The April 13, 2011 Chapter Meeting
Mental Models: Identifying the Right Content Starts with Really Knowing Your Audience
In this presentation, Indi Young will teach you how to deeply understand customer reasoning before making communication and design decisions through the use of mental models. Mental models provide a clear roadmap of where your department (and your organization) should invest its energies, and also where it shouldn't, allowing you to stretch your limited resources and maximize your precious time. Mental models will also allow you to derive an information architecture from users' tasks that will last 10 years, and get everyone from discordant team members to busy executives on the same page with respect to design and planning.
Speaker:
Indi Young
Indi Young got her start as a software engineer designing interactive models and compilers on supercomputers. When she switched to personal hand-held devices (the PenPoint & Newton age), it became overwhelmingly evident that engineers were creating apps for fellow engineers. Someone needed to be able to understand the everyday person who was trying to make their day more effective. This is when she learned how to listen deeply to what people were saying and how they were thinking. Indi consulted for many dot-com start-ups during the boom. During the bust, Indi founded Adaptive Path with six other interaction designer—information architect—writer—speaker—teaching pioneers. After five years of intensive projects, Indi stepped aside to write her book, Mental Models. She currently consults, writes a blog at Rosenfeld Media, and searches for rich chocolate cookies in every town she visits.
Date:
Times:
Location:
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
6:00 to 7:00 pm: Networking, conversation & dinner
7:00 to 7:15 pm: Announcements
7:15 to 8:30 pm: Presentation
8:30 to 9:00 pm: Conversation,
follow up on job announcements
9:00 to 9:15 pm: Clear the room; move conversations to the sidewalk
Highlands Country Club,110 Hiller Drive, Oakland, California