Presented by Ellen Grove,
Agile coaching & training,
Organizational transformation,
www.profluence.ca,
masteringtheobvious.wordpress.com (blog)

Date: Tuesday January 17, 2012
Time: doors open at 6:00 pm; talk begins at 6:30 pm
Place: TheCodeFactory, 246 Queen St., Ottawa, ON, Canada

Abstract:
Let your hands be the search engine for your brain! LEGO® Serious Play® is a powerful thinking, communicating and problem solving technique that can help you and your team do serious work through structured play activities using a popular and playful 3D modeling toy. Through a facilitated process of building models that, storytelling and reflection, every person at the table is engaged and actively participating in the discussion, whether the topic is individual aspirations, team relationships, developing a new product or solving a wicked organizational problem. Everyone builds and everyone tells their story – all participants have equal opportunity to put their own points of view on the table, unlocking new perspectives and exposing the answers that are already in the room.  LEGO Serious Play has been used successfully for team-building and problem solving in a variety of organizations, from NASA to RBC to academic settings and public utilities.

This presentation will provide a hands-on introduction to LEGO Serious Play, so that you can experience firsthand how using LEGO to do real work unleashes creativity and enables meaningful conversations in a very short time. We will explore how to use this playful technique to collaboratively elicit information about user requirements and strategic design issues using the open source User Requirements with Lego methodology developed by a team at the University of Lugano, Switzerland.

About the Facilitator:

Ellen Grove is an Agile coach who helps teams do better work through coaching them to create the circumstances in which they can work most productively and effectively. Her Agile coaching practice is founded in over 10 years experience leading software testing, development and implementation teams in global enterprises, a passion for exploratory software testing and user-centered design, and a background in community organization. She uses team-building and facilitation approaches to support the transition to collaborative Agile work practices at the team, managerial and corporate levels, and has conquered the challenges of extending Scrum roll-outs to off-shore development partners and multi-site project teams.   Ellen is a StrategicPlay certified facilitator in Lego Serious Play methods.

When and Where:

This event will take place on Tuesday, January 17th, 6:00 pm at TheCodeFactory, located at 246 Queen Street, between Bank and Kent, (on the second floor) above the Green Papaya Restaurant. The doors open at 6:00 pm for networking and the talk begins at 6:30 pm.

Note: There is no cost for attending this event and prior registration is not required. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. An informal social gathering will follow at a nearby pub.

CapCHI (www.capchi.org) is a social and professional society of people who work as user interface designers, researchers, educators, software developers, web designers, graphic designers and human factors engineers in and around Canada’s National Capital Region. Founded in 1991, CapCHI’s goal is to bring together local professionals interested in how humans and computers interact, in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

We need a Web Accessibility Expert for a private company in Ottawa, Ontario. This person will be responsible for leading client website evaluations. This person must be a self-starter and able to lead and work within a team. An individual with a developer background who now focuses on Web Accessibility.

Join a growing and dedicated team by contacting jennifer@newfoundrecruiting.com (613-435-6607 x 106)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead web site accessibility audits
• Utilize web access testing tools
• Lead a project team in the preparation of documents required by customers

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 3 year diploma in Computer Science
• Needs to be self starter and be able to work independently
• Experience with W3C WCAG 2.0 guidelines, ISO 32000, US Section 508, Canadian Government Common Look and Feel Standards
• Experience with HTML / XHTML and Drupal
• Experience with HTML 5
• Experience with Web Evaluation tools (HiSoftware, Deque, etc.)

DURATION: Permanent

CLEARANCE: Must be Eligible for Government of Canada Enhanced Clearance

The Senior Interaction Designer with 6+ years of experience must be self-motivated and able to work both independently and in conjunction with team members and product groups. Drive, enthusiasm and flexibility to work on a variety of projects are necessary, as well as the ability to rapidly acquire new domain familiarity.

Responsibilities will include:

• Task analysis
• Information Design / IA
• Wireframes
• Interaction Design
• Prototyping skills an asset

Education: degree in one of the disciplines below:

• Computer science
• Design
• Human-Computer Interaction

We’re looking for someone that has deep knowledge of current interaction design trends, research, theories and methodologies (especially user-centered design), and an intuitive feel for how specific interaction design activities provide unique value added throughout the product development lifecycle.

Please send your resume to humanresources [at] akendi.com

Thank you to all applicants, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

With 6+ years of experience, a self-starter and able to work both independently and in conjunction with team members and client groups. Drive, enthusiasm and flexibility to work on a variety of projects are key, as well as the ability to rapidly acquire new domain familiarity.

Responsibilities will include:

• User Needs Assessment
• Persona & Usage Scenario Research / Task analysis
• Contextual Inquiries
• Information Design / IA
• Heuristic evaluations
• Usability Testing

Education: degree in behavioral science, computer science or closely related discipline including:

• Human Factors,
• Human-Computer Interaction (Computer Science)
• Psychology (Cognitive or Experimental)

We’re looking for someone that has deep knowledge of current usability research, theories and methodologies (especially user-centered design processes), and an intuitive feel for how human factors activities provide unique value added throughout the product development lifecycle.

Please send your resume to humanresources [at] akendi.com

Thank you to all applicants, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Presented by Ali Arya

Date: Tuesday November 15, 2011
Time: doors open at 6:00 pm; talk begins at 6:30 pm
Place: TheCodeFactory, 246 Queen St., Ottawa, ON, Canada

Abstract:
Using cameras to detect human motion has been a topic of research in computer vision research for decades. This research has resulted in a series of methods for human-computer interaction, which recently received a surge of more attention due to the success of vision-based game control systems, Microsft Kinect for Xbox and Sony Move for Playstation. In particular, Kinect and a couple of other similar 3D cameras have provided HCI researchers with significant new opportunities. This talk will review some of the more traditional computer vision approaches to HCI and also covers the new developments in this area using more recent technologies. Some future possibilities will be discussed based on these new technologies.

Speaker Bio:
Ali Arya received a B.Sc. degree in electrical engineering from Tehran Polytechnic, Iran, in 1990, and his Ph.D. degree in computer engineering from the Department of Elec. and Computer Eng., University of British Columbia, Canada, in 2004.

He has worked as research engineer, system analyst, and project manager in different research centers and leading companies, including Tehran Cybernetic Arm Project, Iran, and Honeywell, Canada, and also as instructor and post-doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, both in Vancouver, Canada. Since August 2006, he has been with the School of Information Technology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada where he is an associate professor and coordinator of Interactive Multimedia & Design program. His research interests include interactive multimedia systems, human-computer interaction, social user interfaces, virtual worlds and virtual characters, computer graphics and animation, games and digital art and entertainment. His research project s are funded by NSERC, SSHRC, OCE, and industrial partners.

Ali is a senior member of the IEEE and a member of editorial board and technical committees of various journals and conferences including International Journal of Computer Games Technology, the Open Cybernetics and Systemics Journal, and the Computer Graphics International, EuroMedia, and Cybergames Conferences.

When and Where:
This event will take place on Tuesday, November 15, 6:00 pm at TheCodeFactory, located at 246 Queen Street, between Bank and Kent, (on the second floor) above the Green Papaya Restaurant.

Note: There is no cost for attending this event and prior registration is not required. The doors open at 6:00 pm and the talk begins at 6:30 pm. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. An informal social gathering will follow at a nearby pub.

CapCHI (www.capchi.org) is a social and professional society of people who work as user interface designers, researchers, educators, software developers, web designers, graphic designers and human factors engineers in and around Canada’s National Capital Region. Founded in 1991, CapCHI’s goal is to bring together local professionals interested in how humans and computers interact, in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

Date: Saturday, November 5, 2011
Time: 9am – 4pm
Location: University of Ottawa, Lamoureux Building, Room 122

UXCamp Ottawa is returning on November 5, 2011. If you’re interested in User Experience, this might be a great way to spend a Saturday.

A bit about UXCamp: UXCamp Ottawa is for people who want to learn and share about user experience to make things work better for people. We’ll cover topics like design, usability, information architecture, user interfaces, service design, and anything and everything else about creating better products and better experiences.

This year, the conference welcomes Dana Chisnell of UsabilityWorks as the keynote. Her presentation, Democracy is a Design Problem is a story about how a simple change in type size on a commonly used form led to two major wars and a world wide economic crisis. Design matters.

We also welcome a number of other UX speakers including Gabor Vida from Ottawa’s own Teknision speaking on DeviceUXD: From RIM’s Blackberry Playbook Tablet to Kinect-enabled Kiosks. There’s also a new lightning round series: short 7 minute talks on various user experience issues and case studies.

Registration is $40 and is open and the web site is http://ottawa.uxcamp.ca.

Date: Saturday, November 5, 2011
Time: 9am – 4pm
Location: University of Ottawa, Lamoureux Building, Room 122

UXCamp is also on twitter: @uxcampottawa

Job IDs: SWG-0440605 and SWG-0440601
Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada

The IBM Cognos User Experience Team has openings for new graduates (graduated within the last 24 months or the next 8 months) in 2 roles: Interaction Designer and Visual/Graphic Designer.

The ideal candidates will have extensive training in various aspects of user experience product design, with a strong focus on interaction and/or visual design.

We’re looking for a User Experience designers who will contribute to producing top quality UI design solutions for our enterprise business intelligence and financial performance management software. Successful candidates will have a proven ability to deliver innovative, compelling and high-quality UI designs and visuals. They will also effectively use illustrations, prototypes, and presentations to communicate ideas with stakeholders.

We believe the UX roles are essential to building exciting products that will set us apart from our competition. We want our products to have the best User Experience in the industry. In this position, you will have a great deal of opportunity and responsibility – and a lot will be expected of you. We are looking for problem solvers – individuals with passion and desire to build really cool products!

More details online.

Interested candidates MUST apply online: https://jobs3.netmedia1.com/cp/search.jsp
Look for the following job IDs: SWG-0440605 and SWG-0440601

Research In Motion Limited® (RIM)® is a world leader in the mobile communications market and has a history of developing breakthrough wireless solutions. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies is used by thousands of organizations around the world and includes the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools and software/hardware licensing agreements. RIM is seeking driven individuals who can take our wireless data products to the next level in the global wireless market. Are you ready to make a difference in the world of mobile communications with RIM?

POSITION SUMMARY

The Creative Director, User Experience Design, as a key leader in the User Experience organization, will champion the BlackBerry user interface design aesthetic and lead a multi-disciplined team of designers to define, design and produce the user interface brand aesthetic for BlackBerry handheld and tablet devices and services.

Providing crisp design and functional leadership to a team of Visual Interaction, 3D Modeling, Motion Graphics and Audio Designers, incumbent will work alongside Brand Strategy, Industrial Design, Software Engineering and the rest of the User Experience organization to define and deliver the design aesthetic for all BlackBerry branded devices, tools and services.

Key Accountabilities
• Define the design strategy, drive the design process and oversee the execution of the design direction on software releases for handheld, tablet, desktop and server products and services
• Work with Brand, ID and UX, to translate the strategic requirements into product design goals and solutions
• Manage the aesthetic quality of all products and services as well as resourcing and development of team
• Drive the creation of strategies and action plans, including analyzing data, developing assumptions and making strategic and tactical recommendations to support objectives
• Provide organizational, inspirational, and knowledge leadership to achieve the regular deployment of high-quality, ground-breaking products that delight our users
• Create a team culture where innovation thrives, achievements are celebrated, bold goals are welcomed, and calculated risks are taken – all within the context of ensuring we surpass customer expectations with great experiences and key feature sets
• Drive and support a high volume of work, while providing guidance and direction to the team
• Build partnerships among cross functional groups and align design strategy to overall RIM product strategies
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have applied experience in designing branded user experiences for global consumer or mobile products and management experience in developing and leading a world class design Team. Ability to develop a vision, set a strategy, and advance RIM’s user experience will be critical for success in this role.
• A graduate or post-graduate degree in Graphic Design, Interactive Media, Industrial Design, Brand Strategy or a related product design field,
• 7-10+ years success in providing creative direction and functional management in the field of consumer product design on large scale software or hardware development projects
• Demonstrable success in creating world-class product design visions, processes, creative and production design teams.
• Applied experience managing User Interface Visual Interaction Design, Interactive Media design and production
• Applied experience in defining and applying a user centered design and multi-disciplinary design process as it relates to this field. Able to articulate research questions and incorporate feedback in an effective manner
• Executive level communication, presentation and interpersonal skills, including the ability to present information in clear and compelling ways
• Strong overall business acumen
• Confident and successful people management and development skills
• A ‘hands on’ or ‘lead by example’ approach to defining problems, declaring goals, exploring solutions and developing products
• Demonstrated ability to establish credibility and communicate effectively across all levels of the organization; maturely represents UX team when interfacing with senior leaders
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects, activities and deliverables while preserving product goals and the needs of the team
• Ability to balance near-term deliverables and long-term planning
• A product design portfolio that demonstrates breadth of creativity, depth of thinking and exceptionally high quality execution.

If you’re driven to take wireless technologies to the next level, it’s time you join the team at RIM. We offer a challenging environment that fosters creativity and rewards excellence. Employees also have use of our award winning BlackBerry!

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates may apply through www.rim.com/careers or by emailing Gary Good (ggood@rim.com) directly.

© 2011 Research In Motion Limited. All Rights Reserved. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, BlackBerry, “Always On, Always Connected” and the “envelope in motion” symbol are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries.

Research In Motion Limited® (RIM)® is a world leader in the mobile communications market and has a history of developing breakthrough wireless solutions. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies is used by thousands of organizations around the world and includes the BlackBerry® wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools and software/hardware licensing agreements. RIM is seeking driven individuals who can take our wireless data products to the next level in the global wireless market. Are you ready to make a difference in the world of mobile communications with RIM?

POSITION SUMMARY

RIM is seeking a Senior Interaction Designer to contribute to defining the next generation of mobile devices and handheld applications. The User Experience organization is a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, designers and engineers, responsible for conceptualizing, exploring, evaluating and specifying the user experience for the BlackBerry platform, devices and services.

RESPONSIBILITIES

As a senior member of the Interaction Design discipline, the Senior Interaction Designer is expected to demonstrate excellence in the discipline, leadership, strong communication and collaboration, good User-Centered Design processes and a willingness to innovate and take risks. In addition to working with other Interaction Designers, you will be working closely with Product Management and Development teams. The successful candidate will also:
• Define and enhance interactions and behaviors for handheld applications as well as for core UI controls and components such as buttons menus, virtual keyboards etc…
• Explore, prototype and evaluate candidate solutions and support their implementation
• Develop user scenarios, task flows, storyboards and UX specifications
• Define acceptable performance criteria for core UI interactions

ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
• Graduate or post-graduate degree in a product design related field such as; Interaction or Interface Design, Interactive Media, HCI, Graphic or Industrial Design, or the equivalent experience and training in an area directly relevant to this position, is required
• 5 years experience as Interaction Designer with at least 2 years experience developing handheld applications, core UI controls and components
• A well structured and user centric design methodology
• Strategic thinking and creative problem solving skills
• Solid technical understanding of core UI interactions
• Ability to distill design principles and rationale
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to build relationships across different disciplines

ADDITIONAL ASSETS
• Experience prototyping handheld devices, core UI interactions and applications
• Experience with software tools such as Visio, OmniGraffle, Balsamiq etc…
• Fluent in graphic/media design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Flash etc…

If you’re driven to take wireless technologies to the next level, it’s time you join the team at RIM. We offer a challenging environment that fosters creativity and rewards excellence. Employees also have use of our award winning BlackBerry!

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates may apply through www.rim.com/careers or by emailing Gary Good (ggood@rim.com) directly.

© 2011 Research In Motion Limited. All Rights Reserved. The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, BlackBerry, “Always On, Always Connected” and the “envelope in motion” symbol are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries.

Presented by Andy Maloney

Date: Tuesday October 18, 2011
Time: doors open at 6:00 pm; talk begins at 6:30 pm
Place: TheCodeFactory, 246 Queen St., Ottawa

Abstract:
“You are not the user” is often presented as a [sometimes not-so-gentle] reminder to designers that usually you are not the one who is going to be using the results of your design. This implies that you need to somehow put yourself into their position to see things from their perspective. If you are dropped into a situation where you have to design and implement software for an expert in a field you know nothing about, how do you do it? How do you go from knowing nothing to becoming a subject matter expert?

In this talk we’ll explore how you might “become the user” to help guide your design decisions and how the in-depth knowledge of another domain can be combined with your expertise to lead to innovation. Andy will draw on his experiences designing and implementing a derivatives-trading system for market-makers and creating a bloodstain pattern analysis tool for crime scene investigators to jump-start a discussion.

This talk is aimed at anyone interested in user-centered design and anyone faced with the “oh no!” moment when you realize you don’t know anything about the field you’re about to work in. Please come prepared with questions and experiences to share!

Speaker Bio:
Andy Maloney has been a software guy since the dawn of the home computer age and likes learning new things. He completed a degree in Computing and Information Science, which turned out to be a Good Thing because it’s only useful when combined with other fields which means there’s a lot of opportunity to learn new stuff. He has worked on hard-core software engineering of banking software, designed and implemented a derivatives trading system in Europe, worked on game engine software for independent game developers, and created a bloodstain pattern analysis tool for crime scene investigators. He also likes coffee.

When and Where:
This event will take place on Tuesday, October 18, 6:00 pm at TheCodeFactory, located at 246 Queen Street, between Bank and Kent, (on the second floor) above the Green Papaya Restaurant.

Note: There is no cost for attending this event and prior registration is not required. The doors open at 6:00 pm and the talk begins at 6:30 pm. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. An informal social gathering will follow at a nearby pub.

CapCHI (www.capchi.org) is a social and professional society of people who work as user interface designers, researchers, educators, software developers, web designers, graphic designers and human factors engineers in and around Canada’s National Capital Region. Founded in 1991, CapCHI’s goal is to bring together local professionals interested in how humans and computers interact, in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.