UPA Monthly: November 2007

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The monthly newsletter of the Usability Professionals' Association

In This Edition

Usability in the news
Chapter news
UPA news
UPA Publications
Save the date

Usability in the News

Videogame Usability 101 (Next Generation, 8 Oct 2007)
"So in the spirit of improved usability, here are ten standard features every videogame designer should embrace."

Optimizing the E-Business Experience (CRMBuyer, 29 Aug 2007)
"Today, customers and partners must be at the center of your organization's business strategy -- a strategy that provides consistent, personalized customer experiences at all touch points."

As the Fall Season Arrives, TV Screens Get More Cluttered (NYTimes, 24 Sept 2007)
"For better or worse, viewers say, the additions are making the experience of watching television more closely mirror the feeling of using a computer."

Virtual worlds open up to blind (BBCNews, 18 Sept 2007)
"Online virtual worlds could soon be accessible to blind people thanks to research by students at IBM in Ireland."

Chapter News

** French Translation **
UPA is looking for a person to help translate the UPA Monthly into French. Interested? - chapters2007@usabilityprofessionals.org

UPA Singapore website launched
UPA Singapore held the Usability Forum on Oct 5th, 2007 : Usability in 2007
Contact: yuanfu.qiu@upasingapore.org

User Experience Russia – 2007
The first annual conference in Russia dedicated to usability of information technologies
November 8 -10, 2007
Contact: org@userexp.ru

User Friendly 2007
The theme of 2007 is Connecting User Experience Communities.
November 23-25, 2007

Share Chapter knowledge with other Chapters
Do you have a topic, event presentation, paper or article etc to share with other Chapters?
Upload to: - http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/upa-chapters

Photo of the Month
Share Chapter event photos - use the 'upachapter' tag.

Promote your UPA Events on UXNET
If you have a local UPA Event which you wish you publicize on the UXnet website, contact your "Local UX Ambassador" or even better become a "Local Ambassador" if there isn't one in your area. This helps to promote your event to a wider community and helps to build the UXnet organisation that UPA supports.

Chapters in Formation

Want to speak at a Chapter?
If you are traveling to a specific city, Chapter are always looking for new speakers. Contact a Chapter Leader to let them know your plans.
Contact a Chapter Leader

Looking for a chapter in your city? Contact: chapters@usabilityprofessionals.org

Join the Chapters Group

Learn more about UPA Chapters

UPA News

Reservations now being accepted!
The UPA 2008 User Experience (UX) Magazine Advertising Rate Sheet is available.
Contact Nicole Tafoya to reserve your space in 2008! office@usabilityprofessionals.org

World Usability Day
November 8, 2007

UPA 2008 Conference - "The Many Faces of User Experience: Usability through Holistic Practice"
The conference will take place at the beautiful Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland, June 16-20, 2008.

UPA 2008 Conference Reviewers Needed
The UPA 2008 Conference Committee is looking for practicing usability specialists to review proposals for the 2008 conference.

User Friendly 2007
The theme of 2007 is Connecting User Experience Communities.
November 23-23, 2007

UPA 2007 Salary Survey Closing Nov 15
The UPA 2007 Salary Survey will close on Nov 15. If you haven't completed it, now's your chance! Every two years the UPA surveys user experience professionals to attain in-depth data about the development of the user experience field. The survey is anonymous and open to all user experience professionals, not just UPA members. A version of the report is freely available to all, and will be ready in approximately three months.
Take the survey
Learn more about the UPA Salary Survey Project (PDF)

Mentoring Program
The Student and Young Professionals Mentoring program continues to pick up momentum with a number of applicants already seeking mentors. If you are interested in giving back to the community, becoming a Peer Mentor or if you are looking for a mentor, please take a closer look at the program and sign up.

Catalyze: New resource for UPA members
Catalyze is an online community for user experience professionals, business analysts and others who define and evaluate business systems, design software applications, or create websites. The UPA is a founding sponsor of Catalyze, as is the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). Catalyze features discussion forums, blogs, an events calendar and other resources that make it a powerful resource for UX professionals who want to share and learn from one another.

UPA Europe 2008
The first European regional conference of the Usability Professionals' Association (UPA) will take place in Torino, Italy, named the 2008 World Design Capital. Hundreds of designers and usability specialists are expected to attend.

LINKEDIN – Networking among UPA members and more
Do you want to find quickly and easily other UPA members with similar backgrounds and needs? Join us on LinkedIn today.

Learn more about your Board of Directors.

UPA Publications

UPA - User Experience Magazine: Volume 6, Issue 4, 2007

UPA - Voice October, 2007
Thumbnail: Charlie Kreitzberg

UPA - Journal of Usability Studies - August 2007: Volume 2, Issue 4
User Research of a Voting Machine: Preliminary Findings and Experiences
Authors: Menno de Jong, Joris van Hoof, Jordy Gosselt

Want to write an article for a UPA publications?
Contact: publications@usabilityprofessionals.org

Want to advertise in a UPA publication?
Contact: assocdir@usabilityprofessionals.org

Save the Date

World Usability Day
November 8, 2007

User Friendly 2007
November 23-25, 2007

UPA Announces 2008 International Usability Conference
"The Many Faces of User Experience: Usability through Holistic Practice"
Baltimore, Maryland, June 16-20, 2008

New email or address?
Keep your member profile up to date, so you don't miss any mail.

Thanks to Our Contributors

Melanie Rousseau (Québec Chapter), French
Silvia Zimmermann (Swiss Chapter), German
Alberto Lacalle (Spanish Chapter), Spanish
Michele Visciola (UPA Italia), Italian
Adriana Betiol (Brazil Chapter), Portuguese
Yaniv Michaeli (UPA Israel), Hebrew
Natasha Voynarovskaya (UPA Russia), Russian
Denny Huang (UPA China), Chinese
Tadashi Kobayashi (HCD-Net), Toyohiro Kanayama (UPA), Japanese
Daniel Szuc (UPA China-Hong Kong), English, News scout

Contact UPA Monthly