Second International Conference on Usage-Centered Design
18-22 October 2003 | Portsmouth, New Hampshire

A Conference on Usage-Centered, Task-Oriented, and
 Performance-Centered Design for Software and Web Applications

"Performance by Design"

Performance-support expert Gloria Gery keynoting at forUSE 2002.

has taken the best of the highly successful forUSE 2002 conference, melded it with feedback from participants, and spiced it up with some exciting new ideas.

Face Time

Since the conference is about the human side of technology, the entire program is organized to make it easy for people to meet and exchange ideas. The venue itself is just right for the conference as well as handy to the downtown harbor area of pleasant Portsmouth. (For more about the venue, see the Conference Details.)

Schmoozing with a speaker during the break.

At the presenters--over 30 from 6 countries--are participants. The comfortable venue and the structure of the conference are intended to foster dialog and help create an atmosphere in which everyone learns from everybody.

Breakfast, lunch, and morning and afternoon breaks are provided every day throughout the conference, including the pre-conference tutorials, in order to make plenty of time for discussions with colleagues and new-found friends.

 An opening reception on Sunday night is the social kick-off of the conference and  will set the stage for lots of rewarding interaction all week.

Program Highlights

Good teamwork and card-based modeling helped this team take first place in the 2002 Open X-Games.

The fun and the learning kick off with pre-conference tutorials including an introduction to usage-centered design for those who want to get up to speed. Tutorial enrollment is limited to facilitate hands-on learning and keep the discussion and questions free and flowing. Tutorial attendees get course notes and handouts, of course, plus breakfast, lunch, and breaks, so there will be lots of time to talk about what you are learning.

will reprise one of true high spots of the 2002 conference. The Interaction Design Open X-Games will give conference attendees a chance to put their design ideas into practice under pressure. A series of carefully conceived modeling and design challenges will create an opportunity to apply a range of real-world skills. The adrenalin-rush format promises fun for all as teams push to the limits for prizes and recognition.

Mary Beth Rosson discusses scenario-based design as fellow panelists Larry Constantine, Karen Holtzblatt, Thyra Rauch, and Josh Seiden listen.

Plenary Sessions

Plenary sessions set the tone for the conference at the start of each day. Monday begins with a keynote by Bill Buxton, design innovator from Buxton Design.

Tuesday will feature a truly innovative plenary panel. "Between Extreme and Unified: Where are the Users?" will bring two teams of authoritative panelists together to explore how users, usability, and user interface design fit into processes across the spectrum ranging from XP to RUP.

On Wednesday, usage-centered design pioneers Larry Constantine and Lucy Lockwood will square off in a debate on "Patterns or Process: What Drives Usage-Centered Design?".

Participation

Competitors in the Interaction Design Open X-Games fuel up.

is a collaborative enterprise that depends on you. Plan now to attend and becom part  of the dialog. Just use the Registration Form.