• Sign the World Usability Day 2006 Charter
  Technology today is too hard to use. A cell phone should be as easy-to-use as a doorknob. In order to humanize a world that uses technology as an infrastructure for education, healthcare, government, communication, entertainment, work, and other areas, ..
  (tags: WorldUsabilityDay usability)

World Usability Day fun continues. Here’s some more information about World Usability Day activities via an email from Clarissa Mattingly:

World Usability Day promotes the value of usability, user-centred design, and everyone’s desire for things that work better. This year, it will take place on Tuesday 14 November.

Over the course of 36 hours, events will be held around the globe. Last year, Sydney was among 70 cities in 30 countries which played host to free, public events. For each event, usability professionals dedicated a few hours of their time to get out the word that usability counts. Events included panel discussions, workshops, clinics, outdoor “scavenger hunts” and more. And the topics went beyond traditional web usability to cover product design, mobile devices, ergonomics and more.

There’s only 75 days to go, so make sure you get along to the planning day coming up on 1 September 2006. The planning day is all about getting things off the ground. Deciding what event will be, who will participate, where it will be held, and how it will be publicised. It’s crucial to the success of our event that it’s run by people from across our industry.

The informal get-together will be held at Different’s wharf-side offices in Pyrmont (see map)and starts at 4pm, Drinks and some delicious barbeque food will be available, as a small incentive for your participation!

If you would like to attend, please RSVP via [email protected] no later than COB Thursday 31 August 2006

And don’t forget to register your interest at the World Usability Day website!

Go on then. Get involved!

OK. So right now you think that 14 November seems like ages away, but *really* you know it will be here before you know it. And you know what happens in November?! Yes, of course. World Usability Day. Hooray!

Now, we all love World Usability Day in the past, but this time I have a special interest as I’m helping to coordinate all the activities that are going on in Australia and New Zealand.

So, if you’re in Aus or NZ, and you think you might be up for organising an event for World Usability Day – it could be something kind of serious, or it could be fun. It could take you ages to organise and have hundreds of people, or it could be smaller and less structured and involve just your work place or maybe your clients.

You might have great ideas and want a helping hand, or you might be keen to get involved but not sure what to do.

Well. Here’s what you do now – head over to the World Usability Day website and let us know that you’re keen to be involved. It’s a no-obligation registration of interest at the moment. The idea is that we work together as much as possible, so that we can do even more even fun things all over the place.

So. Come on now. Give me something to coordinate and let’s get some great Australian and New Zealand World Usability Day events on the boil.

(oh, and if you’re not from Australia or New Zealand and you want to be involved, go fill out that form also. There are lots of other lovely people all over the world who will help with coordinating activities in your area).