USABILITY - Beyond common sense:  A talk by Jared Spool

   Organised by the British HCI Group and the UK UPA
   http://www.bcs-hci.org.uk/talks/Spool/

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|  Talk details

   Monday 8 April, 6:30 pm for 7 pm (finishing at 9 pm)
   Kennedy Lecture Theatre
   Institute of Child Health
   30 Guilford Street
   London
   WC1N 1EH

   -> Map  http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?pc=WC1N1EH

   Nearest tubes:
   Russell Square (Piccadilly Line) 5 minutes walk,
   Holborn (Central Line) 7-8 minutes walk,
   Euston (Victoria and Northern Lines) 10 minutes walk.


|  Outline

   While discussions around usability and human-computer interaction
   (HCI) have flourished in the UK in the last few years they are
   often understood in a simplistic way and held hostage by partisan
   groups. In his first public talk in London Jared Spool will try to
   go beyond the one-sided and common sense views of usability.

   Jared is one of the most thoughtful - and controversial - critics
   of received wisdom in usability. "I question the truths," he says.
   "That's what makes me the heretic." In his talk he will examine the
   relationship of usability to innovation and design, reaching some
   surprising conclusions.

   Building on insights from original research work conducted by User
   Interface Engineering, the company he founded in 1988, Jared will
   discuss designing for revenue on the World-Wide Web, and the need
   for retailers to develop Web site designs that are appropriate to
   their sectors. He will show that successful e-commerce companies
   often have the least HCI input into their sites but the best
   user-centred cultures.

   While he believes that the HCI community doesn't yet know enough
   about the Web experience, Jared will make a case for documenting
   designs that encourage particular user behaviours.

   You are invited for a stimulating presentation after which there
   will be considerable time for formal and informal argument and
   discussion.


|  Jared Spool - Biography

   A software developer and programmer, Jared founded User Interface
   Engineering (http://www.uie.com/) in 1988. He has more than 15
   years of experience conducting usability evaluations on a
   variety of products, and is an expert in low-fidelity prototyping
   techniques.

   Jared is on the faculty of the Tufts University Gordon Institute
   and teaches seminars on product usability. He is a member of SIGCHI,
   the Usability Professionals Association, the Association for
   Computing Machinery, and the IEEE. Jared is a recognised authority
   on user interface design and human factors in computing. He is a
   regular tutorial speaker at the annual CHI conference and Society
   for Technical Communications conferences around the US.


|  Costs

   GBP30
   GBP20 - British HCI Group and UK UPA members
   GBP10 - Student/unemployed (please bring verification)

   -> Registration details at http://www.bcs-hci.org.uk/talks/Spool/


|  Contact

    -> Eamonn O'Neill mailto:[log in to unmask]
   -> mailto:[log in to unmask]

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    -> British HCI Group http://www.bcs.org.uk/
   -> UK Usability Professionals Association http://www.ukupa.org.uk/

   Media sponsor: Usability News http://www.usabilitynews.com/

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