This month’s Girl Geek Dinner, held at Grounded Kitchen & Coffeehouse, offered kim chi pork ribs, risotto cakes, and Hilary Little’s illustration of User Centred Design (UCD) as a clash between User-Centred-Design Girl and her arch enemy, Bad Design Dave. We heard cases in which Bad Design Dave prevailed, from innovative vehicle features to the layout of election ballots. She showed us that design is everywhere, and stressed the importance of implementing an iterative design method prior to casting an emergency UCD Girl signal in the sky.

The tricky part, explains Hilary, is that Bad Design Dave often goes unnoticed. He cloaks himself in misconceptions; user-centred design is too expensive, it takes too long, it’s irrelevant to knowledge of users, or that the users were given exactly what they asked for. It’s time we start to recognize the Bad Design Dave in our own work environments, and take the UCD girl identity as our own. When you apply the UCD techniques, the [return on investment] could certainly elevate you to hero status.

What you need to know in order to succeed is that good design requires high usability: meeting specific effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics. Pledging to fight against Bad Design Dave requires that you stand true to the fact that, “you don’t know if it’s usable until it’s tested with users.” Keep strong to the process…

1. Have an early focus on users and tasks: analyze the tasks, goals, environment
2. Empirical testing with users: quantitative/behavioural testing (NOT asking what they want)
3. Iterative Design process: design->evaluate->refine repeat!
4. Rely on data for design decisions and not assumptions or best guesses.

Making progress with user-centred design in the workplace is still an ongoing battle. So dig out those leotards and capes, find out where UCD fits in your line of work and get everyone involved to strengthen the cause.

Special thanks to the guest speaker Hilary Little for her insightful presentation, and congratulations to our winners who left with fabulous gifts from our sponsors:

• Laura Wesley & Helene Pauze- winners of homemade fudge provided by Fudge Face.
• Mary Durning- winner of NAC show tickets.
• Lina Bonapace- first-timer Girl Geek and winner of a gift certificate to Grounded Kitchen & Coffeehouse.

View Hilary’s slides…

For additional resources on user-centred-design contact: hilarylittle@gmail.com.

And finally, Kelly created a storify–a round up of tweets from the event:

In this day and age, that world seems hard to imagine, but the truth is that this top-down approach to designing products and services has been leading the way for decades. Designs of all kinds have been built without a deep understanding of the end user: their wants, limitations, needs and experiences. And at what cost? Fortunately, the gap between producer and user is shrinking as businesses embrace a better system of evidence-based design. The leading method for doing this known as user-centred design.

Over good food and drinks, guest speaker Hilary Little will help us geeks better understand user-centred design and will take from her own experiences of using this method to maximize business value. She will explain the benefits of treating early designs as hypotheses that need to be tested for usability with end users. She will discuss design as it is linked to business goals, and will provide an example of how this method saves companies big bucks.

REGISTER NOW! 

About the Speaker:

Hilary Little, Senior Usability Architect at Canadian Border Services Agency and proprietor of Hilary Little Ideation & Design. Being a highly recommended user experience designer, she serves to help professionals understand the importance of abandoning assumptions, and stresses design as more than just an afterthought. With a strong background in web design, usability engineering, and human factors, she offers unparalleled knowledge in this newer domain.

To learn more about Hilary visit: Hilary on LinkedIn
Twitter: @hilittle
Web: http://www.hilarylittle.com

Sponsorship

This event is generously supported by:

www.etsy.com/shop/FudgeFaceFudge

]]> http://girlgeekdinnersottawa.com/blog/2012/03/26/next-event-%e2%80%9csaving-the-world-with-user-centred-design%e2%80%9d-april-25/feed/ 0 http://girlgeekdinnersottawa.com/blog/2011/11/21/event-recap-with-girl-develop-it-ottawa/ http://girlgeekdinnersottawa.com/blog/2011/11/21/event-recap-with-girl-develop-it-ottawa/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:00:41 +0000 samhartley http://girlgeekdinnersottawa.com/?p=741 Last Wednesday, Serena Ngai of Girl Develop It Ottawa presented her case about the revolution of women in technology. From Mattel’s Barbie career innovations to five-year old girls dreaming of being astronauts, Serena pointed out the large social gap between girls and boys in the field of computer science and everything related.

When you Google search “computer scientist”, what’s the first image that appears? Is it a guy with glasses and a plaid shirt? Trust us, we’re not being biased. In fact, research has shown the number of women with bachelor degrees in computer sciences has decreased rapidly over the past 20 years from 37 per cent to less than 20 per cent. Today, less than one per cent of women would be interested in studying computer science as an elective in university. But, there is hope!

In 2010, Mattel posted a public survey asking girls which career they would like Barbie to pursue. To everyone’s surprise, the number one career was computer engineer. Are women beginning to see technology as a fun, innovative, career savvy form of income?  Let’s hope so!

To help regain the number of women in computer sciences, Serena and Gail Carmichael founded Girl Develop It Ottawa to bring back the flare and fun of building websites in a supportive environment. Serena taught us how technical skills can be valuable for your career and any career, why this “women in technology” thing really matters, and how their upcoming workshops can help you become the next Marissa Mayer. Well, in part.

Girl Develop It is hosting their next workshop Intro to HTML and CSS on Nov. 29 and Dec. 6, from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. They’re also looking for volunteers to help teach workshops and share technological skills with Ottawa women. If you or someone you know likes to teach and is tech savvy, contact Serena or Gail.

And lastly, congratulations to our Girl Geek prize winners who went home with fabulous gifts from our event sponsors – the National Arts Centre, Media Miser, UsedOttawa.com and Ingrid Aesthetics.

To read more about this month’s event, check out the following reviews from our Girl Geek attendees:

Amy Campsall (blog post)– @AmyCampsall

Alexandra Reid – @TechAlly

Mel Gallant – @MelGallant

Hana Abaza – @HanaAbaza

For our 2011-2012 Girl Geek Dinner (GGD) Ottawa season opener, we’ve invited Serena to share the inspiration behind this new meetup for women. Whether you are a seasoned programmer, just starting out or have an avid interest in all things code-related, please join us Wednesday, November 16th to hear Serena share:

• How technical skills can be valuable for your career
• Why this “women in technology” thing really matters
• What is Girl Develop It? And learn about upcoming workshops

Event Details:

When: Wednesday, November 16th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Black Tomato in the Market (get directions)

To Register: Please visit our event registration page.

Don’t forget to follow the #GGDOttawa hashtag on Twitter!

About Serena

Serena Ngai is a front-end developer and designer with a background in software development, currently working at Shopify. She is passionate about mentoring and inspiring young females to explore fields of technology and its many different applications.

The idea of starting a Girl Develop It chapter in Ottawa was born out of frustration from hearing a lot of talk about the lack of women in technology, but not seeing a lot of action being done to get more involved! Follow Serena (@serenangai) and Girl Develop It Ottawa (@gdiottawa) on Twitter.

Our Event Sponsors

Logistics and door prizes for our GGD Ottawa season opener  is made possible by the generous contribution of our sponsors – a big thank you to the following organizations.

www2.nac-cna.ca | @CanadasNAC | @CNAduCanada

www.mediamiser.com |  @MediaMiser

www.usedottawa.com | @usedeverywhere

LTW-W provides women entrepreneurs with resources and expertise essential to business prosperity and success. LTW-W supports women founders at any stage of entrepreneurship who share a common goal to build a business with significant growth potential. There is an opportunity for women to learn, access critical resources, and network with like-minded entrepreneurs and successful business owners. LTW-W aim is to be a catalyst for growth for Canadian women entrepreneurs. LTW-W is unique and will have a positive impact on the success of women owned business in the National Capital Region and Canada.
 
Is Lead To Win for Women Right for You?

Do you have a great idea, but don’t know how to turn it into a business?

Do you already have a business, but growth is stagnating?

Are you interested in attending an intensive free bootcamp that will help you set business goals and achieve them? 

Want to help LTW-W reach their goal of making Canada the best place for women to launch and grow their businesses?  If this sounds like something you need to be a part of, you can start by attending the info session at the Code Factory on September 30, 2011 from 12:00pm-1:00pm.  Then you can apply at http://ltw-women.ca/info
 
Good Luck!  And make sure to let us know how it goes.

Just a quick update to let you know about a new initiative by local entrepreneur Scott Annan, Mercury Launch is a new accelerator here in Ottawa. From the About page:

The Mercury Accelerator supports Ottawa’s best entrepreneurs and accelerates future world-class web and mobile businesses through seed funding, mentorship, a powerful global network, & office space.

We’re bringing together Ottawa’s brightest and most successful web and mobile executives to create a powerful network supporting new talent and world-changing ideas.

Specifically, Mercury Launch provides entrepreneurs access to:

• Up to $25,000 in seed funding
• 3-4 months of intense programming
• Office space
• Access to a global network

We’ll help you get your product to market and introductions to funding opportunities to launch your business.

If you are thinking or in the process of starting your own business, please JUMP at this opportunity! If you’re experienced with startups and think you can offer value, please apply to be a mentor.

Also don’t forget to forward this opportunity to other smart women in Ottawa! While we have a great budding startup scene, it could certainly use more women leaders and entrepreneurs.

Go now!

Topics during the tour will include Savour Ottawa, 101 Must-try-before-you-die tastes and a little dose of history just for good measure. And we have to go out in Girl Geek Dinner Style, so prepare yourself for Girl Geek Dinner trivia for a chance to win prizes!

About C’est Bon Cooking:

C’est Bon Cooking’s EDIBLE OTTAWA tours are a foodie’s romp through the Capital’s most vibrant epicurean neighbourhoods. Participants are treated to mouth-watering conversations, enticing aromas, scrumptious flavours and a riot of colours in meticulously arranged food displays.

EDIBLE OTTAWA tours are based on the belief that the best way to get to know a people and its culture is to explore local markets, experience local specialties and meet local Chefs and food artisans. They are an opportunity to experience Ottawa “as locals do,” a chance to connect with colourful neighbourhoods such as the ByWard Market, Wellington West and Beechwood Avenue.

Culinary tourism is a thriving industry all over the world and C’est Bon Cooking is proud to have brought it to Canada’s Capital. Our clients relish their opportunity to become food industry insiders for a while and to familiarize themselves with Ottawa’s latest “must try tastes.”

Event details:

Date: July 7, 2011

Time: 6pm to 8pm *please arrive 10 minutes early*

Meeting spot: Murray’s Market, 261 Dalhousie Street

Contact: Paola St-Georges, Marketing Manager and Guide, 613-722-8687 (ext. 204)

Cost: $25/person (special rate on behalf of C’est Bon Cooking and Girl Geek Dinner Ottawa)

To register, please click here

*Tour will go ahead rain or shine so please dress appropriately and wear comfortable shoes*

This was the recurring theme with our presenters last night.  Come to think about it, this seems to be a recurring theme with several of our Girl Geek Dinner speakers.  From entrepreneurship and women in leadership, to looking for a new job.  We all have to deal with uncertainty and doubts, and sooner or later, we just need to decide to Just Do It and see how it goes.

Some other take-aways from last night:

• Understand your customers
• Understand your competitors
• Surveys are often not enough, find nuances through conversations
• Keep it simple to start
• Welcome feedback, but know when to ignore it.  Keep the focus on what you’re good at
• If your business is product centric, focus on innovation
• If you are offering service, focus on service excellence
• Blogs are the new magazines
• As social media changes, so should the way you use it
• Use giveaways to build your audience

Thank you Vivian, Hana and Amy for sharing their stories with us and thank you to all who attended our Girl Geek Dinner last night.  We hope you enjoyed it and found some inspiration for your next challenge.

Thanks again to our sponsors for their continued support.  We hope all the door prize winners enjoy their prizes!

CIRA .CA

Thornley Fallis

Shopify

Media Miser

Laura Jane Photography

the SPA

Little Cakes

Easier said than done, but anything’s possible! From flowers to clothing, to writing and painting, entrepreneurship opens the doors to anyone with a dream and a passion.

On Wednesday May 11th, please join us for an interactive discussion about the entrepreneurial journey of three Ottawa women who have turned their business dreams into realities.

Our Speakers

Vivian Cheng

Vivian Cheng is an industrial designer and one-half of the creative force behind Blend Creations. She and her husband, Eric Jean-Louis (a graphic designer) combine their divergent design approaches to create a contemporary jewelry line that is clean and modern in aesthetic, yet also blends their respective cultures in East meeting West.

Hana Abaza

Hana Abaza is the co-founder and CEO of Wedding Republic, an Ottawa based start up allowing couples to set up an online, cash, wedding registry in a way that works for them and their guests. With an incredibly diverse background, Hana has pulled together her broad skill set in order to navigate the start up world. When she’s not in front of her laptop with armed with a large cup of coffee, she can usually be found teaching a kickboxing class. Self described as slightly ‘type a’ with a dose of ADD, although some say it’s just an unrelenting curiosity.

Amy Yee

Amy Yee is an entrepreneur and strategy consultant specializing in technology, engagement and collaboration at start-up and high growth companies. Among a wide variety of projects, Amy is currently the CEO at the second company she has co-founded: EventBots – an award-winning technology solution for public engagement. Amy has a Bachelor’s of Electrical Engineering from Carleton University.

Event Details:

When: Wednesday, May 11th at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Vittoria Trattoria in the Market (get directions)

To Register: Please visit our event registration page.

Event Sponsors

Logistics and door prizes for our May #GGDOttawa event  is made possible by the generous contribution of our sponsors – a big thank you to the following organizations.

@ciranews

@thornleyfallis

@MediaMiser

@laurajanephotos

@SPADayRetreat

@_LittleCakes

On March 30, three women taught us that technology isn’t just an objective, it changes society and infrastructure as a whole.

Mary Beth Baker, Emily Daniels and Tracey Lauriault, were part of a technological revolution known as Open Data Ottawa. A few months back, they organized Hackfest, an opportunity for technology lovers to come together to create unique and innovative mobile apps with the purpose of helping Ottawa citizens to enjoy and easily access recreation and services the city has to offer.

Thanks to our wonderful speakers and guests, the event generated huge awareness on Twitter.  We highly encourage participation from everyone, male or female, and if you know someone that’s passionate about technology or has an idea for an event, please don’t hesitate to talk to us, we love questions and feedback!

What can we take away from this event? From creative ideas for new apps to learning resources you can take home with you,  Mary Beth, Tracey and Emily enlightened us with their passion for the pursuit of open data :

• If you’re not reading this, make sure to pick up The Real World of Technology by Ursula Franklin and also check out Datalibre.ca.
• Remember Erin Brockovich? Well, she’s back in the spotlight and working on passing an open data bill about disease clusters being mapped and made public. Does this mean a sequel?!
• Another great quote is from the lovely Jane Jacobs, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”
• If you loved the past Hackfest and want to take part again, Mary Beth is hoping to start a Mother’s Day Hackfest in May. Feel free to contact her for more information, maribethbaker <at> gmail.com. You can also check out photos from the last Hackfest on behalf of Edward  Ocampo-Gooding.
• And last, but not least, open data is not about sharing personal information with the public.  In order to share public information we have the right to know and to answer public policy issues that affect us and our communities.

Thanks again to our sponsors for their continued support.  We hope all the door prize winners enjoy their prizes!

CIRA .CA

Thornley Fallis

Open Data Ottawa

The Lemon Kitchen

Media Miser

The National Arts Centre

Swing Dynamite