Speakers from System Concepts, the BBC and Aardman graphics gave a presentation at the UK UPA about their experience re-designing the Something Special website for children with special needs.

The presentation was extremely well received, and a film describing the work is now available on YouTube:
http://youtu.be/-XxFGXJxA9Q

It demonstrates how usability and accessibility testing can have a positive impact through out the design process; how considering the special needs of children with disabilities can improve the user experience for everybody and how well-designed technology can have a positive impact on disabled children's lives.

This lecture was to mark World Usability Day in London, UK. The lecture covers important topics in usability: HCI, Human Error and Patient Safety. We can save lives through better device design and we should not be so quick to attribute all the blame to nurses that have to use devices that are not designed as well as they might be.

Abstract: Did you ever forget your chip & pin card in a card reader? Leave the original on a photocopier? Send an email to the wrong person from your address book? The way technology is designed can make errors more or less likely. Most everyday examples are just annoying; if a pilot or a nurse makes similar errors in the course of their work, the consequences can be much more serious. This talk discusses some of the causes of these errors and how the design of technology can provoke or mitigate them.

Lecture on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8o2ds5ZrV8&feature=player_embedded

Blog1: http://chi-med.posterous.com/when-technology-design-provokes-errors-prof-a

Blog 2: http://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/events/2011/11/04/when-technology-design-provokes...

Foviance will be carrying out an EEG study to find out how much music impacts people's moods and whether it could actually improve the mood of commuters in the London Underground during rush hour.
A video will be produced of Foviance's findings.

World Usability Day is an annual event championing usability. Simply put usability is the degree to which something is easy to use and a good fit for the people who use it.

To celebrate World Usability Day, UX professionals within the United Arab Emirates are hosting an exciting program of seminars, panel discussions and a prize-laden contest on the 30th November.

The event will be presented by some of the regions leading lights in usability including User Vision MENA, Emirates, Microsoft, LBi, Consort World and FlyDubai.

If you are interested in attending or want more information about the agenda, please email us at:

uservision@dubai.com

Event details: WUD Dubai
Date: 10 November 2011
Time: 10am - 12pm
Location: Zayed University atrium, Academic City

Look forward to seeing you there!