[chisigmail] CHISIG: Happy World Usability Day

[Patrizia Bordignon]

Today is World Usability Day.  http://www.worldusabilityday.org/

World Usability Day was founded in 2005 with a mission to increase the
public's awareness of the need to make the services and products important
to human life easier to access and simpler to use.

 This year the theme is healthcare.  There are 143 events taking place in 40
countries around the world today.   Check out the events taking place:
http://www.worldusabilityday.org/event

³The importance of user-centered design in healthcare is truly about life
and death² noted Elizabeth Rosenzweig, Founder and Director of World
Usability Day.  ³Whether it¹s new medical devices or technologies; drug
research, approval or delivery; patient forms or medical record sharing;
emergency disaster planning or increasing the functionality of hospitals and
everyday healthcare delivery, everyone is effected in some way by the
intersection of usability and healthcare. There are many commonalities, yet
each region of the world faces its own set of unique challenges. We believe
that focusing World Usability Day 2007 on healthcare will create a stronger
awareness of these issues and lead to initiatives that have long term impact
on the quality of everyone¹s life."

In Melbourne we will be visiting St.Vincents Simulation Centre. This is a
state-of-the-art Human Simulator that comprises a sophisticated integration
of software and hardware built around a human mannequin. The mannequin
breathes, has pulses and can respond to intravenous drugs, CPR,
defibrillation, intubation, ventilation, catheterisation and many other
procedures.

In short, the mannequin mirrors as close as is currently possible, the
physiological and pharmacological reactions of a human being.
The Simulation Centre is a human-centred training facility that provides
healthcare professionals with the ability to focus on acquiring the skills
required to administer healthcare to patients in a safe environment.

In addition to the tour, Peter Benda, a senior research fellow in the
Department of Information Systems at the University of Melbourne, will
present Making Users Quitters. Peter will share with us details of some
recent research on enhancing smoking cessation programs. The research
focuses on interaction in the mobile space, and examines the role of
persuasive technology, social support and recent social networking
mechanisms (Web 2.0). Peter will also discuss how these studies have
utilised participatory design methods and diary studies.

For more details, go to: http://www.worldusabilityday.org/event/show/347

There are a couple of places left so, if you wish to attend, please
register for the event at :  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/78461681.
Click on Register Now and submit your name and email address.

Hope to see you at 12pm today.

Cheers,

Patrizia,
Melbourne event organiser for World Usability Day 2007


Patrizia Bordignon
Usability Consultant & Interaction Designer
Design for U & I Pty Ltd
Mobile 0409 936 498
Email designui at bigpond.net.au