[stcusesig_l] ideas for WUD - World Usability Day

Fri Aug 22 11:02:15 MDT 2008

The mall wayfinding sounds like a terrific idea! I am involved in the  
student STC chapter at the University of Minnesota. I will propose  
doing a mall walk at the Mall of America. Any tips would be appreciated.

Alan Wyman
alan.wyman at comcast.net

On Aug 22, 2008, at 10:53 AM, Chauncey Wilson wrote:

> Thanks for the kind words.  Actually, my wife is the brilliant one.   
> I'm pretty well read though :-).
>
> I like the transportation concept.  It might also be interesting to  
> do some observational studies on use of cell phones.  I sat an a  
> long intersection last week and counted the number of people on  
> their cellphones, about 30 cars passed by and of those 30, 9 people  
> were clearly using hand cell phones and not hands-free (so the  
> estimate is probably low).  That made me very nervous. It was rush  
> hour and people were probably calling home.
>
> I did a wayfinding walk in Boston at the first WUD and we had a  
> great time examining landmarks, how buildings can support  
> wayfinding, good and bad signs, and wayfindinging inside a mall.   
> About 6 of us went and we made notes and took pictures. If anyone  
> wants to try that, I can pass on a few tips.
>
> Thanks,
> Chauncey
>
> On Fri, Aug 22, 2008 at 11:42 AM, Mary Deaton  
> <mmdeaton at mmdeaton.com> wrote:
> Chauncey, You're brilliant. I know STC has participated as an
> organization in WUD in the past. Was it UUX who made this happen? This
> would be somewhat ironic, since I just sent email to the local UPA
> chapter saying I could not coordinate the WUD activity this year
> because I was too busy managing this group!
>
> I love the first two ideas. Number one would be easy for any SIG
> member to do or for any individual person to do. We could set up a
> Flickr or Facebook to which people could post the picture with
> specific information. Or perhaps UUX could set up a page on our Web
> site.
>
> The walks would be excellent for a local STC or UUX chapter to do on
> WUD itself, and blog as they go and take cell phone pictures. I
> suspect they would not need to cover more than a few square blocks to
> get lots of info, especially if they scouted them out in advance.
>
> Any SIG members who want to volunteer to coordinate WUD activities,
> please contact me via email and I will organize a call or chat or
> something.
>
> Mary
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 5:03 AM, Chauncey Wilson
> <chauncey.wilson at gmail.com> wrote:
> > This would be an excellent topic for brainstorming.  Here are some  
> thoughts:
> >
> > 1.  A photo gallery of good and bad signage.
> > 2.  Wayfinding walks where a small team explores a city and  
> examines issues
> > around wayfinding
> > 3.  Create a  bibliography of interesting issues related to  
> transportation.
> > 4.  Read together the book "Traffic" which dispells some myths  
> about driving
> > and traffic patterns.
> > 5.  Examine what persuasive principles might work best to encouage  
> public
> > transporation.
> > 6.  Explore the user experience of your area's bus or train system  
> from the
> > Web site with information to the experience of riding in rush hour.
> > 7.  Have a colleague who has to get around in a wheelchair narrate  
> what is
> > it like for him/her to get around the city.
> >
> > Chauncey
> >
> > On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 3:05 AM, Karen Mardahl  
> <k.mardahl at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> World Usability Day is coming up (Nov. 13), and I'd like to hear  
> what
> >> plans are simmering out there on the back burners of your minds.  
> This
> >> year's theme is transport.
> >>
> >> I live in Denmark, more specifically in Copenhagen, where we have  
> lots
> >> of public transport - trains, buses, and light-rail. The train  
> station
> >> near my office is a place frequented by blind people going to and  
> from
> >> the school for the blind just a stop ahead on the train line. I  
> notice
> >> how they navigate using the raised pieces of metal that form a  
> trail
> >> inside the station down to the tracks. I think about the turmoil in
> >> rush hour and wonder how that is perceived by people with canes,
> >> wheelchairs, or guide animals. I'd like to do some sort of  
> project for
> >> WUD. SIGCHI.dk held an all day mini-conference 2 years ago, but  
> they
> >> are doing nothing this year. Another group, webgrrls.dk, is  
> interested
> >> in "doing something". I threw the idea out in that group last  
> week. I
> >> am too fried with deadlines these days to think creatively right  
> now.
> >> I cannot figure out whether it is enough to have an event on the  
> day,
> >> or whether the day should be preceded by... something. Perhaps
> >> something as simple as announcements in the news media? I also  
> think
> >> we should contact the bodies that run these services: www.dsb.dk
> >> (trains), www.movia.dk (buses), and www.m.dk (metro). They may  
> provide
> >> access in ways that "ordinary" people can't, e.g. doing a survey or
> >> some similar larger project. Even though we got involved with  
> them, I
> >> don't think commercialism would spoil a collaboration. We could  
> also
> >> test the tourist angle. Danish is the national language, so signage
> >> and announcements are in Danish, of course, except for travels  
> toward
> >> the airport. How do non-Danish speakers feel about the transport
> >> system. For example, is much of it intuitive? Personally, I'd  
> like an
> >> accessibility angle, too, because of my involvement in the
> >> AccessAbility SIG (co-manager).
> >>
> >> I thought I would take the opportunity to just ask this group for
> >> ideas and inspiration. Perhaps others would enjoy a brainstorming
> >> session on this topic, too?
> >>
> >> Read more about WUD at their site: http:// 
> www.worldusabilityday.org/
> >>
> >> Thanks!
> >>
> >> regards, Karen Mardahl
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >
> >
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Mary Deaton
> Deaton Interactive Design
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