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Humanizing Technology

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Humanizing Technology Monthly Meeting–April 9, 2002 Humanizing Technology Tuesday, April 9, 2002 Alan’s passions include general aviation, urban planning, archi- 7:00 to 9:30 pm tecture, rapid transit, motor scooters, modern first edition books, – sponge discipline, and paintball. 7:00 to 7:30: Richard Anderson provides guidance and direction to organiza- Tea, Coffee, Socializing, Joining BayCHI, ... tions, teams, and individuals seeking to learn, adopt, apply, or 7:30 to 9:30: develop effective research, design, and development techniques Alan Cooper in conversation with Richard Anderson on that are “user-centered,” multidisciplinary and collaborative. He Humanizing Technology started and led the User Research and Experience Strategy disci- & pline at Studio Archetype and Sapient and headed the Bridging the Gap Between Research and Design Experience Center at Viant. Robert Reimann, Cooper Interaction Design Richard was SIGCHI’s Local Chapters Chair for more than PARC Auditorium five years. BayCHI’s first elected Chair, he has been BayCHI’s 3333 Coyote Hill Road Program Chair for eleven years, where he has interviewed Alan Palo Alto, CA 94304 Kay, Donald Norman, Bill Moggridge, Sara Little Turnbull, Jef Raskin, Doug Engelbart, and others. BayCHI meeting attendance is free & open to the public. Bridging the Gap Between Research and Design BayCHI programs are not audio–or videotaped, and Great digital products require creative inspiration and a firm taping by attendees is not permitted. understanding of users, business goals, and technical constraints. But how does one translate understanding into design of form Alan Cooper in conversation with Richard Anderson and behavior? Cooper Interaction Design has developed a rigor- on Humanizing Technology ous method of modeling users and transforming this knowledge Known as the “Father of Visual Basic,” Alan Cooper has become into design solutions, reducing the need for early-phase user test- an outspoken champion of a forgotten person in the electronic ing/prototyping and increasing the efficacy of late-phase usability product development process: The customer. studies. A visionary software author and designer, Alan’s crusade for Our presentation briefly discusses Cooper’s iterative, scenario- better design evolved into Cooper Interaction Design, the firm based techniques for transforming user goals and needs into use- he co-founded in 1992 to address the failure of today’s software ful, usable, and desirable design solutions. development process to consider the user until too late. Robert Reimann is Director of Design Research and Cooper, a “mix of supernerds, artsy technologists, gifted com- Development at Cooper Interaction Design, leading design proj- municators, avant-garde pragmatists, visual designers, and a suit ects in e-commerce, desktop productivity, authoring environ- or two,” brings the human part of the equation to blue chip ments, medical and scientific instruments, and handheld devices clients. for clients such as NBC, IBM, Ericsson, and Sun Microsystems. In his first book, About Face: The Essentials of User Interface In this role, Robert leads the evolution of new design methods Design, Alan introduced a taxonomy for software design. His and practices. His interests include interaction design pattern second book, The Inmates are Running the Asylum, explains languages, persona- and scenario-based design methods, and how talented people create aggravating products that fail to meet principles of behavior for interactive systems and environments. customer expectations. Robert has lectured on interaction design methods at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and San Jose State, and is a charter member In 1994, Bill Gates presented Alan with a Windows Pioneer of the advisory board for UC Berkeley’s recently-announced Award for his contributions to the software industry, and in 1998 Institute of Design. he received a Software Visionary Award. Alan is active in several professional design groups. He is one of the “Nantucket 41” and a director of the Software Development Forum. Directions: www.baychi.org.
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