February 2005 Contents

Articles

Guerilla Facilitation
Having facilitated a few hundred one-on-one usability tests and focus groups, I've come away with several thoughts about the art of facilitation. I've seen too much written about the “right” way to facilitate. Consider these thoughts my first attempt at what I’ll call “Guerilla Facilitation.”

By Ronnie Battista

Low-Cost Usability Testing
At Southwest Airlines, we are known for our low-cost philosophy, so when we decided to start doing formal usability testing, it made sense that we would use a low-cost approach.

By Bob Hurst

Projects and Events

It’s All Happening in China
Last December, I traveled to Beijing, China for User Friendly 2004 to meet a few of our usability colleagues there. What I found was a large and vibrant usability community, with nearly 200 people attending the conference, organized by UPA China and UPA Hong Kong.

By Whitney Quesenbery

UPA 2005: The French Connection
On June 28, 2005, something extraordinary will happen in Montreal. This year, the Usability Professional’s Association’s annual conference will sound a little bit different. For the first time in its young and dynamic history, the organization will hold a bilingual conference to highlight its international flavor. With a comprehensive line-up of French presentations, the UPA will open its doors to a new clientele. Top usability specialists from the French community will get together to share ideas and to bridge cultures with traditional UPA communities.

By Alain Robillard-Bastien, M. Sc.

UPA Member Interviews

UPA Member Interview with Lucia Filgueiras
I’m now presently working on the enhancement of LabIHC, a usability laboratory that evaluates usability of e-government services. This lab belongs to the Sao Paulo State Government and it is intended to act as a quality assurance service for every government site that is offered to citizens.

1. What project are you working on now?
2. What's the biggest challenge you're facing on this project?
3. Do you have any "take-aways" to share that may benefit our members?

If you would like to participate in an interview, please contact Paul Sherman at p.j.sherman@sbcglobal.net.