from:"Mark"

Re: [IxDA Discuss] The state of UI/UX employment.

2010-02-25 Thread mark schraad

I hope this is not too much of a tangent...

Over the last month I have probably looked at close to a hundred resumes.
This is only partially specific to the Chicago area, but there is a ton of
talent out there. There are a lot of folks with excellent educational
background, wonderful experience and great portfolios to show. What I find
myself more and more concerned with is the ability to partner with product
and technology folks to move great design forward and into the market.
Frankly, it really does not matter if you are the worlds greatest uber
designer...
if you can't sell it, work collaboratively and push your passion through the
labyrinth of compromise. Not everyone needs to have these skills, but in my
world it will surely get you hired quicker and make you a more complete
professional.

This has been my call to the world of education (both under grad and grad)
for the last year or so. You have to do more than supply studio skills. You
have to teach students to think, to adapt, to explore and to work in their
future environment.

Mark

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[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Senior User Experience Architect - Kansas City, MO - Long term contract - Recruiter

2010-02-24 Thread Mark McConnell

Our client, VML, Inc. www.vml.com is asking us to help with their
search for a Senior User Experience Architect, this is starting out
as a 6 month contract that could go 12+ months with potential for
going permanent.  Chosen candidate would work on a W2 with
TEKsystems.

Lets get something straight  were not hiring a Senior User
Experience Architect. Still reading? Great. Because at VML, were not
just the titles we hold. Sure, theyre nice to see on our business
cards, but were really so much more. True, we have a range of
expertise from building websites and online media to developing
software and viral campaigns, but thats not who we are. Its just
what we do. VML is a place that values hard work, the human spirit
and the idea that if it doesnt exist, it can be created. Were a
full-service interactive advertising agency that thrives where
grounded solutions meet the blue sky of possibilities. Weve twice
been voted one of the 25 best places to work in America, and have
partnered with some of the most recognizable brands in the world. And
with more than 16 years under our belt, youd be correct to guess our
trophy case is getting pretty full, too.

Our ideal candidate for this position possesses a bachelors degree
with an emphasis in the liberal arts, the humanities or user-centered
design or equivalent in a related field, and a minimum of five years
of experience researching and developing strategic user-experience
design for high-traffic, dynamic websites. Digital agency experience
and background preferred.

So if this sounds like something youre qualified for, heres what a
Senior User Experience Architect should possess:

   A love for the digital space (practices, procedures and
technologies) and user-centered design principles
   Diagramming tool know-how (e.g., Visio, OmniGraffle, InDesign) and
communication tools (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote)
   A desire to work in a multi-tasking, fast-paced environment  were
talking lightening fast
   Willingness to jet-set across the country  or the world
   Extremely strong interpersonal and client presentation skills. But
surely you knew that if you made it this far into the job
description, right?

Responsibilities will include:
   Working with our Strategy and Insights group to leverage primary
research, personas, task analysis, heuristic and competitive reviews
to craft industry-leading user experiences
   Crafting and conducting stakeholder interviews with everyone from
subject matter experts to C-level executives to determine
business/site objectives
   Creating information design and navigation systems for internet,
intranet and extranet sites, as well as online and mobile
applications
   Creating and refining user-experience thought expressed as
deliverables, including task and gap analyses, content analysis and
strategy and feature/functionality matrices, usage scenarios, site
maps, wireframes, flow diagrams and user-requirements documents
   Preparing and presenting design recommendations based on business
goals, user research, UCD and IA principles
   Collaborating as a member of the Creative team

So, if this sounds like anything youre looking for in a Senior User
Experience Architect position, wed be glad to sit down and discuss
the future  its one of our favorite things to think about. 

If you are or know someone who may be interested, please give me a
call to discuss.  I can be reached at 913-664-0143.

Thank you,

Mark McConnell
Professional Recuriter - TEKsystems

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] The state of UI/UX employment.

2010-02-21 Thread mark schraad

I think this discussion board has become the default and go to posting
venue.

On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 2:28 PM, Vicky Teinaki vicky.tein...@gmail.comwrote:

 Still, it's a good sign for recent grads - up until recently there's been
 the experience catch-22 with jobs (most of those advertised up until now
 have been for at least 3 years experience), so at least it gives those
 recently out of school a chance to chalk up time, even if they have to do
 hard slog with those 'massive skillz'



 On Mon, Feb 22, 2010 at 9:15 AM, Anne Hjortshoj a...@annehj.com wrote:

  ... and I mean good luck to the recruiters listing these roles, not to
  Susan.
 
  -A
 
  On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 2:59 PM, Anne Hjortshoj a...@annehj.com wrote:
   So in other words, people want to pay for 1-3 years of experience, but
   they want to get a laundry list of massive skillz.
  
   Good luck with that.
  
   -Anne
  
   On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 2:42 PM, Susan Doran susando...@gmail.com
  wrote:
   I've noticed more positions that require 1-3 yrs experience.
 Also...sort
  of
   kitchen sink loading on a mish-mash of skillsets.
  
   On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 at 1:38 AM, Erin Stewart emstew...@smcm.edu
  wrote:
  
   I noticed this as well. Originally I was planning to look for my next
   job in the fall, but with the amount of positions open now and with
   the fear that this is temporary (though I would hope that it will be
   a continued term), I decided to start applying now with the hope to
   start in May. I submitted a few applications for positions in the DC
   area on Monday/Tuesday this week and had received two calls for phone
   interviews by the end of the week. Both places made it clear they had
   an urgent need to hire someone. The positions (UI design/development)
   are for someone with 1-3 yrs experience and I have 1.5 years
   experience doing front-end web development and UX/IA tasks for a
   college, some graduate-level coursework in a related field, and some
   digital PR internship experience.
  
  
   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
   Posted from the new ixda.org
   http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=49535
  
  
   
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   --
  
   ~~~
   Susan Doran
   55 Morning Street
   Portland ME 04101
   207-774-4963 (land)
   202-296-4849 (cell)
  
   /susandoran  (facebook)
   @susandoran (twitter)
   ~~~
   
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   --
   Anne Hjortshoj | a...@annehj.com | www.annehj.com | Skype: anne-hj |
   Hjortshoj is pronounced YORT-soy.
  
 
 
 
  --
  Anne Hjortshoj | a...@annehj.com | www.annehj.com | Skype: anne-hj |
  Hjortshoj is pronounced YORT-soy.
  
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 --
 Vicky Teinaki
 Email: vicky.tein...@gmail.com  | Mobile: +64 021 027 01410  | Skype:
 vicky.teinaki | Twitter: @vickytnz | LinkedIn :
 http://nz.linkedin.com/in/vickyteinaki
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How to Get People to Answer Honestly

2010-02-19 Thread mark schraad

no problem on the vagueness...

I might suggest have some casual conversations with both docs and nurses
about how they talk with clients. This is not for process or method, but to
set realistic expectations. I think you will find that people aren't wholy
forthright even when their health is at stake... so in a survey or fact
finding situation you will have to work even harder to get honest answers.
Some much sense of self goes into revealing patterns and habits of behavior.
And I'm not trying to tell you to trick them by any stretch, but make it
easy for them to detach or distance themselves from what they are revealing.
Not an easy task.

Mark



On Fri, Feb 19, 2010 at 7:13 AM, Don Habas dhab...@yahoo.com wrote:

 A lot of questions about their relating to health and risk (certain
 activities, tobacco use, etc).  Many people would probably expect
 that price they pay would be impacted by their answers. Sorry I'm
 being vague, but I can't really discuss too much detail here.


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Posted from the new ixda.org
 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=49514


 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Personas: how many is too many?

2010-02-17 Thread mark Schraad

One way to aproach this is to have them prioritize them... Look at  
cost for all... And for a few, and make the decision together. If it's  
worth it to them... And they will pay for them... Then let the process  
reveal what works best.





Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 17, 2010, at 6:17 AM, charles Sue-Wah-Sing  
charl...@nexklix.com wrote:



There is this project I'm working on that is for pet owners, breeders
and vets. They have identified 15 consumer types between the three
main segments I've mentioned. The client is requesting we create
personas for all 15. In my experience I've rarely have had to create
more than 4 on any given project. For this project I believe I can get
away with 3.

Does anyone have any thoughts as too what is too many or too few
personas? Have you come across a similar client request? And how did
you deal with it?

Thanks,
Charles Sue-Wah-Sing
www.suewahsing.com

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Personas: how many is too many?

2010-02-17 Thread mark schraad

Let me add some clarification...

I agree that 15 is probably too many. I also disagree that 5 is the right
number... the answer will be it depends. Rather than give you a recipe...
I was trying to suggest a process. I assumed you had talked to the client
and that telling them, 15 is too many had not been effective.

The next step for me would be to put together a scope of effort for the
personas, ask them to prioritize the groups (you should be asking for this
anyway) and then come to conclusions as a team. Some clients will accept
your recommendation and some will not. Those (not) often need to come to
those conclusions on their own. It's better if they have that realization
while working with you.

Mark



On Wed, Feb 17, 2010 at 8:39 AM, mark Schraad mschr...@gmail.com wrote:

 One way to aproach this is to have them prioritize them... Look at cost for
 all... And for a few, and make the decision together. If it's worth it to
 them... And they will pay for them... Then let the process reveal what works
 best.




 Sent from my iPhone


 On Feb 17, 2010, at 6:17 AM, charles Sue-Wah-Sing charl...@nexklix.com
 wrote:

  There is this project I'm working on that is for pet owners, breeders
 and vets. They have identified 15 consumer types between the three
 main segments I've mentioned. The client is requesting we create
 personas for all 15. In my experience I've rarely have had to create
 more than 4 on any given project. For this project I believe I can get
 away with 3.

 Does anyone have any thoughts as too what is too many or too few
 personas? Have you come across a similar client request? And how did
 you deal with it?

 Thanks,
 Charles Sue-Wah-Sing
 www.suewahsing.com
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] the UX Canon

2010-02-12 Thread mark schraad

'Writing for Social Scientists' is probably the best book I've found  
on that topic (and I need plenty of help) - comes with a boatload of  
common sense. Not just ancient rules and protocals based upon  
tradition (Howard S Becker).


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Enterprise IT UI Strategy

2010-02-11 Thread mark Schraad

A single strategy will likely fail Brandon. Context is so crucial to  
what we do. It over regulary usurps cosistancy. Of course I am being  
somewhat pedantic... But it's worth setting realist expectations for  
that strategy.


Mark



Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 10, 2010, at 8:51 AM, Brandon Adams badams...@gmail.com wrote:


I've been asked to develop a UI strategy to be implemented across our
IT department for all our custom developed applications as well as
user facing vendor systems such as peoplesoft, microsoft dynamics,
and several others.

I'm a rookie web developer and UI guy that is transitioning into a
IxD/UX role and this is my first large scale project of this nature.
Can anyone provide some advice on how to start, what to consider, and
things to watch out for?


Thanks,
Brandon

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[IxDA Discuss] the UX Canon

2010-02-11 Thread mark schraad

Will and Dave have done a fantastic job of assembling a really high impact
group of books. By that I meant, they did not throw every book in the lot...
but assembled a manageable list of really high impact readings... certainly
the core of what is needed.

http://blog.semanticfoundry.com/2010/02/11/the-ux-canon-essential-reading-for-the-user-experience-designer/

But I think it is also time to add a another category. Working in a small
shop, on your own, or even in a startup allows a designer room to work in a
very pure structure. But the lions share of design work is in cross
discipline, multi influence structures where the 'designing' is not the
entirety of the job.

Reviewing student work is always a challenge for me. It's usually a bit
idealistic (and appropriately so). Students should reach for the stars and
do unreasonable things... stretching the notion of what is 'possible'. But I
always find myself wanting to tell them that the work they have executed as
'design' is only about a third of the job.

Laying the ground work... and presenting, selling and even politic'ing are
additional critical skills to seeing your design through. If your designs
aren't realized, they can do very little good... and it's a terrible waste
of no only the effort but the potential. Donald Reinertsen posits in
'Managing the design factory' that the unrealized design is probably the
single largest point of waste in any organization. I think I agree.

So... Maybe we need another category that includes those skills and tools.

I would suggest that Bill Buxton's 'Sketching the User Experience', for
instance talks a lot to those skill sets and might be better placed in this
category. I would also submitt that Roger Martin's 'designing the business'
is another... and 'managing the design factory' a third.

Any other suggestions?

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[IxDA Discuss] JOB: full time UXA roles: CHICAGO

2010-02-09 Thread mark schraad

I have some new positions opening up and wanted to get the word out beyond
interaction10


Mobile team:

I have three full time contract positions opening up in my group. These are
set to be 3 months but could be extended. I plan to hire these with the
intent to convert to full time employee. These are local to Chicago in the
downtown location. UXA's are an expanded role that combines information
architecture and interaction design focusing on the user interaction.
Prototyping and light front end dev skill are a plus but not required. We
are going to be working fast and iterating - looking to improve the mobile
user experience of our aps.

Marketplace team:

I am looking for a senior UXA (full time employee) that has B2B web or
software experience. We are building relatively complex applications that
are implemented on the web. This is not consumer facing.

For any of these email me directly if you have an interest and I can send
you links and detailed descriptions.

- Mark

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[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Manager User Experience - Research Lab, Chicago, Sears Holdings, Full Time

2010-02-04 Thread Mark FelcanSmith

Are you ready to help shape the future of retail? 

Sears Holdings is seeking an experienced Research Lab Manager. We are
the nation's fourth largest broadline, multichannel retailer. We have
established a design studio in downtown Chicago with a fully equipped
Usability Lab, which is located directly on top of our downtown
Chicago flagship brick and mortar store; 4 floors of customers
actively shopping at your ready!

You are creative, motivated, and able to excel in a fast-paced,
innovative environment. You will manage the research group, a part of
the broader UX practice, and work closely with multidisciplinary
teams, including user experience architects, product managers, visual
designers, and front-end developers to conduct research and support
development of features to be studied through surveys, card sorts,
task-based findability and goal-oriented studies, as well as rich
interactive prototype testing.

For more information, please review the full job description:
http://tinyurl.com/yjaqelm 

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[IxDA Discuss] JOB: User Experience Designer | South San Francisco, CA | Future US, Inc | Full-time

2010-02-04 Thread Mark Kramer

Do you want to lead user experience design on world-class video games,
technology, and music websites? Are you highly proficient at creating
wireframes and clickable prototypes using OmniGraffle, Balsamiq, or
Visio? Are you fanatical about making users love your sites and
driving product improvement?

Future US, Inc is seeking a User Experience Designer to develop and
lead user experience improvement programs across our portfolio of
websites including GamesRadar.com, MaximumPC.com, MacLife.com, and
GuitarWorld.com.

Position Responsibilities:

* Work with creative and product teams to create high quality user
experience and interfaces for complex applications and web sites.
* Create standard information architecture documentation including
wireframes, sitemaps, user flows, user scenarios, functional
specifications, navigation schemas, and clickable prototypes.
* Develop user personas, scenarios of use, task analysis, interaction
models, and experience briefs.
* Create mock-ups and functional prototypes.
* Plan and conduct usability evaluations and usability tests.
* Collaborate with team and clients to ensure that your great ideas
survive the development process.
* Ensure all user experience programs are measurable and tied to
analytics framework.


Position Requirements:

* 3+ years experience creating interfaces, large-scale websites, and
information architecture/interaction.
* Expert-level experience with diagramming and design tools such as
Visio, Balsamiq, or OmniGraffle, for generating wireframes and
behavior specifications.
* Excellent understanding and knowledge of user experience, web
design principles and methods.
* Proven experience designing complex, CMS-driven websites and web
applications.
* Understanding of the best practices for web-based information
architecture and interaction design.
* Expertise in usability and user research/testing methods
* Demonstrated experience measuring user experience program results
with Google Analytics or other Web analytics tools.
* Bachelor or Masters degree in Human/Computer Interaction, Human
Factors, Information Science, Library Science or related field.

Key Skills:

* Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously under tight
deadlines.
* Proven client management skills and experience working with
cross-functional teams.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* XHTML/CSS, JavaScript development skills.

To Apply:

* All applicants must supply examples of their work  please supply a
link to your online portfolio.
* Please apply here:
http://www.futureus.com/2010/02/03/user-experience-designer/

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] help text in input fields - bad?

2010-02-03 Thread Mark Waldo

Hi. We just tested a site for many issues including this one. The
participants needed to create a login and password for registration.
An email address was required for the login and this was explained in
the field. 

About 80% of our test subjects clicked in the field before reading
this nugget of information, thereby obliterating any hope for all but
one of getting any further along with the registration. We had one
savvy user on his third try guess that an email address might be
required based on his previous experience. 

As a result, this instructional text will be placed outside of the
field. 


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=48953



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] iPad.

2010-01-28 Thread Mark Schraad

everything is widescreen if you adjust the height (and put controls  
there).




Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 28, 2010, at 8:06 AM, James Page jamesp...@gmail.com wrote:

I think one issue is that it is not widescreen. If it about  
consuming media

shouldn't the device be wide screen for movies.

Is it a good user experiance watching a movie on a narrow screen?

Also I can not just plug in devices into the USB.

And there is the issue of DRM. Especially with apple controlling  
application
release which can take weeks. You can not role out a bug fix, or a  
improved

feature. Everybody is talking about continuous improvements as the way
forward. Apple place large block on this by thier approval basis.

James
http://blog.feralabs.com

2010/1/28 Will Evans w...@semanticfoundry.com

How often have you dropped your iPhone? I personally haven't, but  
have many
friends that have gone through 2, 3, even 4 - a drop from 4' is  
deadly.


I won't denigrate the feature set because I am not the intended  
audience.
For business travel, I need all my design apps and I need them  
multimodal,
not sovereign - and multitasking is a must. I also can't not have  
skype for
conference calls on the road - so it's not a replacement for my  
mbp: it
would just be another device that serves no purpose for which I  
already have
tools. For the intended audience, it may or may not be great - I  
have no
idea the personas this is designed and built for - but certainly  
not a

traveling ux practitioner.

Cheers,

~ will

Where you innovate, how you innovate,
and what you innovate are design problems


--- 
--- 
--- 
--- 


Will Evans | Director, Experience Design
tel: +1.617.281.1281 | w...@semanticfoundry.com
http://blog.semanticfoundry.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/semanticwill
aim: semanticwill
gtalk: semanticwill
twitter: semanticwill
skype: semanticwill

--- 
--- 
--- 
--- 




On Jan 28, 2010, at 7:59 AM, Jack Moffett wrote:



On Jan 27, 2010, at 7:08 PM, graham.s...@gmail.com wrote:

I assume the durability of it will be better tha the iPhone screen

especially as, like other laptops/netbooks it doesn't have a fold
down screen to protect it.



Graham,

I don't understand. The durability of the iPhone screen is superb.  
I've
been using iPhones (original and 3Gs) since its original release  
without any

kind of case or screen protector, and have not had a single scratch.

Jack


Jack L. Moffett
Senior Interaction Designer
inmedius
412.459.0310 x219
http://www.inmedius.com


You could design a process to catch
everything, but then you're overprocessing.
You kill creativity. You kill productivity.
By definition, a culture like ours that
drives innovation is managed chaos.

   -Alex Lee
President, OXO International




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Re: [IxDA Discuss] iPad.

2010-01-28 Thread mark schraad




 Basically I think it may be an awesome new form of computing, but have
 serious doubts that it's the ultimate e-book product.

 - Loren


This is at the core of my issue regarding the kindle, and why I don't have
one. I have little use for yet another dedicated device that I have to lug
around, charge and update software on. To the extend that I can purpose more
functionality in an equivalent manor to the device I already have, I am
happier. The dedicated device will typically have a more robust set of
features - and I would not expect the iPad to match with the kindle
one-to-one.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] iPad.

2010-01-28 Thread mark schraad

its also worth noting that while the market may be narrower than say an
iPhone or iPod, the OEM potential is huge.

On Wed, Jan 27, 2010 at 5:19 PM, Luke Wroblewski l...@lukew.com wrote:

 Since no one has brought it up yet... I'll go.

 Overall what was expected. The big innovation for me is all this stuff
 integrated in one simple package. Which is kind of being glossed over in the
 press. and the price point -very low.
 -liked the rebuilt apple apps. calendar  contacts are nicely rethought.
 lots of new ui in iwork.
 -the times demo is just the start of the kind of integrated media
 experiences you can build. my thoughts on that:
 http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?951
 -the cover is awesome design it supports swivel, tip, and protects
 -the $9 for numbers vs. $229 for excel is really interesting from a
 business perspective

 Notable hardware gaps (concerning cause no software update will fix)
 -camera
 -storage sizes 64GB for videos, photos, and music -does not cut it
 -usb port -it uses camera adaptors instead
 -GPS only on 3G model
 -how's it work with an iphone?

 Notable software gaps (can/will be addressed with software updates)
 -multiple iphone apps running at once
 -multiple users -how do you share the device at home?
 -doesn't run flash = many holes on web pages
 -no really new interactions -all iphone UI or the most part. but lots of
 the floating controls outlined here:
 http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?983

 your thoughts?



 ::
 ::Luke Wroblewski -[ www.lukew.com ]
 ::Principal/Founder, LukeW Ideation  Design
 ::l...@lukew.com  |  408.513.7207
 ::
 ::Blog: http://www.lukew.com/ff/
 ::New Book: http://www.lukew.com/resources/web_form_design.asp
 ::Book: http://www.lukew.com/resources/site_seeing.html
 ::



 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] iPad.

2010-01-27 Thread mark schraad

I think its pretty cool. The name is fine... however expected and  
undramatic.


As for the ap and iphone OS and interface working on a pc platform -  
we will have to play and watch as it grows and evolves. I do think we  
are seeing the next successful model of software distribution with the  
platform being the gateway and toll taker. Pretty smart in my  
estimation.


As soon as they are taking them I will place my order for a couple.  
The wife's macbook is about to die and she basically surfs the web,  
uploads photos and checks email. The ipad connected by wireless to my  
home network (with more storage available there) will work just great.  
I also anticipate her being able to play music on the stereo and a  
hundred other things from the couch.


I am personally not worried about flash at all.

Mark


On Jan 27, 2010, at 5:19 PM, Luke Wroblewski wrote:


Since no one has brought it up yet... I'll go.

Overall what was expected. The big innovation for me is all this  
stuff integrated in one simple package. Which is kind of being  
glossed over in the press. and the price point -very low.
-liked the rebuilt apple apps. calendar  contacts are nicely  
rethought. lots of new ui in iwork.
-the times demo is just the start of the kind of integrated media  
experiences you can build. my thoughts on that: http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?951

-the cover is awesome design it supports swivel, tip, and protects
-the $9 for numbers vs. $229 for excel is really interesting from a  
business perspective


Notable hardware gaps (concerning cause no software update will fix)
-camera
-storage sizes 64GB for videos, photos, and music -does not cut it
-usb port -it uses camera adaptors instead
-GPS only on 3G model
-how's it work with an iphone?

Notable software gaps (can/will be addressed with software updates)
-multiple iphone apps running at once
-multiple users -how do you share the device at home?
-doesn't run flash = many holes on web pages
-no really new interactions -all iphone UI or the most part. but  
lots of the floating controls outlined here:

http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?983

your thoughts?



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] JOB: User Experience Designer / Product Owner - Spil Games, Hilversum, The Netherlands

2010-01-22 Thread mark schraad

Kim... FANTASTIC job title!

On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 3:37 AM, kim van Poelgeest k...@bitnoir.com wrote:

 Tasks and Responsibilities:

 Whether it is discussing concepts or creating designs, SPIL GAMES
 offers abundant challenges for a strong specialist in the web design
 field, and we are seeking a candidate who is passionate about finding
 and implementing creative solutions. As User Experience Designer, you
 will be highly involved in the specification and design of our gaming
 sites. You will work with the Scrum teams and business owners to help
 create best-in-class gaming sites. Additionally, you will:

 •   Be a key member of a Scrum team who’s always available to answer
 questions and solve problems

 •   Make sure your Scrum team is constantly focused on the right
 priorities and product and sprint goals

 •   Control the Product Backlog: keeping it up to date and prioritized,
 looking at the constantly changing market and the wishes of the
 stakeholders

 •   Make sure decisions and prioritization of the Product Backlog are
 always transparent to the stakeholders

 •   Be responsible for translating a product into user stories with a
 clear “Definition of Done” story

 •   Be able to do incremental product releases, from necessities to
 comfort/luxury features

 •   Translate audience, technology, and other key product requirements
 into effective UI design solutions

 •   Keep up a working knowledge of UI design best practices, and
 communicate visual-design thinking based on sound user-experience and
 interaction-design principles

 •   Maintain superior knowledge of current web-design trends and
 techniques

 •   Create end-to-end user flows, interaction models, and feature and
 interface design

 •   Work in a team environment as well as independently to get the job
 done with minimal supervision while juggling a few projects at once


 Your Profile:

 •   5+ years’ experience working with software development teams
 •   3+ years’ experience in the Internet business
 •   3 to 5 years’ experience in a graphic- and web-design role
 •   Minimum HBO/bachelor’s education level
 •   Innovative, creative problem-solver with an eye for detail and
 skill for accuracy
 •   In-depth knowledge of UI design principles, human factors,
 user-centered design processes, interaction design guidelines,
 web-industry standards, and prototyping
 •   An eye for creative design, with the ability to also follow preset
 rules, templates, and/or branding
 •   Experience in creating the overall look and all graphic elements
 for commercial-quality websites
 •   Proven experience using design tools (Axure, Adobe) to digitalize
 business ideas/concepts
 •   Knowledge of XHTML, CSS, DHTML, W3C standards
 •   Knowledge of internationalization and accessibility design
 considerations
 •   Proficient in using MS Office applications
 •   Strong problem-solving and time-management skills
 •   Solid oral and written communication skills in English
 •   A friendly, positive attitude and a strong work ethic

 SPIL GAMES Offers:
 •   A competitive salary
 •   A good benefits package
 •   A chance to be part of a fast-growing, international company
 •   A motivating bonus system
 •   A fun and dynamic work environment


 Get in touch
 kim[-at-]kimvanpoelgeest.spilgames.net

 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Age vs Date of Birth in sign up form

2010-01-22 Thread mark schraad

birthdate and drivers license = all access... through in the social and it
gets even scarier

On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 4:23 AM, Jarrod Lombardo ixda@jarrod.spum.uswrote:

 Wow, I'm surprised by the number of people that consider birth date
 private information. Since one's birth date and much of one's
 address history is a matter of public record (in the US at least)
 there's basically ~0 risk in freely giving out your birth date.

 A text entry form that shows how to input the date (e.g. MM/DD/
 or -MM-DD) would work best, especially if you think you might
 have future contests where age matters.

 --1980-04-16


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Posted from the new ixda.org
 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=48490


 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] 1 Year Masters Course in Interaction Design

2010-01-19 Thread mark schraad


Hugh,

We have more than 30 IA's (we call them UXA's) in our group and close  
to 75% have graduate degrees in Interaction design, HCI or an MBA. It  
is not a critical criteria in our hiring process, but it's sure become  
the norm amongst those able to show ability, experience and knowledge.  
Does that help?


Mark



On Jan 19, 2010, at 10:31 AM, Hugh Griffith wrote:

Just to play devil's advocate, what's a masters degree in ID going  
to get
you other than a depleted bank account? (FYI, I'm assuming ID refers  
to web

interaction.)

It seems like such a specialized field that most employers wouldn't  
really

care.

Hugh Griffith
User Interface Designer


On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 5:28 AM, Rob Nero r...@nerointerfaces.com  
wrote:


Malmö, Sweden, has a 2 year Masters in IxD, along with PhD's in IxD  
too.


www.ixdmalmo.se
(though the site is currently being developed more)


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] 1 Year Masters Course in Interaction Design

2010-01-19 Thread mark schraad


Hugh,

I think part of the issue is where you come from. Very few of the IA/ 
Ixd's I have worked with have a background or undergrad in design.  
There are a lot reasons to move into the interactive field, and that  
often occurs after the undrgrad work and in fact after some real world  
eye opening work. That has been a very powerful and successful pattern  
in our field.


The GSSC as you called it is a sometimes slow moving, but very big  
stage to work on. It that floats your boat it is out there. There are  
also plenty of start ups and small shops, agencies and even academia.  
As with any purchase (and grad school should be handled as a very  
large purchase) you should evaluate what you get out of it both  
financially and otherwise. The demand is very hot for well trained and  
smart interaction folks that can land at a desk and be productive in a  
short time.


Like Dave M says in another message on this post... you can get a lot,  
if not all of this stuff working in the rights spot or company, but  
not as intense or as quickly - and without the paper.


Mark




On Jan 19, 2010, at 11:19 AM, Hugh Griffith wrote:

Good grief! That's a lot of IA's. I'd like to work somewhere there's  
even

one. :)

I'm thinking about this like a realist I suppose. (And that's  
probably not
even the right term I'm looking for!) That's a lot of time and money  
for
something that really isn't going to get you *that* far ahead. I  
understand
if you had your heart set on working at a GSSC (that's giant, soul  
sucking,
corporation for you folks at home), having that might elevate you  
above the
crowd a bit. But, for most I would think working and learning on  
your own
would be better in the short term, *and* still have the long term  
benefits.


Don't get me wrong, school is great. But, school usually means debt  
(for
most of us), and debt can really mess up your life and limit your  
career

options. Especially in this economy!

Anyhoo, best of luck whichever road they travel down.

Hugh Griffith
User Interface Designer


On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 9:51 AM, mark schraad mschr...@gmail.com  
wrote:



Hugh,

We have more than 30 IA's (we call them UXA's) in our group and  
close to
75% have graduate degrees in Interaction design, HCI or an MBA. It  
is not a
critical criteria in our hiring process, but it's sure become the  
norm
amongst those able to show ability, experience and knowledge. Does  
that

help?

Mark




On Jan 19, 2010, at 10:31 AM, Hugh Griffith wrote:

Just to play devil's advocate, what's a masters degree in ID going  
to get
you other than a depleted bank account? (FYI, I'm assuming ID  
refers to

web
interaction.)

It seems like such a specialized field that most employers  
wouldn't really

care.

Hugh Griffith
User Interface Designer


On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 5:28 AM, Rob Nero r...@nerointerfaces.com  
wrote:


Malmö, Sweden, has a 2 year Masters in IxD, along with PhD's in  
IxD too.


www.ixdmalmo.se
(though the site is currently being developed more)


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[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Web Design Project Lead, Atlanta GA, SBC Systems, Full Time

2010-01-13 Thread Mark Gilliland

Please respond to techcare...@sbcsystems.com.

Description:
We are currently looking for a full time Web Design Project Lead to join our
staff.

The individual to fulfill this position must be a self-assured independent
worker who
can clearly understand complex requirements and create great designs that
can be
implemented within project scope.  They may work on multiple projects
concurrently
requiring a high degree of organization skills, design skills and
creativity.

Responsibilities:

   - Report to VP of Engineering
   - Work with business analysts and application architects to create
   wireframes and visual designs from business use cases
   - Lead and coordinate all design related activities
   - Work with web development staff to facilitate implementation of designs
   - For larger projects we may outsource for additional design and creative
   resources.  This position will be responsible for recommending, selecting
   and managing any external resources that are required.
   - Assess current processes and recommend and implement new processes
   and practices to facilitate a high performing design and development team
   - Contributing to estimating efforts and to project planning


Required Experiences, Skills and Qualifications

   - 5+ years experience
   - Significant experience designing large complex web applications such as
   e-commerce or enterprise liofne-of-business applications
   - Proficiency in UX Design
   - Experience creating wireframes and visual comps from business use
   cases
   - Must be proficient in one or more industry standard graphic design
   tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator or Fireworks
   - Excellent interpersonal, communication and team facilitations skills
   - Passion for technology
   - Thorough knowledge of efficient web design processes and best
   practices
   - Exceptional ability to get things done well and on time


Beneficial Experiences and Skills

   - Experience with Agile development processes
   - Proficiency in HTML
   - Proficiency in CSS including creation of CSS-only layouts
   - Experience creating standards based web applications with full
   cross-browser capabilities
   - Any experience with Expression Studio, Silverlight or XAML is a bonus


Travel Required:
None

Education:
Preference given for bachelor’s degree in applicable creative or technical
field

Salary:
Commensurate with experience

Other:

   - Be prepared to show portfolio
   - Please no H-1B Visa representation

SBC Systems is a premier provider of Benefits Administration software
products to the enterprise.  Our are products are web-based and built with
cutting edge technology.

If you want to work on building great web applications with a small but
energized and motivated team then please email your resume to
techcare...@sbcsystems.com.  Local candidates only.  No phone calls please.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] [anthrodesign] Norman replies to Nussbaum

2010-01-03 Thread mark schraad

Analysis of history (such as Norman's essay) tells what approach has  
been used most frequently, but it fails to answer the implied question  
of 'what is the best approach?' Everett Rogers (diffusion of  
innovation) provides significantly more insight into what makes  
products successful. In an earlier writing Don got it right... it is  
form, function and fit. Technology... a business initiative... user  
needs, they all led to potentially successful products. MBA's and  
Engineers have been running businesses for the last 100 years. It is  
no real surprise that their domains have lead these product efforts.


As for disruption... I might suggest looking at Christensen's  
definition. It has more to do with taking advantage of established  
companies tendencies towards arrogance and complacency (my  
interpretation). Rooted in efforts to maximize profit in the short  
term... that arrogance typically leads to overestimating the profit a  
company can extract from the next transaction. Smart companies share  
the profit in each transaction with the purchaser in an attempt to  
build a long term relationship. The least costly customer to attain is  
the one you already have... and sustainable longer term revenue is the  
key to building a company. Focusing on the next reporting period  
typically leads to something along the lines of a mugging... which of  
course is not sustainable. Most disruptive efforts (as displayed by  
Christensen et al) undercut established company's pricing by stripping  
away features that are not desired by the consumer.


Mark



On Jan 1, 2010, at 9:54 PM, Ed H.Chi wrote:


Jared and others,

In case it wasn't clear, I believe argumentation about whether
needs or technology came first isn't a fruitful way forward.  More
importantly, we should examine what we mean by 'disruption'.

In my comments, I said:
Ultimately, the measuring stick that we ought to use is the amount
of impact each (tech vs. design) brings to the innovation process.
... It is much easier to think of major disruptions coming from the
technology side. ...  To wit, that's why it we call it a
disruption! It disrupts current ways of doing things. There is an
element of surprise in the disruption, suggesting that the need
might not have been there yet.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=48144



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[IxDA Discuss] are we an early indicator of economic recovery?

2009-12-18 Thread mark schraad

I've been watching the job announcements on this forum and there seems  
to be an uptick in the last couple of months.


My theory is that skill sets in high demand can be an early indicator  
of economic recovery. I am measuring this based upon salary and my  
perception of unemployment in amongst our profession. I honestly don't  
know to many Ixd's that are unemployed. Not very scientific... but  
that is what I am operating with and basing my hunch upon.


Just wondering your thoughts. Is there an increased demand for what we  
do in these recent months? Do you think that is an indicator of a  
better economy coming?


Mark

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] are we an early indicator of economic recovery?

2009-12-18 Thread mark schraad



On Dec 18, 2009, at 7:25 AM, Bill Barranco wrote:


Your industry segment is very, very small, however important you
people think you are,


not sure I am reading this the way it was intended... but not a  
particularly inviting request to apply.  Mark



but very very much on the front edge. I did not
really see any downturn in demand for people with your skills, not
compared to the 10%   unemployment nationally.

I am still seeking a creative, Senior Interaction Designer (no WEB
designers please) for working at one of the most stable and
progressive US corporations in the the South Eastern States.

See my web site for details, Job #1 at www.auto-vision.com



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] The Ahistoricity of Interaction Design

2009-12-14 Thread mark schraad

Adam I did not find your blog entry difficult to understand I found it  
cumbersome to get through.


Making information easily and accessible to a wider range of audience  
would seem an obvious approach someone in this business. We have not  
had the opportunity to have a verbal conversation so I wouldn't know  
how your writing reconciles. But I would grade any undergraduate paper  
(or above) with it's ability to communicate as secondary only to core  
content. [ http://tinyurl.com/ydqtcje ]


I'm not a critic and far from an expert in the written word, just a  
focus group of one offering an observation. But I am pretty sure I  
share many attributes of your intended audience.


mark


On Dec 13, 2009, at 1:38 PM, Adam Greenfield wrote:


Would I need an editor, if I intended these words to wind up in
print? Absolutely. But is my writing *inherently* arcane? No, it
isn't. It's about par for the kind of material any undergraduate
can expect to confront at any university worth the name, and if you
have a problem with that, mark schraad, then maybe you should
consider that the problem is yours and not mine.



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] The Ahistoricity of Interaction Design

2009-12-13 Thread mark schraad


well...

Stylistically... I wish I was that impressed with myself and my  
vocabulary. Serious attempts at hair splitting specificity throw  
roadblock in front of the reader. Plain speak please... that is if  
your intended audience is the broader section of designers... and not  
the intellectual elite.


With heavy influence from my mentor I use these four simple rules...

1) Read everything in the domain. Yes, there is a lot of crap and  
drivel written in the interactive space. Emerging and growing  
industries with high salaries will always attract folks using books to  
further their career. Use your passion and your wits to filter out the  
BS.


2) Do most of your reading outside of your domain. A wider selection  
of ideas is better... and most innovation is about slight variances  
and reapplication of existing theories. If you want to really make a  
difference in your domain, bring something fresh and applicable.


3) Have a life. The critical component to what we do is our insight  
into human nature. Machines are relatively predictable. I do not  
believe confining yourself to the studio for 70 - 90 hours a week is a  
recipe for excellence.


4) Find your own voice. Have a passionate point of view. Know what you  
think. You don't have to write about it... frankly, you might be  
better off not writing about it. This has huge implications for number  
1.


There are a tremendous number of bright folks in our industry. When I  
talk to those doing the work I find that the people with the most  
insight apparently don't feel the need to express it in a blog or a  
book. I love working with smart passionate people.


Mark

ps... I did not miss the article's point, just picked the portion that  
was of interest to me.


Trust me, I’m not trying to pat myself on the back for some notional  
superior acuity.




On Dec 13, 2009, at 10:51 AM, Dan Saffer wrote:


What do we think about Adam Greenfield's challenge to us?

The ahistoricity of interaction design – the notion, implicitly  
held or otherwise, that rich interactivity is an entirely new topic  
in design for human experience, perhaps with the Doug Engelbart demo  
as Year Zero – has always driven me nuts. When even an old-school  
HCI stalwart like Don Norman fails to deliver useful insight,  
perhaps it’s time to start looking further afield for inspiration.


Let’s face it: brighter and more sensitive people than us have been  
thinking about issues like public versus private realms, or which  
elements of a system are hard to reconfigure and which more open to  
user specification, for many hundreds of years. Medieval Islamic  
urbanism, for example, had some notions about how to demarcate  
transitional spaces between public and fully private that might  
still usefully inform the design of digital applications and  
services. By contrast, the level of sophistication with which those  
of us engaged in such design generally handle these issues is  
risible (and here I’m pointing a finger at just about the entire UX  
“community” and the technology industry that supports it).


A bookshelf that runs no deeper than John Maeda, in other words,  
isn’t going to get you very far, or help you in the true crunch, and  
nothing makes me sadder than coming across someone engaged in the  
design of user experiences whose blogroll or Twitter follow list  
extends no further than the usual UX names...my feeling is that  
there are better and deeper sources of insight available if you dig  
a little in the history of adjacent design disciplines.


You can learn to do a decent card sort (excuse me: “content affinity  
analysis”) in ten minutes, and work competently with Arduino in a  
good solid month of effort, but if you’re genuinely concerned with  
improving the quality of interactive experience, I believe you owe  
it both to yourself and to the people downstream from you who’ll be  
using the things you make to gain a richer acquaintance with the  
thought of other, older design traditions.



Read the whole article: http://speedbird.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/dimensions-of-design/ 






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Re: [IxDA Discuss] The Ahistoricity of Interaction Design: Tangent to: Where we fail as a profession

2009-12-13 Thread mark schraad

Dave, I fundamentally disagree with what I read as the underlying  
premiss of this statement.


On Dec 13, 2009, at 9:45 AM, dave malouf wrote:


Just look who is writing our books today (and no
offense to any of them, as I have deep respect): Both Kolko and
Saffer who I feel have made the best attempts to bring a solid
literature to IxD are less than 20yr. veterans at that. The work of
Buxton and Moggridge in the last period are good contributions, but
are purposeful in their sphere.


Where design and more specifically, interaction design, is failing  
right now is not in the actual design work, but in it's acceptance by  
those in place to actualize it. To that end, Moggridge and Buxton are  
addressing the real pain points of our profession. There are better  
designers, with higher profile, in the important areas of work than  
ever before. At both the tactical and strategic level we are not  
lacking for talent. Yet our work is often failing to reach both the  
end results and those waiting to use them.


We fail at getting the attention of those pushing the ideas to the  
largest segments of the market. We fail at garnering the respect and  
credibility of those making the critical design decisions. We fail at  
selling ourselves and our work. We need to listen to Bill Buxton when  
he tells us that we should be spending a third of our time designing  
and a two thirds of our time laying the ground work to sell our ideas  
at the business decision level.


Roger Martin's recent (Designing Business) book is a continuation of  
his efforts to expose the incompatibilities of design and business  
cultures, of reliable vs valid, of innovating vs remaining safe. His  
insights are important, yet few designers have bothered to embrace  
them. Similar to Buxton's points, Tichy and Bennis (Judgement: How  
winning... ) speak to the critical point of 'x or y choices' as being  
a small portion of the work. They posit that laying the foundation for  
that choice, as well as the post decision actions are critical and  
possibly more important to success.


I realize that most of us don't enter design school with the hopes of  
executive encounters and the metric driven VP. But those are our  
hurdles, and if we want out work to make a difference we must accept  
those barriers as valid design constraints. We have to move outside of  
our comfy studio and do the more difficult work as well.


My larger point here is that as a profession we need to move beyond  
teaching and honing tactical and studio skills. At this juncture these  
are mere table stakes. Tactical 'how too' books, prescriptive recipes,  
and case studies are fine, but are very limited in furthering of our  
profession. This is a critical message that design educators, in  
particular,  must hear and act upon. All the creation and problem  
solving skills are worth very little if we can not move that work into  
a place of utility.


Mark

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Search interface design and usability

2009-12-08 Thread mark schraad

pick up a copy of peter morville's Ambient Findability  ... it's a quick
read chocked full of great information.

*
http://www.amazon.com/Ambient-Findability-Peter-Morville/dp/0596007655/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1260223795sr=8-1
*
On Mon, Dec 7, 2009 at 11:48 PM, Sam McLeod he...@kitcreative.co.uk wrote:

 I have to do a presentation (at very short notice for a job interview)
 on improvements to a search interface for clinical data. Does anybody
 know of any useful resources that focus on the design and usability
 of search interfaces. Thanks
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Dustin Curtis, UX Design, and American Airlines

2009-11-24 Thread mark schraad

I think there is a constructive string worth pursuing here. Many many many
designers (ux, ixd, ai, whatever) operate within large organizations, and
many do it with a chip on their shoulder. And while counter productive, to
some extent, when no one in that organization is listening, who can blame
them. Design is across the board deserving of respect beyond tactical
execution. Design as a strategy, and design as a profession are under
utilized in large organizations.

For the responder, he merely picked the wrong venue for his venting and
exposition. A public blog has enormous SEO potential that is bound to
attract the attention of corporate PR watchdogs. Unfortunately this venue
has much the same visibility. I have been (personally) criticized for
exposing too much in a relatively frank discussion of conditions very
similar to this one. I would like to think there this could be a place share
those frustrations and a resource for finding ways to deal with these
problems. But this is the interweb... and everyone can come in the door.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Dustin Curtis, UX Design, and American Airlines

2009-11-24 Thread mark schraad

One of the most painful adjustments I see in designers (and myself as well)
is that when you move to a giant company and giant projects... change is
often slow and the impact of your work is smaller. When you get 25 people on
a design decision committee... the outcomes are often aggregate. While this
can be disappointing, it is a mechanism that provides stability (read slow
change).

As important as a decision to work in design or ux as opposed to product  or
some other area is, the decision to work in a large corporation vs a start
up or an agency is critical and should be thought out carefully.

Mark



On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 10:56 AM, Christian Crumlish x...@pobox.com wrote:



 On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 8:23 AM, mark schraad mschr...@gmail.com wrote:

 I think there is a constructive string worth pursuing here. Many many many
 designers (ux, ixd, ai, whatever) operate within large organizations, and
 many do it with a chip on their shoulder.


 True. You see this with editorial a lot too. You also see it with
 paralegals. In fact, I think in any context in which one's job isn't the
 core profession for a business you probably see this. Staff at universities,
 etc.

 -x-

 --
 Christian Crumlish

 MY NEW BOOK: Designing Social Interfaces.
 http://designingsocialinterfaces.com
 Get It. Read It. Love It. Review it. on Amazon:
 http://www.amazon.com/dp/0596154925/


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Should an e-commerce design agency test the usability of its own designs?

2009-11-10 Thread mark schraad

I think there is great benefit to having an independent (person or  
group) do the testing of a design. I also think  there is benefit to  
having product managers generate the use cases designers work to  
solve for. Additionally, having the back end development team do the  
QA is troublesome.


Some level of self fulfilling prophesy is likely to find its way in.  
Isn't that why we go to someone else for things as simple as prof  
reading? What I don't think, is that it is necessarily cause for  
inditement. They may very well have had separate staff do the  
testing. If you understand how agencies work, then you know that it  
is very much about billables... and with that you must have  
deliverables. It is very rare for an agency to recommend another  
group in that situation.


Mark


On Nov 9, 2009, at 11:35 AM, Paul Bryan wrote:


Recently I was on an e-commerce strategy project. I received a
usability test report that the previous agency had produced after
testing their own design work. I went back to the source tapes and
there seemed to be a dramatic difference between the level of
problems users were having in the sessions, and the resulting report.


I know it's convenient for e-commerce site owners to get an
integrated package, esp. when large MSA's are in place. And trying
to keep ahead of Agile cycles puts strain on the schedule and number
of partners. But I'm just wondering if readers of this list feel
like there is an inherent conflict of interest, or if testing is
viewed as a normal component of a design partner relationship.

Paul Bryan
Usography (http://www.usography.com)
Blog: Virtual Floorspace (http://www.virtualfloorspace.com)
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/uxexperts




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[IxDA Discuss] office interface presentation

2009-11-04 Thread mark schraad

A while back there was a link posted for a presentation. The director of UX
for microsoft office was showing the various iterations that the UI went
through and it was captured on video. I've lost the bookmark and wondered if
anyone else had it, or remembered where the video is posted.

Much thanks!

Mark

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[IxDA Discuss] new book alert

2009-10-29 Thread mark schraad

I picked up Roger Martin's new book just as it was released last
week. I am only 65 pages in (about a third) but it is already one of
the most insightful books I have read in recent years.

It speaks to understanding why designers scare the hell out of
business folks. Yes.. it is sort of a business book, but most
designers need more of this and will benefit in a big way. Yes, at
its core is the design thinking thing... but I'm pretty convinced
that most folks up in arms about design thinking don't really
understand what it is.

If you work in a corporation or do work for a corporation that
involves product development and product managers this will be a
helpful and thought provoking read.

I am finding myself reading it in chinks of 5 pages... and reading it
multiple times. It is very conceptually information dense.

Would love to know what others here think.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] new book alert

2009-10-29 Thread mark schraad

I guess the title would help... the Design of Business

here is a link:

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Business-Thinking-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1422177807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1256837556sr=8-1

On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 5:09 AM, mark schraad mschr...@gmail.com wrote:

I picked up Roger Martin's new book just as it was released last
week. I am only 65 pages in (about a third) but it is already one of
the most insightful books I have read in recent years.

It speaks to understanding why designers scare the hell out of
business folks. Yes.. it is sort of a business book, but most
designers need more of this and will benefit in a big way. Yes, at
its core is the design thinking thing... but I'm pretty convinced
that most folks up in arms about design thinking don't really
understand what it is.

If you work in a corporation or do work for a corporation that
involves product development and product managers this will be a
helpful and thought provoking read.

I am finding myself reading it in chinks of 5 pages... and reading it
multiple times. It is very conceptually information dense.

Would love to know what others here think.

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Wheels as user interface mechanisms

2009-10-09 Thread Mark Young

Rotation gizmos in 3D tools like 3ds max, Maya, etc. have wheel-like
interactions. The visual interface is a virtual trackball with a
circle around each of the principle axes - you drag along the circle
to rotate the selection around the corresponding axis. Since you
don't need to drag exactly along the circle once you start dragging
it feels to me a bit like turning a crank with a stretchy handle.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=46499



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Outsourced sketch wireframe service?

2009-10-08 Thread mark schraad

I have seriously thought about hiring a staff of pure wire framers.  
Sort of how I envision drafters or the folks that run autocad at  
large architecture firms. Except that we often have so many  
conditions, I need the designer that thought through and designed  
them to detail them as well. I also think part of the magic or art is  
knowing how best to communicate the interactions to the FED's and  
back end folks.


Mark



On Oct 7, 2009, at 1:02 PM, Adrian Severynen wrote:


Anyone know of any outsourced sketch to wireframe services? I'd love
to be able to send my rough sketches somewhere and have a nice
InDesign wireframe come back.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Defining a UX vision

2009-10-06 Thread mark schraad

The Harvard Business Review has a couple of excellent papers on building
elevator pitches.
Or you could use this if you are in a hurry:
http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/pitch/

Mark

On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 10:26 AM, Peter Merholz pete...@peterme.com wrote:

Henning Fischer, design strategist at Adaptive Path, was interviewed about
developing a mission statement and discusses a tool we use frequently at
Adaptive Path, the mad-lib like elevator pitch. It's a place I begin when
crafting a vision statement.

http://www.redesign.creativecomponent.com/podcast-interview-with-henning-fischer-developing-a-mission-statement/

I'm also partial to experience principles as a way of articulating a UX
vision. We posted a detailed explanation of our work with http://smart.fm/,
including experience design principles we developed for them:
http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/2009/07/22/smartfm-goals/

When defining a UX vision, take to heart the suggestions in the book MADE
TO STICK, about how ideas are made sticky. Too often UX visions are abstract
and formless.

As part of making the vision concrete, it's important to get away from
words and towards pictures and other more concrete means of expression. We
typically create a vision prototype to embody the vision and principles,
to make tangible the strategy.

--peter

On Oct 3, 2009, at 3:40 PM, Jim Leftwich wrote:

Here's a link to a .pdf of Design Vision: A Conversation About The
Role Of Design Leadership, which is the dialog between Luke
Wroblewski (http://www.lukew.com), Bob Baxely
(http://www.baxleydesign.com/), Dirk Knemeyer (http://knemeyer.com/),
and myself (http://www.orbitnet.com), all veteran Interaction
Designers with experience spanning a wide variety of software,
products, and systems. We discuss many aspects of how vision and
design leadership have played out in our careers, some of which have
been more than 25 years long.

http://www.lukew.com/resources/articles/DesignVision.pdf

Our dialog is practiioner informed and aimed. It reflects the many
issues we've encountered, llessons we've earned, and insights
we've come to understand over our lengthy and varied practitioner,
management, and business careers in the field of Interaction Design.

The dialog doesn't particularly boil the complexity of Design,
Design Vision, and Design Leadership down to simple statements, but
provides a comprehensive overview from our experiences and
perspectives.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=46323

Re: [IxDA Discuss] Book: Thoughts on Interaction Design

2009-10-04 Thread mark schraad

I totally agree. Jon routinely takes on difficult and thoughtful  
topics that most all other design authors sidestep or avoid. Very  
good stuff and worth the time to read it.


Mark


On Oct 4, 2009, at 1:09 PM, Charles B. Kreitzberg wrote:


Hi:

I picked up a copy of this book at the first IxDA conference  
bookstore and
found it a really useful introduction to the field. If you are  
looking for a
comprehensive introduction or a way to explain IxD to someone  
outside the
field, I would recommend Jon's book. It's short, focused and  
thoughtful.


Best,

Charlie


Charles B. Kreitzberg, Ph.D.
CEO, Cognetics Corporation


-Original Message-
From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf  
Of Jon

Kolko
Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2009 5:33 PM
To: disc...@ixda.org
Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Book: Thoughts on Interaction Design

Hi,

Just wanted to let ya'all know that my book, Thoughts on Interaction
Design, has been re-released through Morgan Kaufmann and is available
on Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/Thoughts-Interaction-Design-Jon-Kolko/dp/ 
012378624X/re

f=ed_oe_p
- I hope you find it useful and relevant!

The table of contents includes:

==

In Chapter One (Multiple Roots, and an Uncertain Future), the
historic roots of this field are described, and the relationship
between engineering and business is explored. Additionally, the
future is painted as an unknown field of potential for this field, as
the study of human behavior has become of a primary interest to the
worlds of business and marketing in recent years.

Chapter Two (Computing and Human Computer Interaction) describes how
Human Computer Interaction arose as a field advocating for usability
and efficiency. This is paralleled by a similar growth in the field
of Industrial Design, with emphasis placed on human factors and
anthropometrics. Both fields have evolved as user-centered
professions, laying the groundwork for the field of Interaction
Design (which, as practiced presently, seems to combine both physical
and digital design into artifacts, services or systems).

Section One is concluded with a contributed article by Chris Connors,
entitled Interaction Design in an Engineering Centric World.

Chapter Three (A Process for Thinking About People) discusses the
procedural focus of Interaction Design as it pertains to designing
what people want and need. The role of intuition is examined as
compared to the necessity for ethnographic user research.

Chapter Four (Managing Complexity) examines the role technology plays
in the development of Interaction Design solutions, with attention
placed on the relatively new subfield of Information Architecture as
applied to the design of technology-driven products.

Chapter Five (Shaping Aesthetics to Inform Experience) investigates
the role aesthetics play in the development of Interaction Design
solutions, specifically with regard to brand and identity.

Section Two is concluded with a contributed article by Justin Petro,
entitled Interaction Design as Business Lubricant.

In Chapter Six (Language and Interaction), the role of language is
examined as it relates to the design of objects, services and
systems. Traditional views of design as dialogue are extended to
investigate the role of a poetic interaction - and how designers can
begin to view their creations in terms of dialogue, words and
argument.

Section Three ends with a contributed article by Uday Gajendar,
entitled On the Nature of Interaction as Language.

In Chapter Seven (The Political Dynamics of Product Development),
discusses the nature of working in integrated and interdisciplinary
product teams, especially given the ambiguous nature of the word
Design.

Section Four ends with a contributed article by Ellen Beldner,
entitled Getting Design Done.

==

Jon Kolko

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Article on Number of Usability Test Participants

2009-10-02 Thread mark schraad


I am dumbfounded... wow.


On Oct 2, 2009, at 12:42 PM, Thomas Petersen wrote:


I really don't in general see the usage of testing during the design
process.



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[IxDA Discuss] [JOB] Principal UxA – Chica go, FTE only.

2009-10-01 Thread mark schraad

I am looking for a seasoned Use Experience Architect that has worked in
ecommerce for at least five years. This role requires extensive knowledge of
cart and checkout and experience with POS and back end payment technologies.
Specifically, understanding both the non-technical (cultural) as well as the
technical constraints of cross-domain and cross brand cart and check out is
critical. If you have been a lead or senior, and are looking for a place
demonstrate leadership and push the boundaries, this may be your next
opportunity.

Thanks Mark



Resume, examples, publications and cover letter to: mark (dot) Schraad (at)
searshs (dot) com



Full description of the principle role below:



*Sears Holdings Corporation*

*Principal User Experience Architect*



You’re a pro who checks your ego at the door and designs world-class,
consumer-driven user experiences. In fact, everything you do is completely
focused on making the user experience easier, more relevant and rich. Some
may call that obsessive, but you don’t know any other way to work, think or
act.



As a principal on the team, you will lead by example, mentor colleagues, and
draw upon your proven leadership, collaboration and facilitation skills to
lead design solution development. To do so, you will stay on top of industry
best practices and not only absorb knowledge, but be a thought leader in
your own right. You share your research, findings, analysis, and facilitate
communication/collaboration sessions with all sorts of partners and
stakeholders – notably Merchants, Project Management, IT, and Product
Management. Most importantly, you will establish the Sears Holdings
portfolio of online properties as the preferred destination for our
customers. These include: sears.com, kmart.com, mysears.com, mykmart.com,
managemyhome.com, and sears2go  kmart2go mobile apps.



You will also help define design patterns and components and ensure
compliance and consistent application across projects. And you’ll continue
to publish and present material related to design thinking, UX best
practices, methods and processes.

* *

*Requirements:*

•10 years of experience in interface design, usability training; minimum 3
years in E-Commerce

•Must be market and customer insight driven

•Follow retail industry trends and provide analysis to team

Rich Media

Community

Social Commerce

Cross-Channel Experiences

•Understand and leverage

Business drivers

Cognitive processes

Experimental design

Rapid prototyping

Quantitative methods

Task analysis methods

Observational techniques

Usability testing

User interfaces

HCI standards  guidelines



*Skills:*

•Build, cultivate, and maintain long-term relationships. Manage client
expectations.

•Translate business and technical requirements into rich engaging customer
experiences.

• Focus on developing tactical solutions and design systems.

•Strong technical background.

•Advanced knowledge of design  research tools, including Visio.

•Familiar with creative/FED (front-end development) tools  constraints
regarding presentation layers.

•Strong communication skills (both verbal and written).

• Meet or exceed client expectations consistent with business priorities.

•Establish a course of action for self  others to accomplish specific
goals.

•Collaborate with others to accomplish goals/objectives.

•Build/maintain constructive partnerships with UX, Business and IT.

•Identify problems and pro-actively develop effective solutions.

•Gladly take on multiple projects, and multi-component programs.

•Expresses ideas precisely, persuasively and effectively; listen to and
engages productively with team.

•Able to negotiate design trade-offs and support design rationale.

•Must be able to produce, and take the lead, when it comes to dynamic,
effective presentations.



Expect to thoughtfully present your portfolio of work and evidence of deep
knowledge in interactive projects focusing on developing tactical solutions
and larger design systems.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] [JOB] Principal UxA %u2013 Chicago, FTE only.

2009-10-01 Thread mark schraad

correction: was typing on the train... 

mark (dot) schraad (at) searshc (dot) com


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=46261



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Toward a search dominant wayfinding paradigm (worth it?)

2009-09-29 Thread mark schraad

On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 1:59 PM, Andrew Hinton inkbl...@gmail.com wrote:


 In fact, Search, done well, is essentially dynamic, custom browsing.



That in it's self is rendering 'sense of place' as a less than effective a
metaphor.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Unusable things

2009-09-28 Thread mark schraad

I want all of it. The good, the bad, the lame, the arrogant, simple minded,
the pedantic, the long winded and the short snarkiness. This forum is about
throwing your views out there. There are some week, some months even that I
don't have time to respond to anything... other days I have a (seemingly
valuable in my own mind anyway) take on every topic. It's a forum for
discussion for God's sake... speak and be heard. Even if your idea or your
take gets ripped to shreds... you'll have shared your thoughts and likely
learned something. Odds are someone else has as well. Approach this list
like a video game addict - where in every single game you get defeated...
but come back for another game. I have the option to read or not - to reply
or not. I can choose full messages or dailies or nothing. Bring it and bring
it all.
Mark



On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 5:27 AM, John Gibbard j...@smorgasbord-design.co.uk
 wrote:

 I used to use pictures of 'real life interaction design' in my
 presentations to clients and colleagues to explain what it is I do.
 I've always used analogies to explain things and showing something
 broken/unusable is great. But, in order to put a positive spin on
 things when problems have been solved by design in the real world
 I've been tracking some of the 'IA around us' (
 http://thisisia.tumblr.com/ ) feel free to contribute.


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Posted from the new ixda.org
 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=46113


 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Unusable things

2009-09-28 Thread mark schraad

my bad... this posted to the wrong conversation.

On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 1:50 PM, mark schraad mschr...@gmail.com wrote:

 I want all of it. The good, the bad, the lame, the arrogant, simple minded,
 the pedantic, the long winded and the short snarkiness. This forum is about
 throwing your views out there. There are some week, some months even that I
 don't have time to respond to anything... other days I have a (seemingly
 valuable in my own mind anyway) take on every topic. It's a forum for
 discussion for God's sake... speak and be heard. Even if your idea or your
 take gets ripped to shreds... you'll have shared your thoughts and likely
 learned something. Odds are someone else has as well. Approach this list
 like a video game addict - where in every single game you get defeated...
 but come back for another game. I have the option to read or not - to reply
 or not. I can choose full messages or dailies or nothing. Bring it and bring
 it all.
 Mark



 On Mon, Sep 28, 2009 at 5:27 AM, John Gibbard 
 j...@smorgasbord-design.co.uk wrote:

 I used to use pictures of 'real life interaction design' in my
 presentations to clients and colleagues to explain what it is I do.
 I've always used analogies to explain things and showing something
 broken/unusable is great. But, in order to put a positive spin on
 things when problems have been solved by design in the real world
 I've been tracking some of the 'IA around us' (
 http://thisisia.tumblr.com/ ) feel free to contribute.


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Posted from the new ixda.org
 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=46113


 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Plurality of Voice

2009-09-28 Thread mark schraad

I want all of it. The good, the bad, the lame, the arrogant, simple minded,
the pedantic, the long winded and the short snarkiness. This forum is about
throwing your views out there. There are some week, some months even that I
don't have time to respond to anything... other days I have a (seemingly
valuable in my own mind anyway) take on every topic. It's a forum for
discussion for God's sake... speak and be heard. Even if your idea or your
take gets ripped to shreds... you'll have shared your thoughts and likely
learned something. Odds are someone else has as well. Approach this list
like a video game addict - where in every single game you get defeated...
but come back for another game. I have the option to read or not - to reply
or not. I can choose full messages or dailies or nothing. Bring it and bring
it all.
Mark



On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 3:08 AM, Bobert Bobowsky
bobertbobow...@gmail.comwrote:

 A lot students pass the duty to professional writers because they
 don't have the talent to write a respectable paper about plurality
 of voice in order that the reason why customers need to use
 plagiarism checking, but such people like creator don't do that.
 Thank you very much for the information






 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45693


 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Toward a search dominant wayfinding paradigm (worthit?)

2009-09-24 Thread mark schraad

As a somewhat interesting tangent... when I was working in portal world we
introduced vertical or channel specific search. As almost an after thought
we included sponsored links. The revenue stream turn out to be wildly beyond
our expectations. Were we new to the indexing process... and as we got
better at it (better search results for the user) our gsl revenue declined.
It made for interesting conversations between the revenue folks and the UX
folks.
Mark



On Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 7:14 AM, Bryan Minihan bjmini...@gmail.com wrote:

 This may just be my bias after designing both search and taxonomy
 systems for a few really big companies, but I doubt that searching is
 actually replacing browsing.  Rather, it seems that search technology
 has improved such that searching is finding its proper niche in the
 user experience.

 While researching critical usability issues for a large corporate
 search engine, the pareto showed MAKE IT FIND THINGS! went off
 the charts, in comparison to every other issue or feature we could
 address or add.

 While building the corporate business unit taxonomy for the same
 company, we learned very quickly that no one would bother going
 further than 3 levels deep into the tree, without searching, which
 encompassed a whopping 10% of the total company hierarchy.  We
 designed and built that, left the rest to searching, and achieved the
 best of both worlds, IMHO.

 With a decent search engine, it's nice not to have to cram every
 single site destination in one global nav system.  Conversely, with a
 simple taxonomy that covers the hard to finds, you don't need to
 completely re-engineer your search engine to bring up the founder's
 biography every time you search for about us.


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45983


 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] nice read: On Apple's connection with the consumer

2009-09-22 Thread mark schraad

On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 11:57 AM, Jack Moffett jackmoff...@mac.com wrote:


 Exactly! I've spent my entire career (so far) working on such problems.
 There is a big difference between designing for the general populace
 (consumer products and the majority of web services) and designing for a
 specific domain. I think that missing this distinction is in part what
 drives those debates over the usefulness of UCD. This is, in fact, the
 context for my submission to Interaction 10 (comments welcome:
 http://bit.ly/17rUlf ).


It is also one a principal renders personae of little use to some of us.
When you have 30 million uniques a day... its a little hard to capture
useful specificity. What am I going to do with 50 personas? And five won't
work either.

Mark

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Shop or Buy?

2009-09-22 Thread mark schraad

Shop and buy are two different, but connected activities. (I realize that
does not answer your questions, but it is important as you move towards your
decision).
Mark

On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 7:18 AM, Sachin Ghodke sachyn.gho...@gmail.comwrote:

 What is the appropriate button to use on the product detail page when
 the website navigation asks the user to either Shop or Buy?

 Of course, can we get a little more interesting and personal? For
 example: instead of Shop or Buy can we use buttons that say - 'Go
 and Pamper' (for a gifts e-commerce website) or 'Educate Yourself'
 (while buying education books) or 'Push Limits' (while e-shopping
 for BASE jumping equipment). Maybe there are smaller phrases or terms
 we can use but you get the drift of what I am asking.

 What I am trying to say here is that why can't we portray these user
 actions on a more personal level? Making web personal?
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How trendy is UCD? Are we critical enough about it?

2009-09-13 Thread Mark Schraad

user centered does not mean the designer only considers the user to  
the exclusion of all other concerns... and it never has.


consider this... which is the larger struggle for the typical  
designer... not considering the user, or only considering the user. I  
rarely see the later. why fight THAT battle?






Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 13, 2009, at 9:50 AM, Dave Malouf dave@gmail.com wrote:


Wait, if you are considering other perspectives in your design,
doesn't that mean that the centeredness part is not there any more?

BTW, I think that if you are not thinking bigger than product touch
points, you are probably not going to be doing a really good job
regardless of scale.

And again, I don't know how many times I have to say this. observing
users to gain insights and empathy is as important as ever!!!

-- dave


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How trendy is UCD? Are we critical enough about it?

2009-09-12 Thread mark schraad


Here is a case study available at the DMI site:

http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/publications/casestudy/ 
fullabstract_dmicase.jsp?itemID=DMC9994025


I have to admit I have not read it. But I have absolutely no interest  
or use for tightly wound process... even if they are user centered.


Again, for the most part when folks talk about 'user centered', even  
if they do say UCD, they are more often talking more about a  
philosophy that puts the user's need first in product development.  
And, not at the exclusion of the business' needs or the technical  
capabilities and requirements.


If you are a contract design firm, its pretty easy to get distracted  
from the true values and forces that lead to successful innovation  
and focus on your customer's needs. After all you're in business for  
yourself, and few very firms have the chops to arrange fees based  
upon ROI or the long term sustainable success of the product they  
helped to develop.


Mark


On Sep 10, 2009, at 8:02 AM, dave malouf wrote:



It all prompted me to ask on my blog show me a major success
(Apple-like success) that was based on UCD. No answers yet. ;-)

http://davemalouf.com/?p=1694

-- dave



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] profit centered design

2009-08-31 Thread Mark Schraad

maybe they are 'drinking the kool-ade' because they are happy, well  
served customers. How sinister and evil is that?


Mark

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 31, 2009, at 1:20 PM, Charles Boyung charles.boy...@nexustechnologiesllc.com 
 wrote:



I think you just about hit the nail on the head here.  Apple really
does not care about what users may or may want.  They never really
have.  Apple depends on their following to do everything for them,
and telling outright lies in the marketing that they do do.

Most Apple consumers are so completely out of touch with what they
are buying, they would never think twice about upgrading their iPhone
instead of replacing the battery like you wanted to do.  That's why
they don't offer any sort of battery replacement on the iPhone.  Why
try to make a $10 profit on a battery replacement when they can make a
$100  profit on a new iPhone?  There are probably more people that are
just going to take that second option rather than do what you did and
look for third-party solutions just because they don't know any
better and trust Apple because they think that they are the good
guys.

On top of that, just look how many people upgraded to the newest
iPhone at full price when their existing phones were still perfectly
good.  When you've got people drinking the Kool-Aid like Apple does,
you're bound to take advantage of it as long as you canl.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] profit centered design

2009-08-31 Thread mark schraad


funniest post of the day... just awesome.

I concur with your division of satisfaction. I be an outlaw as a result.

Mark


On Aug 31, 2009, at 5:46 PM, Scott McDaniel wrote:

On Mon, Aug 31, 2009 at 6:30 PM, Mark Schraad mschr...@gmail.com  
wrote:
maybe they are 'drinking the kool-ade' because they are happy, well  
served customers. How sinister and evil is that?


Mark

Sent from my iPhone

We're onto your game, Mr. Sent from my iPhone!

Seriously, though - there was an article in Wired, of all places  
(which means...not some super secret industry journal, it's  
practically People magazine for nerds), talking about how Apple's  
approach to design was somewhat black mystery box, and it's a  
horribly false binary to insist that because, say, they don't care  
about users in the entirety because some of their approach involves  
whatever disparaging term we use to describe non-UCD these days.   
There are different approaches to everything, including design -  
somewhat in the vein of how the term Best Practices doesn't mean  
Only Practices.


Mmm Kool-aid,
Scott

p.s. My user testing group of me and my cat gives the iPhone 3g a  
consistent 45% satisfaction rating, as I experience outright  
delight and glee at the ability to do what I want, minus points  
mostly that can be lain at the feet of ATT.  My cat doesn't  
express any interest in the innovative UI because it's not made of  
tuna.





--
You always have the carny connection. - Clair High



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] UCD vs Design Again? Really?!? [was: We don't blah blah blah]

2009-08-30 Thread mark schraad

Todd makes a great point. The inclusion of the user is really an
afterthought in any Agile discussions I've witnessed or been a part
of. I understand that Jeff Patton (amongst others) has been moving in
this direction, but I am unsure just how far and how successfully.

It's important to differentiate from a language point of view. When
they speak of the customer in the Agile world, they don't always
seem to mean the 'user'.

Lastly, when those objecting to UCD launch into a conversation, they
seem to narrow the scope of UCD to a specific process. I would put
forth that most people advocating UCD are no longer talking about a
specific or narrowly defined process. In fact they are not talking
about a process at all. What they are talking about is a general
philosophy where by the user, is the central focus of the design
work. Not the technology, and not the business goals - those come
later or are secondary. It's centered around the user because
filling a need or want in the market place... and matching the
solution to that need is core to the product's success in the
marketplace. 

If you believe that the user or the consumer is not core to
everything being worked on at Apple you are absolutely out of your
mind. 

Yes, there are distribution channels where the person the specs the
solution... the person that makes the purchase... are not the end
user. But this is a sales and marketing consideration, and a
convoluted way to design products and services.

The user... and by that I mean the person that will ultimately be
using the product (- sigh -) is the thing designers need to
understand first. Otherwise its all a crap shoot.

Mark




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[IxDA Discuss] the user is blamed by default...

2009-08-30 Thread mark schraad

Just ran across one of my pet peeves. Putting the user at blame when  
they are not. I was trying to log on to manage some of our benefits.  
I use macs... we both do. Not a windows machine here. I used  
Safari... then tried Firefox (both up to date). I got this error  
message:




Obsolete Browser
In order to access our online system, we require the use of Microsoft  
Internet Explorer (version 4 or better) or Netscape Communicator  
(version 4 or better)
Please use one of the following links to download the latest  
production version of either browser.

Microsoft Internet Explorer
Netscape Navigator



To add insult to injury (or is it the other way around) both links  
are bad!






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Re: [IxDA Discuss] UX Presentation to the CEO?

2009-08-20 Thread mark schraad

Great stuff from Jennifer and David...
I would like to add a couple of things (not specific to Navid's plight, but
applicable to the situation):

First, I hear a lot of designers reliving the story aloud, instead of
telling a story to the specific audience. Our work and deliverables, must be
specific to the audience, just like out products. And, the structure of the
story, is critical... with a beginning, and plot and an ending.

Many CEO's (and lots of other folks) are what we call CAB's. ABC's, like us,
are interested in the problem, foundation, our process, the results and the
conclusions in a logical order. People that are pressed for time, such as
CEO's, are CAB's and often will want you to skip directly to the conclusions
and take aways. It's not always that they don't care about the process and
due diligence, but they don't have the time. This is something you should
find out before presenting... AND, be able to restructure you talk in mid
stream if it becomes obvious. Reading the room is a crucial part of being a
great presenter.

Mark



On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 8:54 AM, Jennifer R Vignone 
jennifer.r.vign...@jpmorgan.com wrote:

 I have given many presentations to CEO, CIOs, heads of business, and the
 like. The main thing I can share for success is the following:

 -- Don't overload.

 -- Have your main points in the first five slides of a presentation. Never
 be surprised if a CEO, CIO, or head of business doesn't have the time to go
 past those first 5 to 7 pages.

 -- Be able to break everything down into bullet points. CEOs, CIOs, and
 heads of business don't want to wade through anything lengthy. They need to
 see succinct thought, which tells them also that you know what you're doing
 and can sum it up into a tight delivery.

 -- Charts and graphs work well.

 -- Timelines are important. Higher-ups like to know that you have a sense
 of time, man-hours, and money.

 -- Details can follow after you make your core pitch in the first several
 slides.

 I have a template that I use that I can try to dig up if you're interested.
 But these point are pretty core to keeping your presentation controlled.

 Jennifer



 -Original Message-
 From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com [mailto:
 discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Navid
 Sadikali
 Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2009 3:41 PM
 To: IxDA Discuss
 Subject: [IxDA Discuss] UX Presentation to the CEO?

 Does anyone have any good slide-decks or talks that you would reference in
 creating a presentation to the CEO?
 Goals
 - make them see the void without design
 - suggest an alternative to feature-lists going directly to engineering
 - inspire them on a business level, educate them to a Business Week level
 of design thinking
 - suggest the cultural changes that are necessary and the change that must
 occur
 
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 This email is confidential and subject to important disclaimers and
 conditions including on offers for the purchase or sale of
 securities, accuracy and completeness of information, viruses,
 confidentiality, legal privilege, and legal entity disclaimers,
 available at http://www.jpmorgan.com/pages/disclosures/email.
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Latimes.com Redesign - No Link Colors

2009-08-19 Thread Mark Green

In general, I'm very much on the side of having links either
underlined or a distinct color. Clean design should never trump
usability. Even if it takes a millisecond to figure out what's a
link and what isn't, that's too long. 

However, I do think their homepage works. It really is almost
entirely links and I was hard pressed to find an instance of
hesitation on my part. At least they are using underlines on
rollovers which works. 

The problem is that the home page determines precedents for inside
page styles and that's where the strategy starts to falter. Once you
get a decent amount of content on a page, determining where links are
does become more of a whack-a-mole situation (I believe that's the
academic term for it).

The designers realized this and they are using a distinct color for
in-line links; those within a story. That's the area I'd expect the
most difficulty finding a link. 

The biggest problem I experienced was on secondary-level landing
pages (e.g., Business) where story promo headlines are smaller
than the excerpt of text below it. I suspect that's a CSS error for
my browser (Firefox/Mac). If that were fixed, I would have expected
those to be links.

Overall, this solo user-tester found it to be a fairly usable design
despite my prejudices. 



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Website UI competitive analysis

2009-08-17 Thread mark schraad

There are a couple of frameworks that can get you started... by the way this
is often referred to as market research (different than marketing research)
or competitive analysis. If you search/look for references towards SWOT
(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) or Porter's five factors
you will find background and structures that may help - all coming from a
business perspective, but they can easily be applied to design.
Mark



On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 2:24 AM, Willl Hacker willhac...@sbcglobal.netwrote:

 I've been tasked with documenting how one of my company's user
 interfaces compares with our top three competitors, as a way of
 understanding where we excel, where we need improvement, and where we
 are roughly equal. The business goal is to more fully understand the
 UI conventions used by these sites so we better anticipate what
 customers coming to us from the competition bring in the way of
 expectations. We'd like to know what our competition does well to
 make sure we aren't lacking in that area, and where there is an
 opportunity to improve on what they are doing to provide a possibly
 better experience.

 I'm wondering if anyone has seen a good report format for recording
 the observations of the four sites. I was thinking of using
 Nielsen's heuristics checklist as a starting point, but would like
 to know if anyone has done this kind of analysis and how they
 performed it. Another approach I'm considering is one I found on the
 IBM website: http://tinyurl.com/davyr5

 I recognize this type of analysis involves a certain amount of
 subjectivity and does not address things like the users' domain
 knowledge and the context in which the customers use the sites so it
 will be impossible to make absolute statements about what works and
 what doesn't. I'm curious how you would approach this task.
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Anyone tried out GuiMags?

2009-08-15 Thread Mark Plant

Håkan

I bought a set and, honestly, they've mainly stayed in their box.
It's actually quite a limited set of controls and (not
unsurprisingly) you need a magentic white board which is not as
common a facility as you might think. Having said that, I mostly work
on client site so the facilities available vary considerably.

I regularly end up with drawing the basic structure of a solution on
the reverse of a sheet of post-it flip chart. I then use an internal
window with the framework / common elements of the UI on one side,
and white board markers to sketch on the other.

Mark




. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Greyed background for popups

2009-08-10 Thread Mark Canlas

It's sometimes referred to as a lightbox, if that helps your search at
all. It seems to have been made popular by an implementor named Lokesh
Dhakar in November 2008. I wouldn't say it's a standard as much as it is in
vogue, useful, and aesthetically pleasing. It's often attributed as one of
the hallmarks of what the Web 2.0 movement is about or looks like.
On Mon, Aug 10, 2009 at 12:18 PM, William Hudson 
william.hud...@syntagm.co.uk wrote:

 Can anyone tell me where the convention of greying the background page
 when showing a popup window came from? It seems to have become something
 of a de facto standard - is it published as an actual standard or
 guideline somewhere? (I could not find out on Google.)

 Regards,

 William Hudson
 Syntagm Ltd
 Design for Usability
 UK 01235-522859
 World +44-1235-522859
 US Toll Free 1-866-SYNTAGM
 mailto:william.hud...@syntagm.co.uk
 mailto:william.hud...@syntagm.co.uk
 http://www.syntagm.co.uk http://www.syntagm.co.uk/
 skype:williamhudsonskype

 Syntagm is a limited company registered in England and Wales (1985).
 Registered number: 1895345. Registered office: 10 Oxford Road, Abingdon
 OX14 2DS.


 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Greyed background for popups

2009-08-10 Thread Mark Young

I'm a former perceptual psychologist but I don't see the need for
this method. A simple fat border with a drop shadow would make it
clear enough that the popup is in front the main window -
interposition is a very powerful depth cue. I've also heard
rationale along the lines that it focuses attention, but I don't see
a need for that either since the spatial extent of our attentional
focus is rarely bigger than a popup and the motion cues that occur
when the popup appears should be sufficient to draw attention to it.
Perhaps designers want to make it clear that the underlying window is
not interactive - I can see some value to that. Personally, I feel it
is overkill that masks the context too much. However, the convention
seems very appealing to designers - I think I am failing to talk my
fellow mobile designers out of it.

-Mark


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Password Masking and Chroma-Hash

2009-08-03 Thread Mark Hines

@Jordan Dobson

I don't see how being color blind would be an issue.

I believe most can still see color but just not the entire spectrum.
They would just end up with a different version colors.


It's not quite that simple. While most of us with colorblindness can still
see color we perceive them differently and have varying levels of ability
to distinguish one color from the next. As someone who is red-green
deficient, the most common deficiency I believe, it's not just that I see a
different version or shade of green. I also have a hard time
distinguishing some reds from some greens because they appear similar to me
(My wife brought two green peppers to me in the store. I said we needed a
red one too. She held up the red one to let me know we were covered).
What's more is that colors with red or green in them (purples look blue,
browns can be red or green, and forget about salmon or fuchsia) can be
problematic (And it's getting worse as I get older). Contrast will certainly
help but doesn't that add another dimension to it? How do you explain this
concept to users? If you can perceive colors do this? If you can't perceive
colors do this?

Given the variations in perception that are only exacerbated by other random
elements such as monitors, tiny swatches (grr) and age (which effects both
perception an acuity) I don't see how this model would be appropriate for
something as critical as logging in.

Mark Hines.

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Looking for great company career sites

2009-07-29 Thread Mark Green

Within financial, Goldman has always been known as the gold standard
for a Careers section. I'm not crazy about what the recent redesign
did to this section (too many oversized moving parts to get to a
little information -- was the assumption that we're all running at
1680x1050 and have loads of free time?) but there are still some good
things here. http://www.gs.com/careers

In legal, Choate has an interesting careers section complete with
videos playing off the PC vs Mac series.
http://www.choate.com/careers.php

Good luck,
Mark


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Gmail drag and drop

2009-07-24 Thread Mark Canlas

Personally, I like it. It has a very tactile, invitational sort of
presentation. Feel here where feel is actually hovering with the mouse.
And, like William stated, the changing of the mouse cursor really brings the
concept home.

On Fri, Jul 24, 2009 at 10:59 AM, Hugh Griffith hgriff...@vfs.com wrote:

 Not too long ago Google added the ability to move your emails into labels
 via drag and drop functionality. As a result, they added two rows of dots
 to
 the left side of each email.

 Does anyone know if that is in fact the ideal pattern for that kind of
 tool?
 Or has anyone done any testing on it?

 Thanks for your input,

 Hugh Griffith
 User Interface Designer
 
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[IxDA Discuss] Looking for an Interaction Designer (Web front-end developer) consultant for a Federal Government Client in Ottawa, Canada

2009-07-22 Thread Mark Dill

One of our Government of Canada clients, located in Ottawa, requires
the services of an Interaction Designer (Web front-end developer) for
a contract that runs until March 2010. The ideal candidate will:
   have experience with user-centred design;
   have created mock-ups and user stories from business requirements;
   understand web navigation and content site map flow;
   have skills/experience with: CSS, HTML, Dreamweaver/Homesite, Adobe
Photoshop, CLF 2.0, and web accessibility.

This individual must be a team player who shows initiative.

Application environment: Agile, J2EE, Eclipse IDE, XML, test driven
development.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume in
confidence to mark.d...@ajilon.com

No phone calls please.

Ajilon would like to thank all candidates for submitting to this job
opportunity, however, only those with the above qualifications
clearly identified in their resumes will be contacted for further
instruction and submission to the client.


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[IxDA Discuss] (Job) Interaction Designer (Web front-end developer) consultant for a Federal Government Client in Ottawa, Canada

2009-07-22 Thread Mark Dill

One of our Government of Canada clients, located in Ottawa, requires
the services of an Interaction Designer (Web front-end developer) for
a contract that runs until March 2010. The ideal candidate will:
   have experience with user-centred design;
   have created mock-ups and user stories from business requirements;
   understand web navigation and content site map flow;
   have skills/experience with: CSS, HTML, Dreamweaver/Homesite, Adobe
Photoshop, CLF 2.0, and web accessibility.

This individual must be a team player who shows initiative.

Application environment: Agile, J2EE, Eclipse IDE, XML, test driven
development.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume in
confidence to mark.d...@ajilon.com

No phone calls please.

Ajilon would like to thank all candidates for submitting to this job
opportunity, however, only those with the above qualifications
clearly identified in their resumes will be contacted for further
instruction and submission to the client.


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] His/Her vs. Their in website copy

2009-07-21 Thread Mark Green

Although my internal nun is scowling at me, I'd have to agree with
Mike. It's certainly accepted in everyday speech and the language
needs such a term. 

I think youse would be a harder sell (except in Philly).


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How could I deal with my ex-employer for not releasing the design work I\'d done?

2009-07-20 Thread mark schraad

The ugly reality here is that if you were an employee or a work-for-hire
contractor you have no rights to access or show that work. Inherent in those
relationship is ownership of your work, which you do not have. Even had you
backed up all of your work locally, and they asked you to destroy those
copies, you would be legally obligated to do so.
Most employer will allow you use work that is not confidential in your
portfolio. Once the work is public domain, in other words published or
publicly used, you can claim credit



On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 12:06 AM, Tara Goskie tarami...@yahoo.com.hkwrote:

 I have been working for a company creating online software/application
 for the past years. Recently I got laid off and they disabled my
 connection to the company's server right away. Since I was a remote
 employee, I wasn't able to get the design files I'd done for the
 company. Therefore, I emailed them to ask for a copy for the purpose
 of creating personal portfolio. They transferred my question among
 different managers and ended up ignoring my request.

 I'm really frustrated because I'd been working for this company
 since I graduated and now I'm losing all the design works I've
 done, not knowing what I could include in my portfolio in order to
 move on to the next job. Since I was paid to create the designs, I'm
 afraid I may not have the rights to request the files. Is there any
 third person I could contact for assistance? What would be the
 appropriate way to handle the issue?
 
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[IxDA Discuss] Getting a start in IxD from a technical background

2009-07-14 Thread Mark Goetz

I'm looking for my first job in interaction design or something
similar, having recently earned my Master of Science degree in HCI. 
I'm having a bit of difficulty with the job search, in part because
I have a background in computer science and most of my experience is
in web development.  As such, it seems that I come off as more of a
web developer than an interface / interaction designer.  I wouldn't
mind a job that involves programming, but I want to make it clear
that I want to have some contributions to the interface design, and
that I would want to move out of programming eventually.  Does anyone
have any advice for how to position myself and what types of jobs to
seek to establish myself as an interaction designer?  Thanks!

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[IxDA Discuss] [JOB] User Experience Architects - Chicago - Sears Holdings

2009-07-14 Thread mark schraad

User Experience Architects - multiple positions available -incredible
opportunity to improve the online retail space. Chicago, IL

Sears Holdings is a $50 billion company and the nation's fourth largest
broadline retailer - we're looking to grow our Online Experience Design
practice and we need creative, passionate, and dedicated individuals to
join our group! The ideal candidate should be able to creatively
envision, evaluate, and design successful user experiences.

Summary:

You will work with a team of 4-6 UXA's that take on new design
initiatives and platform enhancements across sears.com, kmart.com and
the associated portfolio of brand properties.  You will be responsible
for conducting and analyzing research, gathering business requirements,
identifying technology constraints in order to synthesizing intelligent
and successful design solutions.

As an integral part of the Experience Design practice you will
collaborate closely with visual designers, front-end developers, and
business stakeholders on concept generation through final
implementation.  This will include collaborating on new design concepts,
working on win/win solutions with primary stakeholders, consulting with
stakeholders on design enhancements, and working on small/mid-size
maintenance projects.

Your responsibilities will include making informed recommendations on
design strategies, leveraging best practices, accurately estimating and
tracking your time across multiple simultaneous projects, as well as
working with the UX staff to develop and document methodologies,
standards and best practices for the group.

Currently, we are interested in candidates with 3+ years of demonstrable
experience and who have had a background involving large scale web
initiatives, or have recently graduated from a masters program in industrial
design, interaction design or HCI. The ideal candidate will have exceptional
analytical
skills, be well versed in user-centered design practices, and can turn
business and user requirements into elegant user interfaces and
compelling interactive experiences.

All candidates under consideration must be able to present a
comprehensive portfolio.

Core Competencies:

Deep understanding and skilled practice of user-centered
design, usability, information architecture, interaction design, and
goal-oriented design

Experience and familiarity in the capabilities of HTML,
DHTML, CSS, Flash and AJAX-based applications.

Excellent communication skills - in person, written and
presentation.

Ability to prioritize and track multiple tasks across
multiple projects, under tight deadlines.

Willingness to switch gears quickly and be flexible to work
on concurrent projects.

Ability to create clean, precise and detailed IA
documentations.

Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver on new business
initiatives and platform enhancements

Desired Qualifications:



Experience working as an information architect,
interaction designer, or user experience designer.

Experience in retail merchandising/marketing,
advertising, product development, e-commerce or related field.

Experience with usability testing including
preparation, execution and analysis.

Familiarity with current user experience and usability
research, theories, best practices and methodologies.

Degree in a related field, such as information design,
human-computer interaction, library science, cognitive science, graphic
design, or industrial design a plus.

Experience with Localization Issues and Web Accessibility
Standards a plus.

Design Firm experience is a big plus. A portfolio of your best recent work
will be reviewed.


If this looks like an opportunity that suit you, email with cover letter and
resume:

Mark Schraad:  Mark (dot) Schraad (at) searshc (dot) com

and/or

Tracy Hayes:  Tracy (dot) Hayes (at) searshc (dot) com

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Expression Blend 3.0 with SketchFlow Released Today

2009-07-11 Thread mark schraad





Joshua, David has a point: You have to realize that those of us who  
are Apple users, being a segregated minority, are a little  
sensitive. We get a little touchy when they think they are being  
ignored. Even thought we opted to go with a non-standard platform  
because we like the convenience of getting things done quickly, we  
do feel slighted when good software appears to be PC only.


always bugs me that I have to pay a higher price for SPSS and Intuit  
products (and surely others) just because I work on a mac



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Expression Blend 3.0 with SketchFlow Released Today

2009-07-11 Thread mark schraad

didn't say I did not understand why, or in a logical mind see that  
its appropriate in a free market... just said it bugs me ; )



On Jul 11, 2009, at 11:01 AM, Jared Spool wrote:



On Jul 11, 2009, at 10:56 AM, mark schraad wrote:



Joshua, David has a point: You have to realize that those of us  
who are Apple users, being a segregated minority, are a little  
sensitive. We get a little touchy when they think they are being  
ignored. Even thought we opted to go with a non-standard platform  
because we like the convenience of getting things done quickly,  
we do feel slighted when good software appears to be PC only.


always bugs me that I have to pay a higher price for SPSS and  
Intuit products (and surely others) just because I work on a mac


But it doesn't bug you so much that you buy a PC to run those apps. :)

The water pump in a Toyota Camry and a Lexus es330 is exactly the  
same. However, if you buy the pump for the Lexus it will be $200  
more than for the Toyota. Don't buy a Lexus is that bothers you.


Privilege has its price.

Just sayin'

Jared




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Re: [IxDA Discuss] In 10 words or less, what is software design to you?

2009-07-03 Thread mark schraad

arranging code to perform a function on a computer


On Fri, Jul 3, 2009 at 10:08 PM, Russell Wilson russ.wil...@gmail.comwrote:

 At the end of a recent interview, the candidate asked me “What is software
 design to you?”  I can probably come up with a thousand different answers
 but the one that popped into my mind immediately that day was “*software
 design is making the ordinary extraordinary*.”

 Okay, so maybe it won’t get me a mention in Businessweek, but what I was
 trying to capture and communicate was that software design in particular is
 largely about taking unglamorous tools and making them functionally robust
 and efficient, rewarding to use, and aesthetically pleasing.  We aren’t
 artists, but we are creatives.  We aren’t rocket scientists, but we’re
 smart
 and talented. And every day we have to use our creativity, smarts and
 talent
 to design the best tools for people to use.

 *So I’m interested… in 10 words or less, what is software design to you?*
 Enter more than one if you like (as seperate comments).

 (would love to get comments on my post about his so that I can collect them
 all in one place):

 http://www.dexodesign.com/2009/07/03/in-10-words-or-less-what-is-software-design-to-you/



 
 Russell Wilson
 Vice President of Product Design, NetQoS
 Blog: http://www.dexodesign.com
 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/russwilson
 
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[IxDA Discuss] [JOB] - Lead Designer-Human Sciences - Arizona - Full Time - Recruiter

2009-07-02 Thread mark bregman

JOB:  LEAD DESIGNER - HUMAN SCIENCES 
Arizona
Boyle Ogata Bregman Executive Search
Full Time

LEAD DESIGNER - HUMAN SCIENCES
Initiate a high level mandate to improve the usability of products
and systems by incorporating a Human-Centered component for this
growing division of a premier defense contractor. As a Lead Designer
- Human Sciences (LD), you will have influence and interaction across
the enterprise.  The LD works in interdisciplinary teams to develop
creative Human-Centered solutions.
Our client is a division of a large global company, with this highly
successful division located in Arizona. This company is highly
innovative, with limitless opportunities and challenges, providing an
environment where individual performance, contribution, growth,
innovation, and creativity are highly valued.  The LD should be a
visionary leader who demonstrates comprehensive understanding of the
principles of experience design, information architecture, human
science, and/or visual interaction design.  As the LD, your key
objectives will include:
X  Mobilize new projects and quickly develop basic technical
understanding.  
X  Research and integrate design strategies, product specifications,
and user expectations into project deliverables. 
X  Build plans with the team to execute Human-Centered Design
activities, including the development of stakeholder maps, user
personas, operational scenarios, and functional mockups and
prototypes for evaluation with end-users. 
X  Seek out relationships with key ¡§influencers¡¨ within the company
(including at related remote sites) and at military customer
locations, to identify opportunities and requirements for
Human-Centered projects.
X  Conceive, plan, script, refine and execute exercises that will
effectively test usability and properly showcase the capabilities and
value of Human-Centered Design 
X  Serve as a subject matter expert for Human-Centered design.
X  Serve as an advocate for continuous process improvement.  Lead
large sized continuous process improvement efforts.
Education, Background and Experience:  
X  BS Degree required. Desired Major: Interaction Design, HCI
Industrial Design, Graphic/Communication Design, Information Design. 
Advanced Degree desired: MFA, MDes.  
X  10+ years of demonstrated results with a focus on human factors /
human sciences in technology projects.   
X  Understanding of cognitive psychology and usability is desired.
X  Knowledge and exposure to currently deployed DoD systems is
desired. 
X  Must be able to work with limited supervision and be capable of
leading small technical teams. 
X  Must possess excellent communication skills and be capable of
presenting technical concepts in easy to understand terms to large
audiences.
X  Mentors multiple members of the team. 
X  Lead technological and team efficiency problems. 
X  Develops team solutions with little oversight. 
X  Leads the exploration of business concepts in area of expertise. 
X  Demonstrates comprehensive understanding of the principles of
experience design, information architecture, human science, and/or
visual interaction design.
X  Must be eligible for U.S. DoD security clearance and U.S.
Citizenship is required.  
If you are an excellent problem solver, an effective communicator,
results-oriented, and highly user-focused, we¡¦d like to hear from
you.  Excellent compensation program and benefits provided. Our
client is an EEO/AA Employer.

Contact:  Amanda Smith / ama...@bobsearch.com  - 949-474-3365 


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] On tactile feedback, I just can't place the analogy here...

2009-06-23 Thread mark schraad

Because some mail servers and some aps break up the long urls and render
them ineffective.
Mark

On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 5:17 PM, Francis Norton francis.nor...@gmail.comwrote:

 Out of curiosity, why do people use URL shrinkers when posting to mail
 lists? I like being able to inspect a URL before I click on it -
 compressing
 and thus disguising it seems to me to be a UX degradation in any context
 other than Twitter where it's pretty well unavoidable - am I missing
 something?
 Francis.

 2009/6/23 j...@smorgasbord-design.co.uk

  Saw this [1] and thought of all of the IxD people on here who deal with
 the
  haptic  tactile.
 
  Now, there's something analogous to nature in this particular concept but
  I'll leave that to you to resolve.
 
  [1] http://bit.ly/JIAyd
 
  John
  
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 --
 Tigers walk behind me, they're there to remind me - I'm lost but I'm not
 afraid David Byrne and Brian Eno: Life is long
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Design Training

2009-06-14 Thread mark schraad

John,
Most successful design studios (print, web, ID, arch) are successful because
they understand and have refined process. And by process, I don't mean an
assembly line like process, but an understanding of what tools to apply to
what situation. Most of those successful firms institutionalize this, and in
many cases (IDEO) sell upon the benefits of their process. In some case the
process can become a large portion of the brand (discover, define, design
etc). Most any firm will consult... and often about process. In the
nineties, we were leaders in application of digital tools to the graphic
design process and would often book our lead designers for weeks of
consulting and training within corporations. We found that in 9 out of 10
cases this lead to design consulting and to some really great projects.

Mark


On Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 1:03 AM, John Labriola johnlabri...@gmail.comwrote:

 Hey Guys,

 Thanks for continuing the discussion, this is all great stuff. And to
 be honest I was surprised that there wasn't too much I could find int
 he discussion threads on this topic.

 The situation I have is I have a good friend in a medium size
 marketing company. They originally did only graphic design, then they
 got into simple brochure-ware web design, then into Facebook
 applications, and now they are looking to do more.

 I am a ux designer, focusing mostly on IxD and I could probably help
 them. But I feel a company/person who does this on regular basis
 would be better.

 - John




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[IxDA Discuss] [JOB] User Experience Architects - Chicago - Sears Holdings - FT

2009-06-14 Thread FelcanSmith, Mark

User Experience Architects - incredible opportunity to improve the
online retail space. Check this out! - Chicago, IL

 

Sears Holdings is a $50 billion company and the nation's fourth largest
broadline retailer - we're looking to grow our Online Experience Design
practice and we need creative, passionate, and dedicated individuals to
join our group! The ideal candidate should be able to creatively
envision, evaluate, and design successful user experiences.  

 

Summary:

 

You will work with a team of 4-6 UXA's that take on new design
initiatives and platform enhancements across sears.com, kmart.com and
the associated portfolio of brand properties.  You will be responsible
for conducting and analyzing research, gathering business requirements,
identifying technology constraints in order to synthesizing intelligent
and successful design solutions.

 

As an integral part of the Experience Design practice you will
collaborate closely with visual designers, front-end developers, and
business stakeholders on concept generation through final
implementation.  This will include collaborating on new design concepts,
working on win/win solutions with primary stakeholders, consulting with
stakeholders on design enhancements, and working on small/mid-size
maintenance projects.  

 

Your responsibilities will include making informed recommendations on
design strategies, leveraging best practices, accurately estimating and
tracking your time across multiple simultaneous projects, as well as
working with the UX staff to develop and document methodologies,
standards and best practices for the group.  

 

Currently, we are interested in candidates with 3+ years of demonstrable
experience and who have had a background involving large scale web
initiatives.  The ideal candidate will have exceptional analytical
skills, be well versed in user-centered design practices, and can turn
business and user requirements into elegant user interfaces and
compelling interactive experiences. 

 

All candidates under consideration must be able to present a
comprehensive portfolio.

 

Core Competencies:

 

*   Deep understanding and skilled practice of user-centered
design, usability, information architecture, interaction design, and
goal-oriented design

*   Experience and familiarity in the capabilities of HTML,
DHTML, CSS, Flash and AJAX-based applications.

*   Excellent communication skills - in person, written and
presentation.

*   Ability to prioritize and track multiple tasks across
multiple projects, under tight deadlines.

*   Willingness to switch gears quickly and be flexible to work
on concurrent projects.

*   Ability to create clean, precise and detailed IA
documentations.

*   Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver on new business
initiatives and platform enhancements

 

Desired Qualifications: 

 

*   3+ years experience working as an information architect,
interaction designer, or user experience designer.

*   3+ years experience in retail merchandising/marketing,
advertising, product development, e-commerce or related field.

*   3+ years experience with usability testing including
preparation, execution and analysis.

*   Familiarity with current user experience and usability
research, theories, best practices and methodologies.

*   Degree in a related field, such as information design,
human-computer interaction, library science, cognitive science, graphic
design, or industrial design a plus.

*   Experience with Localization Issues and Web Accessibility
Standards a plus.

*   Agency/Design Firm experience a big plus.

*   A portfolio of your best recent work will be reviewed.


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] [JOB] User Experience Architects - Chicago - Sears Holdings - FT

2009-06-14 Thread Mark

Additional info on the Sears jobs:

* Note: no agencies or placement firms accepted. 

To be considered for this position send cover, resume and portfolio
URL to: 
mfel...@searshc.com 
msch...@searshc.com



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Language picker examples

2009-06-10 Thread Mark Hurd

Jason - you may find some useful examples in this thread:
http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=42588


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Sort order for listing languages in setup / settings

2009-06-04 Thread Mark Hurd

Apple takes an interesting approach:
http://www.apple.com/choose-your-country/

Overall, the languages are broken up by region. Some are listed in
English, some with native characters, and some with both. However,
the common element for each is the icon of the country's flag.

As an English speaker, I find this approach usable, but possibly only
because I can read the regional headings and narrow down the
selection.

I can see how a non-English speaker would have a difficult time
searching for their country's flag when there's at least 50 of them
on that page.  Too many colors, stripes, stars, other similarities
between each.

Mark


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Undergraduate Curriculum in HCI

2009-06-01 Thread mark schraad

Dave is quite bias regarding schools (and he should be). He is absolutely
right on this point.
Mark

On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 2:25 PM, dave malouf dave@gmail.com wrote:


 but out of the common undergraduate degrees out there, the one that
 will prepare you the most as an IxD is NOT GD. Hands down industrial
 design is better.


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[IxDA Discuss] Google Wave

2009-05-29 Thread Mark Canlas

I'm absolutely shocked no one has posted this yet.
http://wave.google.com/

Google Wave is a sort of combo e-mail/instant messaging/collaborative tool.
There's a 1 hour 20 min video of it on the Google Wave site. I encourage
everyone to watch it. It demonstrates so many complex, insane engineering
problems and bundles them into one cohesive workflow. It was developed in
secret for two years by the same team that came up with Google Maps.

I think given the right marketing and packaging, this could absolutely
revolutionize instant messaging, e-mail, collaboration in the enterprise,
and feed-based activities (bloggish/twitterish things).

Thoughts?

-Mark

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Workflow UIs?

2009-05-26 Thread Mark Hurd

You may want to look into SharePoint. In my (albeit limited)
experience with it, they've really got every base covered.

Not saying the UI is all that great, because there's many, many
areas for improvement.  But when you see all the features and
functionality they have packed in, you may be able to pick and choose
what you need from their best ideas and improve the implementation.

Here's an overview with several workflow-related articles and
screencasts in the sidebar as well: http://is.gd/FGGm

Mark


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[IxDA Discuss] Starting a local IXDA group in Ottawa ON, Canada

2009-05-15 Thread Mark McKay

I am creating a local IXDA group in Ottawa ON, Canada.

If you are interested in joining send me an email at:

mark.mc...@ic.gc.ca with local IXDA in the subject line.

Thanks

Mark McKay
Interaction Design Team Lead
Interaction Design Group
Industry Canada

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[IxDA Discuss] Assume a User\'s Identity

2009-05-14 Thread Mark Hurd

We're building an application with a pretty robust access and
permissions system. Our administrative users have requested a feature
which would allow them to step into a user's account and view the
site with the permissions assigned to that particular account.

Has anyone seen this done successfully and intuitively elsewhere?
phpBB3 has the functionality but their implementation is a bit
lackluster; after logging in as the new account there is simply a
small unobtrusive link to restore your own permissions.

One idea thus far would be to have a watermarked console that follows
the user as they navigate through the application and scroll pages
(see the top right of PolyPage as an example:
http://code.new-bamboo.co.uk/polypage/). I think this would provide a
clear indication that they are still assuming the role of the other
account and provide a quick way to return to their own.

Downsides to this approach or suggestions for a new one?

Thanks!
Mark

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Technical Limitation Arguements

2009-05-03 Thread Mark Young

In response to Can't be done you might offer a work session where
together you design how it can be done and also work out an estimate
of how much work/time it would take to build it.


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Bill Buxton just might be my design management hero

2009-05-01 Thread mark schraad

You can slice design into lots of small issues, skills, and knowledge
sets... none of which are exclusive domains. I think Bill's point is that
design is not one of those. While everybody relates to design and believes
they have some capacity to design, not everyone has a comprehensive toolset.
We are extending this conversation within my group to the topic of
professional consideration. We should all be very familiar with the
skillsets, responsibilities and tasks of those we work with (PM's, PJM's,
SEO folks, Usability, Researchers, Visual designers,Dev guys, and Engineers
all come to mind) but to presume that I can do their job with just a few
rules or by reading a book is arrogant and frankly insulting.


On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 12:46 PM, Michael Kay mike...@peep.org wrote:

 Nice piece. That happens a lot with clients/colleagues in other disciplines
 asking for simple black and white answers to issues that have a lot to do
 with context and many other factors.

 On the other hand, I would be careful about seeing usability as something
 that requires a lot of specific training. Even in this article Buxton talks
 about how usability practices do not have to be the exclusive domain of
 usability specialists. While having a deep background in human factors and
 cognitive sciences can help, this does not have to be the exclusive realm of
 people with specific qualifications. In fact it can be a lot better as
 engineers, designers, marketing people, and poets listen to each other and
 learn to speak the same language.

  .   .   .   michael kay
  .   .   .   buenos aires / http://www.peep.org

 On 30/04/2009, at 17:53, j. eric townsend wrote:

  FWIW, that's an excellent write-up of why I went back to school to study
 design...


 
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[IxDA Discuss] Bill Buxton just might be my design management hero

2009-04-30 Thread mark schraad

Holy cow, I wish that I had written this...
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/apr2009/id20090429_083139.htm?chan=innovation_innovation+%2B+design_top+stories

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Any NYC'ers see the planes flying low in Manhattan now?

2009-04-27 Thread mark schraad

its part of a photo op - says the wsj




On Mon, Apr 27, 2009 at 10:11 AM, Rich Rogan jrro...@gmail.com wrote:

 Any NYC'ers see the planes flying low in Manhattan now?

 Looking for something on the news and there's nothing.
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Who codes your production HTML/CSS/JS?

2009-04-24 Thread Mark Hurd

I typically do all HTML/CSS/JS and then hand the templates over to
development to integrate with their application platform.

This approach works pretty well for us since we're not doing much in
the way of static wireframes anymore. We'll use Axure if absolutely
necessary but most of the prototypes I generate are hand-coded
HTML/CSS. That way after testing and approval we've got the actual
production work 80% finished already.

Fortunately, working in a small office (development is one guy
and he sits right behind me!) allows us to work closely in the event
he needs to make small modifications to my templates as requirements
change or we have to make some concessions/workarounds.


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] How does requiring fields affect completion rates?

2009-04-22 Thread mark schraad

You definitely are effecting the completion rate with the amount of
information you ask for, the depth of its perceived privacy, and by
requiring any or all of the information.
Unfortunately, equally disruptive to the entire leads model is that leads
with incomplete information are worth less, or worth nothing.

Most times your leads partner (or whomever is responsible for selling those
leads) is a pretty good source for what works and what does not. They have
no vested interest in turning away customers... and in most case they will
have data to back up their claims.
Mark




On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 8:02 AM, Jennifer chicgee...@gmail.com wrote:

 I know that this question does rely on the context and the form
 itself; however, I would imagine there are some general thoughts out
 there about this topic.

 Specifically, if the objective of having the form is to collect
 lead-gen information so that an appropriate sales person can call the
 person who completes the form, should we be concerned with requiring
 the user to fill in fields?

 From the sales-team perspective, yes; they want as much clean
 information as is possible. I just wonder if from a user-perspective
 this can be a bit much for just initiating a sales call.

 The fields that we're being told are required are: Company, Number
 of Employees, Address (all fields), Phone, Email, as well as first
 and last name.

 A couple of us on the web team think this is overkill, that we may in
 fact be adversely affecting the completion rates by requiring so much.
 What if the user doesn't want to put in their address? Why isn't
 phone # enough? Or, what if they don't want to divulge their company
 name just yet?

 Thoughts?

 -Jennifer
 
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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Online Advertising vs User Experience

2009-04-15 Thread mark schraad


Ankit.

One of the problems you will likely encounter is both cultural (to  
the org) and semantic. Try to define what constitutes the user  
experience. And for a frustrating exercise, try to establish metric  
for that. Then, survey your stakeholders to determine what they think  
the user experience is... or what a good one is. This is at the root  
of the problem.


There is little consensus... you will find very few people that won't  
tell you of the importance of the user experience... yet those same  
people will quickly compromise it in exchange for revenue. Look at  
what about.com has become in recent years. Far from its position as a  
quality information site of years ago... it is basically a search  
engine magnet with little if any usable content. User experience (and  
content) have taken a back seat to revenue.


There are also places where the two overlap. When you observe or  
research readers looking through the travel section of a newspaper...  
you will notice that the advertisements, to a great extent, are the  
content. This revenue vs experience issue is not as cut and dry as it  
may seem.


Mark




On Apr 15, 2009, at 1:46 AM, Ankit Shekhawat wrote:


Hi All,

We often end up in a debate with our clients who are desperate for
earning some extra revenue by adding new advertising spots on the
website.

How much ever we hate it, we end up trying to create a balance. It is
often the only source of revenue for many content based sites.

I am currently doing a research on how to deal with advertising with
minimum compromise on user experience.

Do we have any research / guidelines / best practices supporting the
same? How can we explain them the user experience point of view.

Regards

Ankit Shekhawat



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[IxDA Discuss] titles and roles (VII)

2009-04-14 Thread mark schraad

As I followed the discussion about jobs, titles and tasks for the last few
weeks I found myself changing the way I think about my role. And at the risk
of a lot of eye rolling, I am going to throw out what I hope will provide
some further insight and perspective.

The official corporate job description for folks on our teams is something
along the lines of a UI designer. Its original intent was specific to
interfaces… but interaction is probably more accurate in the strict HR and
recruiting sense.

For quite a while I have claimed that we are user-experience designers. But
we are not. We are product designers… and here is why.

Adding new parts to one of our portals is a small study in semantics.
Product managers like to say we add features, and biz-dev likes to talk
about revenue opportunities, the dev guys call it functionality, and user
experience folks like to talk about tools and capabilities. It is all a
matter of perspective. From a completely neutral perspective we are adding
attributes to our offerings.

When this process begins, we (the UI team) gets a brief (we use a problem
focused brief), as well as constraints, some metric and launch goals, and
some combination of data, a feed or content provider. Sometimes we get an
example of what other folks have done (sort of a hap hazard or shallow
competitive analysis).

Here is what I think is a very important observation... in our group, the UI
stage is the first time where user needs/wants, biz goals, tech
capabilities, data structures, and context are all brought together for
consideration. This is significant and is worth exploiting in efforts to
raise the perceived importance of what we as designers do.

So, while we generate taxonomies, use-cases, process flows, wireframes and
eventually mocks and prototypes…  those deliverables to not constitute the
most outcome of our process. That outcome is the syntheses of all the
constraints into a cohesive product design… essentially the recipe for
building the product.

In the future, when asked what I do, I think I will respond with, ‘I am a
product designer (building online experiences)’. People I meet seem to
respond much better to it than anything interaction or user experience-ish.


Mark


Mark

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Visual cue for Type ahead input text fields?

2009-04-02 Thread Mark Goetz

I'm reminded of the built-in typeahead mechanism in Drupal - by
default, it has a greyed-out spinner, which then turns blue and
starts spinning while it's getting suggestions for the typeahead.  I
think that works really well both to show that it's a typeahead
before the user starts typing, and that it's actually working.  I
believe it's implemented with a background-image in CSS, although
I'd have to check up on that.


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Re: [IxDA Discuss] Visual cue for Type ahead input text fields?

2009-04-02 Thread Mark Goetz

Drupal has a live version on http://api.drupal.org/, on the left side.


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[IxDA Discuss] JOB: Information Architect - Chicago - Sears - Full-time

2009-03-31 Thread Mark FelcanSmith


This full-time position is with Sears Holdings Online Business Unit
User Experience Group. Please submit your application at 
http://www.searsholdings.com/careers/ 
and use the requisition ID: 64061BR to locate this position.

/**/

Job Title: Information Architect 

Business: Sears Holdings Management Corporation 

Location: Hoffman Estates and Downtown Chicago

Job Description: 

Sears Holdings is seeking an experienced Information Architect to
join our User Experience Team. The ideal candidate should be able to
creatively envision, evaluate, and design successful user
experiences. You will work with a team of 3-5 information architects
that take on new design initiatives and platform enhancements across
sears.com, kmart.com and the associated portfolio of brand
properties. You will be responsible for conducting and analyzing
research, gathering business requirements, identifying technology
constraints in order to synthesize intelligent and successful design
solutions. As an integral part of the User Experience team you will
collaborate closely with visual designers, front-end developers, and
business stakeholders on concept generation through final
implementation. This will include collaborating on new design
concepts, working on win/win solutions with primary stakeholders,
consulting with stakeholders on design enhancements, and working on
small/mid-size maintenance projects. 

Your responsibilities will include making informed recommendations on
design strategies, leveraging best practices, accurately estimating
and tracking your time across multiple simultaneous projects, as well
as working with the UX staff to develop and document methodologies,
standards and best practices for the group. Currently, we are
interested in candidates with 3+ years of demonstrable experience and
who have had a background involving large scale web initiatives. The
ideal candidate will have exceptional analytical skills, be well
versed in user-centered design practices, and can turn business and
user requirements into elegant user interfaces and compelling
interactive experiences. 

All candidates under consideration must be able to present a
comprehensive portfolio. 

Education/Skills/Experience Requirements Responsibilities:

 Generate and maintain detailed design specifications
 Develop new and effective design solutions on time and in scope
 Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver on new business
initiatives and platform enhancements
 Adhere to established methodologies, standards and best practices
for the group
 Document content structure, page templates, and interfaces
 Generate and maintain site maps, process flows and interaction
models
 Create detailed page-level wireframes and functional
specifications
 Track and analyze customer site behavior/feedback 
 Requirements gathering, documenting and tracking
 Concept generation and modeling
 Low-fidelity and hi-fidelity prototyping techniques
 User research, competitive research, and usability testing
 Project planning and tracking

Core Competencies:
 Deep understanding of user-centered design, usability, information
design, interaction design, and goal-oriented design
 Experience and familiarity in the capabilities of HTML, DHTML, CSS,
Flash and AJAX-based applications.
 Excellent communication skills  in person, written and
presentation.
 Ability to prioritize and track multiple tasks across multiple
projects, under tight deadlines.
 Willingness to switch gears quickly and be flexible to work on
concurrent projects.
 Ability to create clean, precise and detailed IA documentations.
 Proficiency in industry standard UI software such as Visio,
OmniGraffle, Illustrator, Photoshop, PowerPoint and Acrobat.

Desired Qualifications: 
 3+ years experience working as an information architect,
interaction designer, or user experience designer.
 1+ years experience in retail merchandising/marketing, advertising,
product development, e-commerce or related field.
 1+ years experience with usability testing including preparation,
execution and analysis.
 Familiarity with current user experience and usability research,
theories, best practices and methodologies.
 Degree in a related field, such as information design,
human-computer interaction, library science, cognitive science,
graphic design, or industrial design a plus.
 Experience with Localization Issues and Web Accessibility Standards
a plus.
 Agency/Design Firm experience a big plus.
 A portfolio of your best recent work will be reviewed.

Scope of Management Influence  Control:
No associates report directly to this position 

Requisition ID: 64061BR 

Preferred Minimum Education: 
Bachelors Level Degree 

Years Experience: 2 - 5 Years Experience 

Travel Requirements: None


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[IxDA Discuss] roles within a start up

2009-03-30 Thread mark schraad

This is just one person's perspective... specific to the narrow niche of
tech start ups, but the perception held is still valid (we tend towards deep
instances over aggregates don't we?). As an interaction designer, user
experience designer, information architect or just a designer... where do
you see your place in this picture?
Mark


The Hat List

   - Visionary/Architect. Idea generation, shape features, repositioning,
   market fit, competitive landscape, research.
   - Lead Developer(s). AKA Hackers. A good place to have a pair of jelled
   programmers. Uses web framework, creates functionality; knows Python/Ruby,
   Javascript, AJAX, Flash(?), HTML, databases.
   - Sysadmin. Network, web server, NFS (for VCS/file sharing), caching,
   other infrastructure, data backup, backup hardware, performance tuning,
   scalability.
   - Toolsmith. Team is provided with: productive development environments
   (all users can say “apt-get install …“), frameworks, editors,
   interpreters, multiple browsers, GIMP/Photoshop, (D)VCS, wiki, maybe BTS,
   quick training/consulting on tools/environment, continuous integration.
   - Webmaster. SEO, analytics, domain registration, site hosting,
   Apache/lighttpd.
   - DBA. Helps developers plan schema, set up tables, design for
   scalability, tuning/optimizing.
   - Graphic Artist. Color coordination, logos, icons, image libraries, etc.
   - CSS Designer. Usability, accessibility, layout, look-n-feel.
   - Content Creator. User-facing documentation, populate/organize wiki,
   design tutorial, usage studies.
   - Customer Support. Answers phones, forum voice, FAQs, knowledge base,
   help entries, problem solving.
   - Tester. Bangs on site, tries devious things, automates stress.
   - Marketer. Evangelism, blogging, advertising.
   - Manager. Coordinates all team member activities.
   - Lawyer. Business setup, guidance, law interpretation.
   - Chef. Handles all other (random) tasks to keep team functioning.



Full posting:
http://www.businessinsider.com/15-roles-every-startup-needs-filled-2009-3

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] JJG's IA Summit 2009 Keynote

2009-03-29 Thread mark schraad

I fInally got to read Jesse's talk in its entirety. This is  
brilliant. This is how leaders speak. It spanks and critiques... but  
it presents vision, and challenge. And while it is very frank about  
short comings and under utilized opportunities... it open minded,  
humble, and optimistic. Reading this was a refreshing break from so  
much of the close minded, absolutist, agenda filled dogma that often  
spews from these two communities.


I have no idea of Jesse skills as an orator, but I can't help imagine  
leaving this conference at once challenged and motivated.


Mark

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Re: [IxDA Discuss] JJG's IA Summit 2009 Keynote

2009-03-29 Thread mark schraad


Hi Dave,

Admittedly I kind of ignored that digression, not knowing much about  
the issue, and frankly not caring to know. Which is not at all meant  
to trivialize that part of the conversation... its just not mine.


I know there is some old and apparently deep division amongst the two  
groups. I have never felt like I was part of either group to the  
exclusion of the other... or UPA, SIG-CHI,  DMI and others. They are  
all a subset of how I see role professionally. And I think a lot of  
folks on these boards feel that way as well.


And for the record... I don't think there is anything to be gained by  
joining the to groups in any fashion. The two groups approach related  
work and overlapping efforts with distinctly different  
perspectives... both valid and both important in their own right.  
Homogenization is not necessary or beneficial. I do think that it  
makes total sense to get over what ever bad blood is there and  
collaborate. We will be much stronger if these two entities remain  
separate and work together... and in fact along side ISDA, and even  
the AIGA.


Mark




On Mar 29, 2009, at 10:58 AM, Dave Malouf wrote:


Mark  Richard,

much of the content of the talk was spot on.

he lost me at his mis-information about what went down between IAS
and IxDA this year. He mis-represented IxDA completely and demonized
the organization totally unnecessarily. His point was clear w/o doing
that, and he lost my respect for not doing the truly respectful and
professional thing of either staying out of it, providing both points
of view, or finding out the truth.

It actually demonstrated for me clearly that JJG is too biased by his
background of the IA community first (he's done nothing to engage
this community, unlike Peter M., his partner), which is really my
main point when speaking to Richard in this thread.

- -dave


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=40597



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Re: [IxDA Discuss] I'm designing in Visio for the last time

2009-03-29 Thread Mark Hoffman

Sorry you¹re having trouble  I¹ve never had that particular problem, but
sure I will, someday.

I¹ve used Guui¹s Visio widgets and Nick Finck¹s excellent Visio tools with
success.  

Fireworks is a good at wireframing, especially if since it¹s got a range of
XP widgets already built in. Also with FW, you can export pages to files as
one document  a little like Layer Comps in Photoshop.

I¹ve also found Axure to be fast and easy to learn, but there¹s also cost
factor. I¹m sure others on the list will jump in workarounds and
suggestions. 

Good luck-

Mark Hoffman
 

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