MinneWebCon

Workshops

8:30 – 11:30 workshops

Web Accessibility: Issues and Techniques

Phil Kragnes
Computer Accommodations Program, University of Minnesota

Prerequisite knowledge/skills: Basic HTML Editing

Attendees will receive an overview of common Web accessibility issues, training in the basic use of the JAWS screen reader, and exploration, identification, and correction of accessibility issues on pages the participant manages. Attendees will gain an increased awareness of accessibility issues and their impact, basic screen reader knowledge, and techniques for addressing accessibility issues.

Philip M. Kragnes has served as the Adaptive Technology Specialist for the University of Minnesota since October 1998. He directs the Computer Accommodations Program (CAP) – a partnership of Disability Services (DS) and the Office of Information Technology (OIT). Mr. Kragnes received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cognitive Psychology from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1987. He developed Carnegie-Mellon University's first disability services program and served as its director for a year and a half, while pursuing his studies at the institution. In 1995, he received his Master of Science degree in Experimental Psychology: Human Cognition, Memory and Learning from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Defining User Research Methodologies: A Pragmatic Approach

Dave Jones: @Dave_L_Jones | Zack Naylor: @zacknaylor
The Nerdery

Prerequisite knowledge/skills: At least some working knowledge of research methods. We will define many of these methods, both in writing and during discussion, to help those less familiar.

In the last decade, user-centered design has adopted research methods such as user interviews, on-site observation, contextual inquiry, and usability testing. All of these methods are now often at the heart of informing many design practices that focus on fulfilling the needs and requirements of users. However, we must also ask how and why we should use these methods within the contexts of a project, and how we should design research methods in order to maximize user-centered design methods. Pursuing effective research requires a well-considered methodology. If a research method is how we conduct a study to learn about technology users, then the methodology defines why we conduct research in the ways that we do. Methodologies are underlying principles or criteria that provide a justification for methods.

This workshop focuses on ways to build solid, practical research methodologies. This means not only determining which methods are appropriate for a project, but also developing a rationale for those methods that helps us structure our research questions, data collection activities, and data analysis. By developing richer methodologies, we provide a strong underlying rationale that streamlines research efforts and helps research teams collect data in well-structured ways. Examining methodologies also opens a wider discussion among user researchers concerning and how and why we use these methods. Not only can we better justify our work to others, but we can also better improve and enhance our research efforts by critically evaluating why and how we perform research.

Dave Jones is a User Experience Designer at The Nerdery where he focuses on user research, information architecture, and interaction design for a wide range of projects, such as e-commerce, continuing online education, and social media. His previous jobs include working as a User Experience Architect for various start-ups focused on social media and learning applications. He is also finishing a doctoral dissertation on the user experience of social networks, user-generated content, and proprietary social web tools. His scholarly research on user experience and cultural participation in the social web can be found in publications such as the Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Selected Papers of Internet Research 12, and the Proceedings of ACM: SIGDOC.

Zack Naylor is a User Experience Designer at The Nerdery. There, he works as a principle user researcher and usability specialist for projects with clients that range from local small businesses to start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. He previously spent time as User Experience Manager at Pikimal.com. Before that he was User Experience Designer and Front-End Developer for Lockerz.com and ModCloth.com.

1:00 – 4:00 workshops

Hello jQuery!

Kim Doberstein
University of Minnesota

Prerequisite knowledge/skills: Working knowledge of HTML and CSS, introduction to JavaScript helpful but not required, no fear of trying out a new language.

Does the thought of writing JavaScript make you cringe? Need to add some interaction or even (gasp) an AJAX call to your website? Have no fear, jQuery is here! jQuery makes writing JavaScript straight forward, fast, and almost fun. And yes, it works in all browsers.

In this hands-on workshop, we will work on real-world tasks so you will be able to immediately apply what you learned. Participants will learn how to select HTML objects and apply CSS; add event handlers like click, hover, and focus; add, manipulate and remove HTML objects and CSS "on the fly"; make an AJAX call and display the data; and add a few nice UI effects.

Kim Doberstein is honored to work at the University of Minnesota and is a former web design teacher/trainer at North Hennepin Community College. From her first JavaScript generated "hello world" over 10 years ago, she has developed a passion for creating easy to use, interactive, standards compliant, and maintainable web sites/applications. When not slinging HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, she is an active yogini, enjoys outdoor photography, and is usually found giggling with her daughter.

Future-Focused Web: Standards Based Design and Development

Kevin O'Brien: @kevinobrien | John Standish: @jdstand | Drew Covi: @drewcovi | Eric Hanson: @eghanson | Micah Spieler: @micahspieler
Clockwork Active Media Systems

In a presentation geared toward both designers and front end developers, we'll explore the increasing role of future-focused solutions, like HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript, in websites and mobile experiences. As a group, we will view live-demos, discuss design considerations, and rebuild a future-focused website with guidance from the Clockwork team. Participants will gain first-hand experience writing and analyzing code and walk away with self-crafted resources that consider desktop, mobile experiences, and future-focused code.

Attendees will gain:

• Better understanding of the roles of HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, and mobile within design production.
• Understanding of a future-focused process and how it impacts client expectations, design, implementation, and team communication.
• All code written during the session is yours to take home, along with resources provided by Clockwork Active Media.

The presentation team will include Eric Hanson (Creative Director), Micah Spieler (Interactive Designer), Kevin O'Brien (Lead / Front End Development Manager), Drew Covi (Production Specialist) and John Standish (Production Specialist).