Strategic usability: Strengthening business decisions through user-centered design

You are warmly invited to a complimentary reception hosted by
Human Factors International (HFI). Our Executive Director
Jerome Nadel will speak on:

“Strategic usability: Strengthening business decisionshttp://www.humanfactors.com/Raleighreception.asp.

Companies invest millions in sophisticated software and Web sites,
yet often fall short of reaching their goals. This happens when business\n
objectives and end-user needs are not in sync.

Jerome will explain how usability goes far beyond interface design
and lets you make informed business decisions that can be validated.
The user-centered design process yields data which leads to recommendations\n
addressing executive concerns: revenue model, value proposition, process
improvement, and positioning. Using examples from Fortune 500 companies,
Jerome will share a practical approach to optimize user experience while\n
improving your overall business model. The “self-serve” Internet mindset
has made usability a necessity, not a luxury.

This is an ideal opportunity to network with other business leaders who
share\n
similar challenges.

Hope to see you there!

Sheryll Ryan
Director of Business Development
Southeast Region
Human Factors International, Inc.
http://www.humanfactors.com\n
Over 25 years of global services in user-centered design

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through user-centered design”

Complimentary Reception — drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served
Date: Wednesday, July 12th from 4:00-7:00 pm
Location: Prestonwood Country Club, 300 Prestonwood Parkway, Cary, NC
27513

Attendance is by advance reservation only and space is limited.
Please register online: http://www.humanfactors.com/Raleighreception.asp.

Companies invest millions in sophisticated software and Web sites,
yet often fall short of reaching their goals. This happens when business
objectives and end-user needs are not in sync.

Jerome will explain how usability goes far beyond interface design
and lets you make informed business decisions that can be validated.
The user-centered design process yields data which leads to recommendations
addressing executive concerns: revenue model, value proposition, process
improvement, and positioning. Using examples from Fortune 500 companies,
Jerome will share a practical approach to optimize user experience while
improving your overall business model. The “self-serve” Internet mindset
has made usability a necessity, not a luxury.

This is an ideal opportunity to network with other business leaders who
share
similar challenges.

Hope to see you there!

Sheryll Ryan
Director of Business Development
Southeast Region
Human Factors International, Inc.
http://www.humanfactors.com
Over 25 years of global services in user-centered design

Recap/commentary: Personas

The last Triangle UPA meeting (Wednesday 6/7, hosted by Lulu) focused on using personas in design. Robert Barlow-Busch (of Quarry Integrated Communications) presented an overview of personas: “rich descriptions of key customer groups, packaged in an engaging format and backed ideally by first-hand, ethnographic-style field research.”

Personas have many uses–not only can they inspire and guide design, but they can bring together different groups with an organization. In particular, they encourage communication and collaboration between marketing and user experience groups. Personas help UX and marketing talk about key assumptions, develop shared understandings, explore new products and feature spaces, and make better decisions about product scope and design. (For this collaboration to be effective, though, multiple roles and departments (sales, marketing, product management, engineering/development, etc.) must be involved throughout the creation and use of personas).

Robert distinguished between primary personas (who “will be unsatisfied with a product designed for anyone else”), secondary personas (less demanding, and lower priority for design), and anti-personas (used to challenge assumptions about who the customer is). UX practitioners should strive to develop clear primary personas, because these personas illuminate the key tradeoffs and compromises in a design problem. In particular, when multiple primary personas are identified, it suggests that multiple products may be needed, so that each can be tightly focused on a particular problem and type of user. Robert pointed to Geoffrey’s Moore claim that technology companies should “put all their eggs in one basket” to develop narrowly focused, but highly usable and effective products which avoid feature creep.

Once developed, personas must be “marketed” to the organization. Robert told one client “the personas have to attend every meeting” and “we should never again talk about ‘the user'”. In other words, personas should guide every element of the design cycle, including recruiting participants for usability tests. To gain this impact, personas must be credible. Therefore, they should be clearly documented–UX professionals should explain the research and analysis methods they use to develop personas.

For more on personas, see the recent book on personas, in which Robert has a chapter.

– Abe

Technorati : personas

BAR Camp RDU is seeking organizers and sponsors

RDU’s first BAR Camp is looking for volunteers to provide logistical and day-of help. Sponsors are also being sought; anyone who can provide (money for) meals, whiteboards, poster material, pens, etc. please contact the BAR Camp organizers.  How? Check the wiki for that information and more.