Title: User-Centred Design: A Cultural Challenge
Date: Tuesday January19th, 2010
Time: 6:00pm
Place: TheCodeFactory, 246 Queen St., Ottawa
Abstract:
The quality of interactive experience with technology is produced in a particular cultural context and only determined or evaluated in the context of use. Incorporation of cultural factors in design thinking and design processes is critical to achieve the high quality of human-technology interaction that enables our experience with the technology to be effective and convivial.
Michelle will present her recent experience working for a non-profit organization in South East Asia. The focus of her presentation will be the impact of cultural issues on interface design, and the challenge of applying a user-centred design (UCD) process to manage projects in a third-world Asian country. Michelle will demonstrate the impact of cultural issues on the UCD approach with an example archival digitization project in which she managed and helped re-design a digitization software interface. The discussion of cultural issues will provide valuable implications on design approaches and usability test methods to product designers and researchers.
Speaker Bio:
Since 2006 Michelle Gauthier is a Human Factors consultant for CAE Professional Services Canada. In this role, Michelle provides human factors support to various military, energy, academic, and commercial projects. She took a one-year sabbatical to work for a non-profit organization in Laos, South East Asia in 2008-2009. Since returning from South East Asia, Michelle intends to re-focus her human factors skills on more socially responsible projects. Michelle is currently a member of the National Capital chapter of ACM SIGCHI. She received her M.A. in psychology with a specialty in human-computer interaction from Carleton University, Ottawa, in 2005.
When and Where:
This event will take place on Tuesday January19th, 2010, 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.