February 07, 2005
UPA North Inaugural Meeting Notes
The first meeting of the UPA North was attended by around 30 people. There was a huge diversity in expertise as represented by job roles. We had usability consultants, tech writers, product managers, info architects, graphic designers, project managers, professors ... from ... Sony, Orange, Egg, Unilever, Inland Revenue, Reading Room, Manchester University ... from Leeds, Sheffield, Chester, Manchester ...
We saw a demonstration of eyetracking from Ian Janes from the eponymous Eyetracker and saw some of the new tiny specs that are now available to execute this technique. Fascinating stuff, and a quantum jump on from the head mounted metal jaw clamped stuff I shied away from five years ago! 
Then I spoke my piece about a 'big, inclusive, and innovative' usability and my belief that the times are changing for us folk. I think my point about 'inclusive' was demonstrated well by the job roles represented. And there was a very positive theme to the evening, not a downtrodden usability at all, but up, at 'em and in your face!
Andy persuaded us to do a session of 'shameless self promotion' - 90 seconds of, well, shameless self promotion. I think some of us enjoyed this more than we would like to admit! It broke any remaining ice.
Traditionally, as these events demand, we moved on to the pub, but as Barca was shut we had no chance of catching a glimpse of the young Ronaldo, and had to move on to Dukes 92 for a chat and network.
Next event? Watch this space.
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Posted by davidhawdale at February 7, 2005 12:08 PM