CHI 2010
10 - 15 April, Atlanta
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If you're in the Atlanta area at the end of the week, you might want to find time to pop in to the 28th annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing System.

The conference chairs have made a concerted effort this year to create an inclusive environment, with a focus on bringing together practitioners from all sides of the digital industry, creating bridges in the professional community.

"User characteristics and large-scale tracking" caught our eye in particular, and we'd love to hear from anyone attending the event. Tell us all about it!

Inside UX Media

Our office has a plenty to pack into the four-day working week, with kick off on a new project for a leading travel operator.

Our process starts with insights into the company's inner workings, and the start of some persona building workshops. Do you have any recent experience creating personas or user profiles for big corporates? Come and share your thoughts on our favourite UX forum: UXexchange.

UX People
22 March 2010, London
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King’s Place plays host to usability consultants, information architects, interaction designers and more when UXer’s around the country come together to learn, share and no doubt debate the trends of 2010 in the world of user experience.

The event kicks off with a subject close to our hearts at UX Media: Working together to develop a beautiful user experience. The Team’s Experience Director, Jason Mesut, discusses his vision of a harmonic design and development team, along with Will Bloor and Phil Hawksworth.

Other sessions that caught our eye include Speed UX, presented by Jason Buck, showcasing UX techniques that can be used to impress clients on-the-fly.

Usability Week
22 - 26 March 2010
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The Nielson Norman Group starts the season in style today with the first week of usability learning at Usability Week, New York.

As well as the Marmite effect Jacob Neilson presenting his tried and tested Fundamental Guidelines for Web Usability (we don’t know anyone who doesn’t either love him or hate him), the week also offers some alternatives to the norm, including Raluca Budiu’s Designing Mobile websites and iPhone Apps Design seminars, and Integrating Social Features on Mainstream Websites from Jen Cardello.

Are you planning a jaunt out to UX People, Usability or any other interesting events this week? Let us know how it went by emailing us or tweeting us and we’ll publish your comments before next week’s post.

More than ever, those who stayed at home could get up-to-the second sound bites from both speakers and attendees straight to their home or office. It was all the fun of the fair without having to queue for the loo.

SxSW
12 - 21 March 2010

For those lucky enough to go to The South by Southwest (SxSW) conference this year, the line-up promised a wow-factor week of discovery and innovation.

Now celebrating 24 years of original music, independent films and emerging technologies, Austin, Texas played host to a huge range of interested onlookers, from diehard tech geeks to achingly hip film aficionados.

Keynotes and performances by the likes of Valerie Casey, founder and Executive Director of the Designers Accord, legendary rockers, Motorhead, and iconic actors, Bill Murray, Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek ensured that the event pulled in excited devotees in their thousands.

Concern mounted in the eMedia that SxSW had been ruined by the Twitterati, and was encouraging celeb gawkers and rubber-neckers, while true techies and start-ups were left to look on from the side-lines.

User generated output told a different story though, with reports of exciting new music discoveries, intense learning experiences and unique networking opportunities.

MIX10
15 - 17 March 2010

Designers and developers descended on Las Vegas in their droves this week for the eagerly anticipated annual conference from Microsoft, MIX10.

The tech supernova rolled out their ever-impressive cast of gurus, including Scott Hanselman, Brad Abrams, Phil Haack and Miguel de Icaza to extoll the virtues of Silverlight and the Windows 7 Phone series.

User experience drew some much-needed attention this year, with the likes of Nick Finck talking about the process of creating great wireframes, Noah Gedrich, Eric Perez and Sean Scott speaking about creating great experiences through collaboration, and Nishant Kothary delving into behavioural economics and psychology to explain how the process of software design reveals our humanness.

Did you go to SxSW, MIX10 or any other events you'd like to share your thoughts about this week? Contact us and we'll publish your comments in next week's article.

Clients are the life blood of ours, and any other business. We need them and we want them to need us. But how much do we really need them know about what we do? I mean, they've employed us for our expertise so they should just trust what we say, right?

Well no, not quite. For a start, we're not going to be around forever (don't panic, we're not terminal, just destined for other projects eventually). Even if we continue a long and fruitful relationship with them, we need clients to understand how to continue evolving their sites and products in a user-centric way during the periods when we're pulling our hair out over the next marketing manager's request to "quickly do some usability stuff".

And then there's multi-agency cooperation to consider. UXers often get tasked with being the glue that binds together a multi-disciplinary operation. We represent the user, the consumer, the person that's going to buy the product and keep the whole shebang afloat. So it's only natural we're seen as sense-checkers for the myriad of ideas whipped up every week by designers, developers, SEO specialists and eager account managers. It's a role of great responsibility and our clients need to know how we come to our conclusions in order to have confidence in what we suggest.

Loosening the purse strings is also a great deal less stressful if you're working with clients who truly understand the value of a UX strategy and what's involved. Think of the gazillions of dollars, pounds and Euros that are shelled out on SEO campaigns, all because there's an understanding that clicks = visitors = customers. Budget approval becomes so much easier when they also "get" that visitors + great experience = purchasers. We call it VCO.

So how can we educate our clients about what it takes to create and implement a cohesive, sustainable UX strategy? Here are a few ideas put forward by the folks who frequent UXexchange:

1. Start the conversation with a prepared pitch. Something like "this is UX", "this is what I do", "this is the kind of thing you need to do more of", etc.
2. Provide real life examples ("look - Amazon has long pages, would they do that if they didn't promote sales?)
3. Give a brief explanation. For example, the whole fold model is a bit of a misconception, most users do scroll but you do need to do the right kind of design to show that there's some useful stuff further down the screen.
4. Show references by handing over links they can look at if they're interested.
5. Record and present user testing footage. Even better, invite members of the client team to come and observe every once in a while. "Light bulb moments" are priceless persuasion techniques.
6. Inspire them by simply being brilliant. Show creativity and make sure they have fun getting involved in the IxD process. Create an internal senior stakeholder group and lighten it up a bit by having them take on user personas, or run some innovation games with them.

Any more top tips out there for educating clients? Do you disagree and think that the professionals should be left to get on with the job? Share your thoughts and we'll publish them before next week's post.

This week he shares his thoughts about current client perception of the industry, and how it affects his role working with major brands to create cohesive user experiences.

Name: Dominic Winsor
Role: Senior IA/Producer for SapientNitro

“My varied experience is mostly through digital agencies. Right now, I'm helping a really well-known mobile telecoms company on a series of improvements and new campaigns.

“It's a big project (so large in fact that my project team alone turns over enough to rank in the NMA top 20 agencies). Their site is quite fragmented and generally frustrating at the moment so I'm working with the business to design great customer experiences.

“I manage the delivery of this by engaging our site devs, copywriters, designers etc. It's fast-paced and always challenging - I usually have around 10 jobs in flight! We're a close team, and I'm really proud that we've recently been recognised with an award for our client-focussed delivery.”

Do you find yourself often having to educate clients about user experience? What is the best way of going about it in your opinion?
“My client holds UE close to the centre of their values, and they have a significant investment with our agency and with their own internal teams.

“I do have to manage expectations with stakeholders within the business though. A particular challenge I face is to encourage them to consider the whole journey rather than a single page. The presentation of the whole customer experience across all channels is something that we are starting to get traction on. It's this big-picture thinking that I'm changing by owning the whole job and managing the expectation right from the start.”

What misconceptions about user experience and usability do you tend to face from clients, if any?
“Personally I think it's the way my client sometimes attempts to manage user experience; like old-school IT projects.

“I believe the web is a creative discipline, and to attempt to run a project like a desktop deployment is going to create problems. It is this thinking that sometimes results in bizarre requests "to add some UE value near the end of a project", for example. Hmm…!

“It's not uncommon for me to reject a brief outright and then work with the stakeholder to create a brief that is better aligned with the UE strategy.”

Which tools and activities do you find helpful in agreeing a UX strategy and approach with clients?
“The whole purpose of my role is based around creating a UX strategy; my client gets it, and I'm delivering on this.

“Great communication is the most important thing here: this means being present and really deeply understanding the business needs. We believe that the purely digital approach has a finite shelf-life and that a great strategy encompasses the whole customer experience as they engage a brand across all channels. All the recognisable elements are present though.”

How many of your clients view UX as an integral part of the design/development process and what do you think is the key to improving that percentage?
“Though I'm working with one huge brand, I have many 'clients' within the relationship.

“We've spent a long time getting to this point, but almost no project takes place without a UX specialist owning the process. The challenge for me is to ensure that external partners properly understand this by managing expectations with good communication from the start.”

No
(Matt Goddard)

In the immortal words of the Scottish philosopher Billy Connelly "There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes" and so it is with clients.

Let’s be honest, there are some businesses you should never work with and some who are slightly more work than others. Sadly, it’s this mismatch between agencies and clients that allows the "bad client" myth to prevail.

Clients you should never work with
Like people, there are some businesses you should never, ever work with. Do your homework; the engagement process is a two-way street. You can be certain they’ve checked you out thoroughly and you should do the same.

• Do your company cultures fit? If you're an agency that specialises in mobile website design for the games industry then don't commit to creating a corporate intranet. Say NO.
• What's their burn-through rate? If they are burning through a couple of agencies a year, something's broken and you probably won't be able to fix it. Say NO.
• Do you have to cut your prices just to get in the front door? You have overheads so what's the use in going out of business before the job’s done? Say NO.
• Are you being asked for the moon on a stick? You'll never achieve the impossible, so if they aren't prepared to be realistic say NO.

Clients that are more work than others
If there is nothing fundamentally wrong but you find yourself being knocked from pillar to post then it's time to take control. You're the experts, you've been asked to deliver a project and that's what you're going to do.

Four simple tips:

1. Be honest - explain the difficulties and propose a way of working to ensure a successful outcome.
2. Communicate - Let your client know what's happening. You don't have to respond immediately but don't neglect them. Most problems can be resolved quickly with a simple phone call.
3. Set realistic expectations - Do not over promise and under deliver.
4. Set ground rules - How will changes be factored in? What response time will you provide on emails and phone calls?

---

Yes
(Ali Peppard)

Companies run by seagulls are bad clients.

We all know a seagull. That one senior exec who flies way up high ignoring the project, only to swoop down at the last minute, c*ap all over it and fly off again.

You will not win with these clients because the ground rules you established with the hands-on project team are trampled over by the management time and time again. Companies who allow, and often encourage, this type of culture are bad clients.

They are the ones who don’t have a structure in place to deal with sign-off. They either allow the project to run for miles then demand a U-turn just before the final destination, or they insist that every suggestion and decision must be signed off by every stakeholder available (or worse, not available).

They are the ones who want you to “make a start” before the project goals have been established and agreed. Worse, they want you to begin user testing before they know what they’re trying to find out. I guarantee you’ll end up with a complete “do over” at least once.

They are the ones that haven’t ring-fenced any budget before getting you involved, but fail to tell you this until the proposals you’ve spent days creating to meet their objectives are dismissed out of hand because of lack of funding.

They are the ones who don’t understand that their change requests will impact the project plan. And then bad mouth you for not delivering within the original time frame.

They are the ones whose name rings a bell… because you’ve heard about them from their previous five agencies. If everyone else with all their experience and knowledge couldn’t get past the ground-in company culture, it’s highly unlikely you will.

I have the luxury of being able to honestly say that I currently do not have any bad clients. I have challenging clients; the ones who stretch me and get my creative juices flowing. I have clients who don’t understand user experience and interaction design, but are willing to learn; they keep me communicating and sharing.

But I’ve been to Bad Client World before and it’s not a happy experience. The demands are exhausting, the rewards are few and far between and the whole experience leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

--

So what do you think? Do bad clients really exist or is it just a matter of finding the right fit? Let us know and we'll publish your comments before next week's Big Debate.

Outside the four walls of our hectic office, here's what else is going on in the digital media world:

The good, the bad and the customer journey (Econsultancy roundtable)
18th March 2010 (4:00pm - 5:30pm)
Econsultancy New York, New York, United States
More info

All booked up now but we're love to hear from anyone attending. Any trends to report, new approaches, fresh thinking?

Measurement, Analytics and Optimisation (Econsultancy roundtable)
19th March 2010 (1:00pm - 3:00pm)
Econsultancy London, London, United Kingdom
More info

Only eight places left so register your interest quickly to get in line. And if you found it here first, repay the favour by letting us know what went on, or tweeting us at @ux_media

* This Friday also see's our fabulously eccentric director celebrate being another year older and wiser (ahem). Happy birthday Matt, drinks are on us!

Monday will be all about helping you plan the next seven days, with an interesting insight into events, launches and new, cool stuff coming up in the week ahead.

On Tuesday we'll let you behind the scenes of UX Media, and tell you about the latest topic to cause controversy in the office. Join in Matt and Ali's big debate and tell us which side you're on!

On Wednesday it's time to take some tips from the industry's most vocal voices. We'll be asking those in the know to share their thoughts around a weekly theme. Get in touch if you'd like to have five minutes (or 200 words) in the spotlight.

Thought-provoking Thursdays are for touchy subjects. We want to find out what you really think about the most controversial ideas and views of the moment.

And on Friday we'll round up the week with a review of what went down online. All the talked about topics from Twitter, LinkedIn and more.

We really hope you're looking forward to reading our ramblings as much as we're looking forward to putting them down on paper, and if you've got any suggestions for themes, talking points or interviewees you'd like to hear from, please do let us know.

The site is a starting point for us to talk about all the cool stuff emerging in the business of usability, and we'll be adding lots more content over the next couple of weeks, so we'd love it if you checked in once in a while for an update.

High on our agenda right now is our Web2Mobile review, a service that aims to provide a pragmatic plan for ensuring that your site is usable and useful for people accessing it from their mobile phones.

We're also pretty excited about the gobsmackingly cheap £50 user test, ready for launch next week. Keep your eyes peeled or give us a call now for a sneak preview.

The new site may not be a work of art, but we've worked hard to make sure it provides all the information you'll need to understand the world of usability, and the world of UX Media!.

If you'd like to let us know what you think, we're more than happy to hear from you. Send us an email or find us on Twitter and Facebook, using the links on the right.

Usability touches every part of your life. Think about it tonight when you drive home, get through your front door to uncork a bottle of your favourite wine and relax, while listening to your favourite music. 

The fact that you drove home in comfort and safety, got into your house, uncorked a bottle of wine and had the option of listening to literally thousands of your favourite pieces of music on your MP3 player without even thinking about it, is testament to how much usability touches your life.

What is usability (Usability Professionals Association)

In 2008, 16 million households, that's 65% of the UK, had access to the Internet.  Given this encouraging statistic, you'd be forgiven for assuming that now has never been a better time to launch a digital product, but research shows that users have also become a whole lot more impatient. 

On average, it now takes only four seconds for a customer to make a decision about the companies they interact with on the web, including whether or not they'll use their products or services.

With this in mind, it's essential for businesses to create products that meet their customers' expectations. The aim of the game is to create an online experience that will immediately engage customers, provide the products and services that they want and give them an online experience that is quick, simple and easy to use.

Traditionally, these challenges have been met technically by software developers. Websites have become more complex, and through the advancement of web 2.0 technologies there is very little to distinguish between a traditional software application and a website. But alongside the rise of technology and the Internet, legions of usability professionals have been quietly working to shape the web and make it more usable and more closely aligned with customers' expectations.

How does it work?

We all experience the efforts of these usability professionals but the truth is that most people still don't know what usability actually means and what measurable benefit it will bring to a business.

Usability professionals work with product developers to test how easy it is for someone to use their product. This is done many different ways but the most common are:

• User testing - a usability professional will watch people use something and make recommendations on how to improve it to achieve better results for the user.
• Expert review - a usability professional will review a product and make recommendations on how to improve it to achieve better results for the user.

Across a study of 863 projects it's been estimated that you can benefit from a measurable increase of 135% by setting aside 10% of your development budget for usability , as well as other benefits such as an increased in brand loyalty and word of mouth marketing.

What about accessibility?

Products have come a long way over the past 30 years, but there is still a long way to go. One area of usability that can be overlooked is accessibility.

From 1st October 1999 it became a legal requirement that:

Disability Discrimination Act

Accessibility is the term that describes a field of usability that aims to improve the usability of a product for people with disabilities such as visual impairment, dyslexia, hearing impairment and mobility problems.

It's no longer acceptable for a company to create a product without providing equal access to everyone. What's more, it's bad business! I can't think of any company that would say no to a share of the £50bn that the 8.6 million registered disabled citizens in the UK have to spend - or the £175bn the UK's over-50's have to splash out (most people over 50 have some form of impairment such as deterioration of their sight).

The secret here is that accessibility isn't expensive either, as long as it's designed into your website from the start. A few simple techniques can give you access to a combined market of £225bn and if that isn't enough, optimise for accessibility and your search engine rankings are likely to improve.

Google accesses your website in the same was a visually impaired user with a screen reader does, meaning that those same simple techniques will make it piece of cake for Google to find and rank your website. 

So how convinced are you that usability should be an integral part of your web presence?