The Los Angeles Chapter of ASIS&T and the Los Angeles User Experience Meetup Group invite you to:

Collaborative Tools: Best Practices and New Trends

What does it mean to collaborate in today's Web 2.0 world? A panel of speakers pooled from LACASIST and the LA-UX (User Experience Meetup Group) will give a breakdown for best practices on keeping your head above water on collaborative documentation and team productivity. They will talk about collaboration tools and tips for better communication, every day productivity, and shared documentation. Some topics covered include using collaborative document sharing (Google Apps), online project management tools (Basecamp, etc.), and new patterns on online collaboration networks.

Date and Time: 
Thursday, November 19, 2009 - 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Location: 
UCLA Law School
405 Hilgard Avenue, ROOM 1357
Los Angeles, CA, 90095

Driving and parking information:
Attendees are recommended to park in Lot 2 or short-term campus parking. The closest parking booth from which to request a $10 daily permit is at Hilgard & Westholme (next to Faculty Center & Lot 2); this booth closes at 7:30PM. Note that the Hilgard & Wynton booth is closed. After 7:30PM, attendees should use the pay stations for short-term parking (2 hours etc.); do not use a Lot without a permit displayed.
Please see the parking campus map at http://www.transportation.ucla.edu/maps/eventmap/eventmapnew.htm.
Parking permit is $10.

Maps
Google map
Yahoo! map

Hosted by Microsoft. Food & beverages sponsored by speakTECH

7:00: Eat/socialize
7:30: Program

What Makes a Design Seem Intuitive?

Everyone wants an "intuitive" interface: the users, the designers, and the content publishers. But building them is hard. User Interface Engineering's recent research has given insight into why it's hard and how to get past major obstacles.

To build an "intuitive" interface, a designer has to do two things: (1) Take complete advantage of what the user already knows, so what they see is completely familiar to them and (2) make the act of learning anything new completely imperceptible to the user. It turns out, if the interface requires the user to realize they are learning something, the "intuitive" label disappears instantly.

In this talk, Jared will show:

- How users need both tool knowledge and domain knowledge to complete their tasks

- How simple problems with designs can cause big problems for users

- What successful teams are doing to create experiences that delight

Jared will show examples from Microsoft Word, MSN, Google Talk, Flickr, Avis, and many more.
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Note: NO PARKING VALIDATION AT THIS SITE, and parking in the building is very expensive!!

Buses and Red Line serve the area (Red Line Civic Center, Pershing Square, and 7th/Metro are all nearby).

Parking options map (PDF).

The area has moderate amounts of on-street parking (roughly $4/hr but some is free after 8 PM). There are garages in several area buildings and two nearby lots: most offer discounted evening rates if you enter after 5 or 6 PM.

Joe's Auto Parks has two lots (Lots 220 and 240) located on the corner of Hope and Gen Thaddeus Kosciuszko Way (lot address: 220 S. Hope Los Angeles CA 90071). You will need to pay a parking fee of $12.00 for the day or $6 after 6 pm. Check or cash only.

Microsoft is not affiliated in any way with any of these parking vendors. Microsoft is in no way liable for any negligence or any damage that may be incurred by attendees who utilize these parking facilities.

This MeetUp will be a panel discussion focusing on the benefits and challenges of utilizing an agile development process within UX teams.

Panelists include:
Angel Anderson - Senior Interaction Designer at HUGE
Steven Diebold - Brand and Interactive Consultant
Seth Gordon - UX Director at Mylife.com
Patrick Neeman - User Experience Consultant
Rajesh Sharma - Walt Disney Animation Studios

Discussion will be facilitated by Jens Jonason, Interaction Designer at Yahoo!.

Pizza and soft drinks will be provided.

Note: please park in the parking spaces in the WEST side of the Mahalo parking lot first (these are the spots reserved for Mahalo), once those spots are full, feel free to take the spaces in the rest of the parking lot.

Parking: Marketplace parking structure, 120 Maryland, Glendale, CA 91205
http://library.ci.glendale.ca.us/central.asp#parking

Parking validation via stamp inside library (on your way in or out). We will remind during the event.

Room: Meeting held in 2nd floor auditorium. Look for signs for the Meetup.

Sponsor: AT&T Interactive (thank you!)

Organizer: Amy Li, AT&T Interactive

Description

Okay, you've bought your iPhone, showed it to all your friends, and learned to love it. The thing's cool. But now you want more. You want your iPhone to sing and dance and play with you. You want more functionality – and more fun – and you want tons of freebies.

With that in mind, come to hear iPhone application designer/developers share some cool aspects of their iPhone apps, challenges they faced along the way, as well as business aspect of their apps.

You will also participate in table discussions to rate the apps, share your opinions about the interface and functionality, and even design your own interface!

Here are the tentative agenda:

1. 6:30-7:00 registration/food/mingle time

2. 7:00-7:10pm Intro & Greet/Hiring announcements

3. 7:10 - 8:10pm Show & Tell

BREAK

4. 8:15-9:00pm Table discussion

5. 9:00pm-10:00pm more mingle time

Agenda:
7:00 – 7:30 mingle and eat
7:30 – 8:30 Design-off
8:30 – 9:00 Wrap-up

Come meet some new faces in your UX community while invoking your creative muse. LA-UX will be hosting a design-off on Thursday, September 25th. Arrive by 7:30 to ensure a spot. The pace may be ninja-swift, so come with an open and nimble mind. We'll offer up a simple design challenge and break up into small groups. No wireframing software allowed, but we will provide some arts and crafts materials for those who like to show rather than tell. Everyone's a winner at this event (how can you not be with free food and wine?) so come ready to play.

Food and beverages provided by our gracious hosts at LA Times Interactive.

Parking Details:

When arriving at the LA Times, please park at the Los Angeles Times Employee parking structure located at:

213 S. Spring Street (between 2nd and 3rd streets)
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Yahoo Maps or AOL anywhere can provide directions if needed. There is no charge for parking but be sure to tell the parking attendant you are here for the LA-UX Meetup and they should allow you to park without issue.

When exiting the parking structure, head north on Spring Street, crossing 2nd Street (do NOT use the 145 Spring St. entrance), and walk up to entrance located at the corner of 1St St. and Spring St. The main entrance to the Los Angeles Times Building will be on your left hand side which is located at 202 1st Street:
Los Angeles Times Media Group
202 W.1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 237-5400

Job Seekers / Job Givers

There will be attendees offering jobs. If you are seeking employment, look for name badges with red dots. If you are looking to hire someone seek out the blue dots!