS web program. - Assist Project Managers to ensure that web development initiatives stay on course and on budget. - Identify and help capture requirements from sales, product, marketing and operations groups and translate into web requirements that are agreed upon by all stakeholders. - Work with Business Analysts, Business Architects and System Architects on requirements and process design, as well as marketing and sales to develop and execute web launch plans and materials. - Contribute to the OptumHealth Financial System web experience strategy and product roadmaps. - Serve as an internal subject matter expert on web capabilities within the health care financial services space. At OptumHealth, you will perform within an innovative culture that's focused on transformational change in the health care system. You will leverage your skills across a diverse and multi-faceted business. And you will make contributions that will have an impact that's greater than you've ever imagined. *Qualifications* - 3+ years in web product development including experience with websites and web applications. - 2+ years experience with significant involvement in leading and conducting qualitative and quantitative user research for interactive products and/or websites. - 2+ years experience conducting analysis of web traffic data using analytics tools like WebTrends, Omniture, Tealeaf, etc. - Demonstrated knowledge of web design best practices and emerging web technologies. - Experienced in user-centered design methods and techniques. - Proven ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams in complex organizations. - Strong written and verbal communication, analytical and organizational skills. Able to work with and communicate with all levels of the organization. - Self-motivated, detail-oriented individual who is adaptable to changes and requires minimal direction. - Experience with web portals and content management systems strongly desired. - Health care and/or financial services experience a plus. - Bachelor's degree required. *Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V* *UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. In addition, employees in certain positions are subject to random drug testing.* Applicants can apply online at
[IxDA Discuss] UX Workshop - skills, professional development and competency
UX Competency Framework Workshop, BCS Offices, Southampton St, London February 25th, 2010 User Experience (UX) is an encompassing term covering a range of disciplines from IT, Ergonomics, Usability, Marketing and Communications. It is most commonly used in the context of the usability of IT systems. Fully addressing UX requires consideration of a product's impact on its users at all stages in its lifecycle, including the marketing, packaging, training, introduction, support and disposal, and has an impact on the scope and management of product development projects. It is therefore difficult to say what a UX professional does, and to define the skills and training required to truly call oneself a UX professional. This workshop will examine such issues as: - What does industry need from UX professionals? - What are the skills and training required for UX professionals? - What are the levels at which UX professionals operate? - What existing skills frameworks in the contributing disciplines can we call on? - How do we work with the stakeholders, employers, professional bodies, academics, training bodies to develop, disseminate and assess UX skills? We call on existing practitioners and researchers in this area to submit 4-6 page position papers on one or more of the above topics. Position papers will be presented in short talks in the morning of the event, followed by focused discussions in the afternoon and a UX Job Fair in the early evening. Papers should be submitted to Tom McEwan, t.mce...@napier.ac.uk by 8th January 2010. Organisers Nigel Bevan Jonathan Earthy David England Tom McEwan John Knight Leslie Fountain Claire Mitchell Tony Russell-Rose Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Senior Product/UI Designer, Seattle, FILTER (Recruiter), Long-term Contract
Are you a Product Designer with unparalleled passion for user experience? Do you also have stellar design skills and a solid commitment to the end-user? If so, FILTER has a one year contract for a Senior Product/UI Designer in Redmond. In this role, youll work closely with UX designers, writers and project managers to develop assets for prototypes, create redline specs, optimize graphics and establish delivery timelines. Our ideal candidate is interested in the consumer health space and is eager to make a difference through creating the best user experience possible and has at least four years of web product design experience under their belt. If youre a seriously driven, energetic and flexible Senior Product/UI Designer who can go above and beyond the wireframe in order to perfect the user experience, and youve got an outstanding portfolio, then wed love to hear from you. WHAT YOULL BE DOING Work hand in hand with UX Designers and writers to create comps based on wireframes for consumer health related website Collaborate with UX Designers to develop assets for prototypes Create redline specs for designs and optimize graphics as needed SKILLS YOULL NEED At least four years experience as a Web Product Designer at a senior level for online web-based applications Knowledge of user-centered design best practices and techniques Knowledge of all the latest web-application technologies as well as HTML, DHTML, CSS, etc. Strong track record of delivering assets on time and releasing successful products under tight deadlines Minimum three years experience driving and shipping consumer-targeted products BS degree in Computer Science, HCI or related field required A BIT ABOUT FILTER FILTER is a full-service creative resources company that connects industry-leading companies with the very best creative talent throughout the West Coast. Offering both creative staffing services and interactive media design and production, FILTER helps clients to make their ideas a reality and complete their projects with more speed, flexibility and cost efficiency. The company is headquartered in Seattle and has branch offices in Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. FILTER has been serving the creative community, including top consumer brands and technology companies as well as leading design, advertising and interactive agencies, for the past two decades. To apply, please register at www.filtertalent.com and complete a personal profile in order to express interest in this position: http://www.filtertalent.com/Professionals/Search_Jobs.aspx?m=jid=335 We will review your resume and portfolio and contact you if your skills and experience appear to be a good fit. FILTER is an equal opportunity employer. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Deciding whether to use a \Show n items per page\ control
On Dec 7, 2009, at 8:05 AM, Jeff Kraemer wrote: How do you decide whether to include a means to control how many list items to display? So, how do you decide whether to include it? Do you follow a general principle (give the user more control/take away little decisions), or do you decide based on the users' needs in a given project? And if so, how do you define those needs? Jeff, I'd like to suggest that the reason you're struggling with the right answer (and why nobody who responded really had a concrete solution) is that you're possibly asking the wrong question. I'd like to suggest that users don't care how many items they see. They only care about seeing the right items. Choosing an item from a large collection involves a three-step process: winnowing, selecting, and validating. Winnowing happens before you present the list. It's the process of choosing filters and specifying what the user doesn't want to see. If you winnow the choices properly, every choice you present to the user is a high-quality, likely candidate. Selecting happens during the list. Here the user is comparing one choice to another, and picking the one that best fits their needs. Validating happens when the user has made their choice, giving them a single result where they can ensure they've made the right choice. So, how many items should you display? All of the best, most-likely choices and none of the rest. The important factor is to ensure you're giving enough information to select. What's enough information? That'll depend on what you're displaying in the list and how you display it. The trick is you want to prevent the user from clicking to find out if the item is what they want. They should know before they click. (If they click before knowing, that's likely to lead to pogosticking, which is very undesirable as it almost always leads to task failure.) Because you want to have enough room to show the important information, you also want make sure you've eliminated any choices that are unlikely. That's where good winnowing comes in. Giving the user a good set of controls to choose the subset of choices that will most likely satisfy their needs is an essential quality of a good experience with lists. If you do all that, you won't need control to choose the number of list items displayed. The winnowing will reduce the number to a manageable set that you'll want to present in its entirety for the user to select from. You can read more about this here: Galleries: The Hardest Working Pages on Your Site http://www.uie.com/articles/galleries/ I hope that helps, Jared Jared M. Spool User Interface Engineering 510 Turnpike St., Suite 102, North Andover, MA 01845 e: jsp...@uie.com p: +1 978 327 5561 http://uie.com Blog: http://uie.com/brainsparks Twitter: @jmspool Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
