The detailed schedule for the 2006 National IDSA Conference in Austin has been posted. Here are the highlights and relevant topics for those with an interest in Human Factors. Monday definitely seems to be the day for user/design research topics:
10:00 am-12:00 pm
Live General Session: "The Human Element"
Presenters:
Stephen Wilcox, PhD, FIDSA, Principal, Design Science (Live Session "Catalyst")
William (Bill) Green, emeritus professor, University of Canberra
Jamer Hunt, director, Graduate Program in Industrial Design, The University of the Arts
Bill Moggridge, IDSA, co-founder, IDEO
Maureen Thurston-Chartraw, IDSA, Access International- 2:00-3:00 pm
Touch. Smell. Hear. See. Taste. Feel. Dream. (This is a hands-on session; participation is limited to 60.)
The goal of product innovation is to develop a unique offering that makes an emotional connection with the consumer. Participatory design research using multi-sensory stimuli offers one means of achieving this goal. A product experience is multi-sensory; design research should be multi-sensory, too. An engaging "hands-on" creative activity to express an ideal experience using a multi-sensory toolkit will allow you to experience first-hand the process of building and expressing an ideal experience.
Presenters:
Justine Carleton, design researcher, Lextant
Joshua Norman, industrial designer, Procter & Gamble
Jooyoung Oh, design researcher, Lextant
- 3:00-4:00 pm
Some Principles for the Design of Sound in Product Design (Human Factors Section)
Industrial design focuses primarily on the visual and tactile aspects of products. Designers typically have little training regarding the auditory characteristics of product design, but sound can be an important attribute to communicate brand and support usability and safety. The session will cover: background regarding the physics of sound and sound production; principles regarding the perception of sound; examples of notable uses of sound in products; tools and methods for researching and incorporating sound into products; overview of the principles of alarm design; a variety of actual auditory demonstrations and hands-on experience with sound-generating devices.
Presenters:
David Bowen, Senior Consultant, Acentech Inc., RH Lyon Div.
Rob Tannen, PhD, IDSA, director of human factors, Electronic Ink
Stephen Wilcox, PhD, FIDSA, principal, Design Science
- 4:30-5:30 pm
THE NAKED INTERFACE: Liberating Brain, Body and Digital Interactions
In many senses, physical objects are becoming more important. In an immediate way, they can help us define new systems of relationships with digital information. This presentation will examine how perceptions and gestures formed through our experiences with physical products can effectively bring liberty to the relationship between brain, body and digital media interface.
Presenter:
Luke Williams, associate creative director, frog design, inc.
- 4:30-5:30 pm
Universal Design Boot Camp (Universal Design and Human Factors Sections)
A summary of the business case for universal design, including design that puts non-disabled people at risk at work and at home; the growing elderly population facing "dependence by design"; the economic costs of "exclusion by design"; business examples of successful universal design; tours and demos of internet resources for inclusive/universal design; how to include seniors and people with disabilities in participatory design; and hands-on demonstrations of tools and techniques for helping colleagues and clients “get it” (e.g., empathic exercises such as Ford’s Third Age Suit).
Presenters:
James Mueller, IDSA, principal, J.L. Mueller, Inc. and Chair, Universal Design Section
William (Bill) Green, emeritus professor, University of Canberra
Vicki Haberman, PhD candidate, Georgia Tech\
And on Wednesday the 20th:
- 10:00 am-12:00 pm
Live General Session: "The Design Element"
Presenters:
Uday Dandavate, IDSA, principal, Sonic Rim (Live Session "Catalyst")
Lorraine Justice, PhD, FIDSA, Swire Chair & Head, School of Design,
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Bruce Nussbaum, H/IDSA, assistant managing editor, BusinessWeek
Klaus Krippendorff, professor of communication, Annenberg School for Communication,
University of Pennsylvania
M.P. Ranjan, senior faculty member, National Institute of Design
Anne Kirah, senior design anthropologist, MSN/Microsoft Customer Design Center
