Learn cutting edge User Experience principles by doing!

• Web Writing Course
• Information Architecture Training
• User Experience Training / Usability Training

Follow The UX Leader brings together insight, experiences and knowledge from Internet industry leaders in a series of training workshops on advanced web practices you won’t want to miss!

Taught by Ottawa’s foremost experts in User Experience Design and Web Content Strategy, Follow The UX Leader throws out the PowerPoint and shifts learning back to the way it was when we were kids ….hands-on, interactive, and fun!

Chock-full of cutting edge knowledge and resources you can use right away, workshop fees include invaluable give-aways totaling close to $500: books by Rosenfeld Media and Morgan Kaufmann, tools from Loop11, ClickTale, and the Optimal Workshop.

For more information, please contact Jeff Parks at jeff.parks@iaconsultants.ca or (613) 850-3218

When and Where: Workshops are held in the Loft Room at Ottawa’s historic Courtyard Restaurant in the heart of the Byward Market. Its beamed ceilings, gas fireplace, and stone walls serve as the perfect backdrop for a day of inspiration and creativity!

Who: Follow The UX Leader training workshops were created to deliver quality content and instruction on advanced web practices for web designers, web developers, marketing managers, project managers, and communications professionals.

Sponsored By: Information Architecture Institute, FatDUX, ClickTale, the Optimal Workshop, Morgan Kaufmann, Loop11, Rosenfeld Media, Marsworks

NOTE: NEW LOCATION!

DATE: Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

TIME: 6:30PM Networking; 7PM-9PM Presentation

PLACE: Carleton University, University Centre, Room 279
University Centre, is next to Parking Lot 2, and contains the bookstore, etc.
Room 376 is on the third floor.
Please refer to map: http://osqa.org/map.asp

COST: $10.00, free for members

TO REGISTER: send an e-mail to suggestions@osqa.org with a subject REGISTER FOR MAY (please let us know if you have food allergies/restrictions)

OUR MEETINGS ARE SPONSORED BY: Pegasie Technologies

SPEAKER: Lorraine Chapman, Macadamian

ABSTRACT:

Using conventional usability testing or other user feedback methods aren’t always possible in tight budgets or timelines, but most people recognize that waiting too late in the design and development cycle to get user feedback can be even more costly or risky.

Learn some basic techniques for effective user feedback that doesn’t set project timelines back weeks or months, yet reduces the risk of finding out too late the business and user value of your product is undermined by usability issues when it is finally released or quality tested.

SPEAKER’S BIO:

Lorraine Chapman is a management and usability research professional responsible for managing the User Experience team and providing strategic business direction to Macadamian clients on key customer and business issues, related to user-centered design and product usability.

In addition to her role as Director of Research, Ms. Chapman has provided a broad range of clients (within the Healthcare, Telecommunications, Government, and Finance sectors) with strategic direction on business, product and customer issues. This experience includes product opportunity analysis, quantitative and qualitative research and usability analysis of websites, services (eCommerce and eBusiness), applications, software, hardware and documentation. She has successfully coordinated and led interviews, field studies and usability tests with users of products in North America and Europe.

Lorraine is also an occasional guest lecturer at Carleton University, and local Usability organizations, such as CapCHI. She has co-chaired the World Usability Day events held in Ottawa (in November 2008 and 2009) and was a member of the organizing committee in past years. In addition, she has extensive experience teaching Macadamian’s certification program courses.

MORE ABOUT OSQA: http://osqa.org/

As one of the world’s leading providers of business software, SAP delivers products and services that help accelerate business innovation. Today, customers in more than 120 countries and 25 industries run SAP applications – from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organizations.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

We are looking for a Senior Level Interaction designer to help us build better user experiences for IT administrators responsible for Business Intelligence. You will be in charge of collecting and understanding user interaction patterns, requirements, users and their needs. With this knowledge you will create mockups, prototypes and guidelines in cooperation with other members of the Development Team for the Business Intelligence Platform. In addition, mockup and prototype designs will need to be validated with users and customers.

SAP BusinessObjects business intelligence (BI) solutions provide comprehensive business intelligence functionality that empowers users to make effective, informed decisions based on solid data and analysis. All users, from the high-end analyst to the casual business user, have access to the information they need -with minimal dependence on IT resources and developers. With these powerful solutions, users throughout your enterprise can access, format, analyze, navigate, and share information across the organization.

EXPECTATIONS AND TASKS

• Work closely with Solution and Product Management to interview and understand users
• Draft up user personas, goals, and scenarios
• Research and conduct heuristic analysis on existing and competitive products
• Define high level interaction, navigation models and task flows
• Design wire frames and iterate prototypes from low to high fidelity
• Conduct formative testing on evolving prototypes
• Collaborate with Program/Product Management to produce detailed UI specifications
• Supervise development colleagues to ensure designs are implemented as specified
• Coordinate summative testing with 3rd party vendors

WORK EXPERIENCE

• 5+ years of Interaction Design experience for web and/or thick client applications
• Experience doing interaction designs for software tools used by IT administrators
• Experience with enterprise business applications
• Experience working in an Agile development process a plus

TRAVEL

0-30%

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Post Secondary Degree in Interaction Design, Industrial Design, HCI, Human Factors or equivalent
• In depth knowledge of prototyping tools like Visio, Photoshop, and/or Illustrator
• Excellent written, visual, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work well with interdisciplinary teams and mentor junior staff

To Apply please visit or contact Kathy  via email: Kathy dot Powell at SAP dot Com 

https://ejobs.sap-ag.de/sap(bD1lbiZjPTAwMSZkPW1pbg==)/bc/bsp/sap/hrrcf_pinstappl/application.do?sap-client=001&sap-language=EN&rcfContext=US&PARAM=UElOU1RfR1VJRD1ERjYxNENEQzQyMzIzRkYxQUUyNjAwMThGRTc2N0YxMA%3d%3d

Challenging opportunity in IT

Location: Ottawa, Ontario

Linguistic Profile: Bilingual imperative CBC/CBC

Salary range: $89,935 to $119,265

Education: Successful completion of a university degree from a recognized university in computer engineering, computer science or a related field.

Formal studies in human-computer interaction, user-centered design and/or enterprise architecture would be an asset.

Candidates with foreign educational credentials are required to provide proof of Canadian equivalency.  You must consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials at www.cicic.ca for futher information.

Who can apply: Canadian citizens residing in Canada or abroad

Please note that candidates invited to an interview and tests will be responsible for all travel and accommodation.

If relocation is required, the successful candidate will be expected to pay for his/her relocation expenses.

Join a dynamic organization and contribute to ensuring that Canada’s federal and territorial governments are answerable and productive.  The Office of the Auditor General of Canada has been selected by Maclean’s magazine as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the last three years in a row.

The Office of the Auditor General of Canada is seeking a Director in Information Technology.   We offer a challenging and interesting work environment with many opportunities for growth and advancement and a good work/life balance.

The key activities of the Director are as follows:

Directs the IT applications and databases team by managing its financial and human resoures,  determining its goals, objectives and priorities, preparing operational and business plans,and developing work processes and standards;

Directs the analysis of clients’ IT proposals, from both a business and technical perspective, to ensure integration throughout the department, and conformance with the corporate applications and database architecture standard;

Plans and directs the research, development, integration, coordination, implementation, monitoring and maintenance of the Office’s IT business applications and database management systems, including the plans, policies, standards and trends as well as the acquisition of goods and services to ensure that the Office’s applications and database expenditures are made in a planned and controlled fashion;

Develops and implements corporate strategies and initiatives to ensure that the computing systems environment effectively supports all of the Office’s current and future objectives and priorities, devises the necessary strategies for the integration of the Office’s databases and for their accessibility through our networks;

Researchs trends and development in technologies, Commercial-off-the-Shelf Software (COTS), identifies opportunities for service enhancement and recommends to senior management and/or to the appropriate committee new IT initiatives for increasing productivity and reducing costs;

Represents the IT group with clients to negotiate service levels, determines their applications and database needs, provides advice and solutions to their IT problems, promotes the need for new IT systems, and reaches concensus on overall Office objectives and priorities for the IT/Business applications and database program;

Provides input to long range and annual IT plans, policies and standards, and makes strategic recommendations to senior management on the use and optimization of applications, business systems and application development technologies/practices;

Chairs symposiums and seminars, maintains membership in professional associations, and consults IT officials of central agencies, other government departments (OGDs), provincial governments and the private sector, to develop solutions to common IT applications and database problems;

Develops and prepares discussion/research papers, briefing notes, and position papers on the Office IT applications and database programs.

Has superior communication skills to gain respect and influence, to write reports, and to establish excellent relationships with client organizations.

We need individuals who are able to adapt to changing conditions and shifting priorities.

We offer you an exciting and varied work environment. The Office of the Auditor General is staffed with dynamic, inquisitive staff who believe in the mission of the Auditor General and who want to make a difference.

As an employer committed to a diverse workforce, we encourage candidates in designated groups – women, visible minorities, Aboriginal persons and persons with disabilities – to apply and self-identify on their application.

We are committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted regarding this competition, please advise us of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.

Preference will be given to Canadian citizens.

We thank all those who apply.  Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Closing date:  19 May 2010

Must Have Skills

• Significant experience directing and managing the development,implementation, delivery and maintenance of critical business applications and databases
• Significant experience leading, coaching and supervising IT and multi-disciplinary teams in the delivery of business systems/applications
• Significant experience in the analysis of business needs and the provision of IT proposals and advice to senior management and clients
• Experience working with agile and/or user-centered design methodologies
• Exp. developing policies, processes and standards for application development/management based on industry standards such as SEI CMM, ITIL, ISO, etc.
• Experience directing the development of strategic frameworks, policies and business plans for business applications and corporate databases
• Experience in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships and partnerships with stakeholders at all levels
• Experience researching, analyzing and reporting future trends and developments in various IT disciplines

To apply, visit http://www.recruitingsite.com/csbsites/oag/en/JobDescription.asp?JobNumber=626308.

Competition PDS-168-OT

SMART Technologies is recruiting a senior user experience specialist for its Ottawa office. Reporting to the manager, user experience, you will research how customers use SMART products and work with the product development team to improve the customer experience from product purchase through installation, operation and support.

Your responsibilities will include the following:

• Monitoring websites remotely to observe how people use our products
• Prototyping and testing desktop software and website interfaces
• Guiding user- and take-centered development methods at all levels of the organization by visiting customers, watching them use
• SMART products and relaying your findings to management team
• Prototyping and testing product ideas before market release
• Collaborating with industrial designers to prototype and test hardware interfaces
• Collecting and disseminating human-performance research
• Training and leading software and web development teams on usability methods
• Reporting usability and feature feedback to appropriate development teams
• Leading usability-centered initiatives
• Mentoring teammates

Requirements

You have the following qualifications:

• Master’s degree in science with focus on human-computer interaction, human factors, industrial design, ergonomics, psychology and computer science, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least eight years’ directly related experience researching and prototyping new technologies
• Strong collaboration skills, including the ability to work comfortably with people at all levels of the company while in a high-visibility position
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong time-management skills
• Preferably, experience coordinating and organizing a team

To learn more, visit…

http://www.careerbuilder.com/Jobs/Smart-Technologies/Senior-User-Experience-Specialist/J8A3GL6YV4K5WY0ZVVF

Level: Intermediate

To Apply: www.smarttech.com.careers

Graphic User Interface Designer

Work at SMART Technologies, and you can be part of a team that creates and markets leading-edge hardware and software tools sold around the world. You can join the many skilled professionals who make SMART the global leader in the interactive whiteboard product category. Consider a career at one of Canada’s fastest growing companies. You’ll find a dynamic, challenging environment that encourages initiative and rewards creativity.

SMART is recruiting a graphic user interface designer for its Calgary office. Reporting to the manager, user experience, you will work with SMART’s product development team. You will be responsible for the visual manifestation of interaction concepts that constitute the user experience with SMART products, delivering all aspects of a graphic program including initial concepts, mockups, rapid prototypes for gathering customer feedback on interaction concepts and liaising with business and development teams.

Your responsibilities will include the following:

• Translating user interaction scenarios and usability testing results to generate preferred graphic solutions for web, desktop applications, icon and interface architecture
• Supporting interaction designers and usability researchers with graphic prototypes and concepts for testing
• Producing high fidelity graphic assets for development and implementation
• Developing graphic layouts that manifest interaction design and usability findings
• Contributing to and implementing corporate guidelines and graphic standards
• Developing and contributing to graphic user interface continuity in the SMART portfolio

You have the following qualifications:

• Degree or diploma in design, fine arts or computer science
• At least three years’ experience in graphic and interactive visual design experience
• Working knowledge of user-centered design and usability validation
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Strong teamwork, time management  and negotiation skills
• Demonstrated experience with Adobe^® Photoshop^®, Illustrator^®, Flash^®, and Dreamweaver^®
• Preferably, knowledge of ActionScript™ and Flex™
• Preferably, experience in a project lead position
• A valid Canadian passport, or the ability to obtain one
• Eligible for an education security clearance

Location Calgary, AB

Competition PDS-253-HQ

Application deadline May 20, 2010

To apply for this position, please visit www.smarttech.com/careers and choose competition PDS-253-HQ from our list of current positions.

Our last session of the season will begin with our Annual General Meeting in which we briefly reviewed the activities and finances from this year, and make plans for next year (including election to the Officers). CapCHI is looking for new volunteers! We need people to recruit interesting speakers, organize events, and even shop for cookies. If you want to get involved, come to this meeting and/or send email to andrew@capchi.org.

The Design Challenge is a special event in which 3 or 4 design teams work for a short time on an interaction design challenge in real time, in a competitive and fun format. It provides the participating teams with the opportunity to contribute to the CapCHI community, as well as an opportunity to show off their design process and skills in an event that is sure to draw a big audience and generate a buzz! The session will be entertaining and educational, demonstrating ‘live’ some of the less tangible aspects of team design processes, as well as the more formal elements. For more information on the Design Challenge, contact michelle@capchi.org

When and Where:

This event will take place on Thursday, June 24, 6:00pm at The Clocktower Brew Pub, 575 Bank Street (just south of the Queensway/Hwy 417), in the downstairs room.

Note: there is no cost for attending this event and prior registration is not required.

Who:

CapCHI 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.

CHIlights will feature highlights from the CHI 2010 conference and other conferences. Members from the CapCHI community will present their own personal views of recent HCI-related conferences, including highlights, lowlights, trends, observations and photos.

CHIstuds will feature brief presentations highlighting student projects and research from the past year. Speakers will include Elizabeth Stobert, a recipient of our Student Research Travel Supplement. The speakers for this evening will be as follows…

• Alain Forget: Shoulder-Surfing Resistance with Eye-Gaze Entry in Click-Based Graphical Passwords
• Aren Hunter: Recovering Dynamic Objects after Interruptions
• Stephanie Pineau: Visual Attributes Contributing to Web Page Appeal
• Patrick Noonan: Deriving User Requirements for an CBRNE Emergency Support System
• Elizabeth Stobert: Usability and Strength in Click-based Graphical Passwords

When and Where:

This event will take place on Tuesday, May 18, 6:00pm 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. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. An informal social gathering will follow at a nearby pub.

Who:

CapCHI 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: Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Time: 6:00pm
Place: TheCodeFactory, 246 Queen St., Ottawa

New: Slides can be found here… http://slidesha.re/b5tdE7

Abstract:

Over the last decade, the Agile movement has been sweeping the world of software development by storm. Agile is more than a methodology – it’s a mindset that emphasizes cross-functional teamwork over following a process, working software over comprehensive documentation, and responding to change over up-front planning.

Given this radical change of focus compared to traditional software development methods, user experience and usability professionals working with Agile development teams are faced with the task of adapting their activities, deliverables, and even their own role to this new worldview.

Many Agile principles, such as continuous user feedback and iterative development, are familiar to UX professionals. Others, such as the focus on efficiency and time-boxed iterations, the lack of explicit accommodation for up-front research and design, and the often ill-defined role of the Customer, can present challenges.

In this talk, Dmitry will examine these challenges in the context of his own experiences working as a user experience designer alongside Agile development teams. He will also present a set of simple guiding principles for enabling UX professionals to engage in high-quality collaboration with development teams within the framework of an Agile development process.

Speaker Bio:

Dmitry Nekrasovski is currently a user experience designer with Open Text, Canada’s largest independent software vendor. Since 2006, he has worked in a UX capacity on projects involving Agile development teams, successfully driving significant user experience improvements in the process. His own experience with Agile dates back to 2002, when, in his former life as a software developer, he attended one of the first Agile workshops. Dmitry holds a M.Sc. in HCI from the University of British Columbia and a degree in computer science from Carleton University.

When and Where:

This event will take place on Tuesday, April 20, 6:00pm 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. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. An informal social gathering will follow at a nearby pub.

Who:

CapCHI 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: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Time: 6:00pm
Place: TheCodeFactory, 246 Queen St., Ottawa

Abstract:

This case study will provide a rare look behind the firewall at one of the most ambitious and exciting initiatives to come out of Canada this year. GCPEDIA, an open wiki for collaboration and the GCCONNEX professional networking platform are enabling culture change and workplace renewal amongst 250,000 employees across 100’s of legislated silos within the Canadian Federal Government.  The presentation will cover why and how it was done, the “spaghetti” strategy, starting small and growing big, and the approach of viral adoption and the perpetual beta. The policy implications involved creating an architecture of participation – providing the guardrails for appropriate behaviour without stifling innovation, and providing practical information management. The effect was turning the light on in a dark room – how social media increases the need for policy adherence as everything is done in a more transparent and open environment. It is about culture not technology, flying under th
e radar, and asking permission and begging forgiveness. We learned what engagement really means, and that changing culture requires one conversation at a time; but trust is hard for institutions. We can report on where we are seeing business value, the evidence we have collected, and metrics that involve measuring what people actually care about.

Speaker Bio:

Thom Kearney loves to solve problems.  In the 80’s he built one of Ottawa’s premiere ad agencies and then went on to teach and coach young adults.  More recently he’s been a leader, analyst and change agent for a range of technology intensive but business needs driven projects. A professional communicator by trade, Thom’s eclectic background makes him a rare “expert generalist”, someone that can cross the boundaries between the technical and business side of change, mediating for the benefit of both.  Thom thinks strategically but acts tactically, always seeing the end game, without losing sight of the practical reality we live in.  Thom’s unique perspective and forthright opinions have earned him the status of trusted advisor for organizations like the Government of Canada and Mitel Networks. Thom also teaches in the Bachelor of Information program at Carleton University.  Thom is fresh from a three year assignment as an executive with the Chief Information Officer Branch of the Treasury Board Secretariat, (the Feds), where he led the introduction of GCPEDIA, GCCONNEX and other elements of an Open Collaborative Workplace for Canadian Public Servants.

When and Where:

This event will take place on Tuesday, March 16, 6:00pm 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. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. An informal social gathering will follow at a nearby pub.

Who:

CapCHI 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.