Abstract:

Do you ever have difficulty getting to common agreement with colleagues on important work decisions impacting your organization’s products? Do you strive for more positive ways to solve disagreements? Do you wish you could have more win-win outcomes?

Colin Swindells will discuss his processes to resolve tough product decisions in user experience teams. Specifically, Colin will share adaptations of leading system thinking management tools that he has refined for contemporary user experience teams in technology organizations ranging in size from startups to multinational corporations.

For more information, please visit https://www.moonrakerinsights.com/

Bio:

Colin Swindells (Moonraker Insights LLC) is a user experience researcher who is currently Principal of a global consulting services company. Colin has led user experience activities for a range of organizations including Apple, BCG, Boeing, BMW, CAE, Dako, Google, Microsoft, Nike and Yara. He also serves on the Maine Institute of Technology’s IT Board, reviewing and advising investments into Maine-based tech companies. Colin has a PhD in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia, a BASc in Engineering Science from Simon Fraser University and a professional certification in System Thinking from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has 27 peer-reviewed publications, 11 patents and has led projects on 4 continents.

Schedule – EDT (UTC-4)

6:45 – 7:00: Networking (via Zoom)

7:00 – 8:00: Presentation

8:00 – 8:30: Q & A

Abstract:

What does it mean to monitor air quality at scale? What are some of the human-computer interface design challenges to be solved to enable citizen scientists to monitor their local air quality at scale?  What other impacts does scale have in designing data-intensive air quality monitoring experiences for consumers?

In this talk, Karen will discuss her current work on designing and developing Local Haze, an air quality monitoring product for citizen scientists and air quality enthusiasts that currently monitors over 30,000 sensors across six continents. In addition, Karen will cover some of the challenges she has faced in getting a new product to market while maintaining “ease of use” at the core of a growing product offering. For more information, please visit https://humanlogic.com/

Bio:

Karen Donoghue (HumanLogic) is a seasoned interaction designer with her own global consulting practice. She collaborates with product teams on discovery, conducts ideation for concept development, and performs requirements validation. Clients include Google, VMware, T-Mobile, SecurityScorecard, Beyond Identity, Olympus, Imprivata and many early-stage startups. Karen earned an MS at the MIT Media Laboratory in Cambridge, MA, USA and is the author of two business books about user experience.

Schedule – EDT (UTC-4)

6:45 – 7:00: Networking (via Zoom)

7:00 – 8:00: Presentation

8:00 – 8:30: Q & A

Abstract:

The 50+ year old demographic is about to take center stage within the audience of digital games. Today, a 65-year-old retiree would have been 18 when Pong arrived and even a 50+ year old has already lived through 4 console generations before turning 25. This presents a major cultural shift for the game industry, as older players of today and tomorrow will now often have a strong cultural connection to digital games, which they have cultivated throughout their lives. The shift from mostly uninformed novices to many savvy gaming literates among older players presents game academia and both the entertainment and gamification industry with a few challenges and many opportunities, as older players are looking for design approaches beyond brain training or fall prevention games.

In this talk, I will introduce how the topic of games and aging has inspired my work as a scholar and a game designer for over 15 years. I will debunk familiar stereotypes that surround 50+ year old players, and I will outline how aspiring game developers can make better games for aging players.

Bio:

Bob De Schutter (MFA, PhD) is an award-winning game designer, researcher, educator, and advocate for meaningful play in later life. He is a Professor of Applied Game Design at Northeastern University, where he is jointly appointed between the College of Arts, Media and Design and the Khoury College of Computer Sciences. He is also the owner of award-winning game company Lifelong Games (LLC).

Schedule – EDT (UTC-4)

6:30 – 6:45: Networking (via Zoom)

6:45 – 7:45: Presentation

7:45 – 8:15: Q & A