April 22, 2004
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: OUTSIDE IN
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
*outside in
*emerging expressions, interventions and participation in public space
*june 14th-15th @ röda sten, göteborg, sweden
In recent years, emerging technologies and policies have transformed notions of public space. Mobile phones, surveillance systems and electronic barriers affect how we spend our time, where we go and how we express ourselves. What are the new perceptions of our cities and public spaces? What are aesthetic,
cultural and social implications? What is the impact on creative practices, technology development and civic stakeholders? What are the emerging tactics and processes for public engagement? What are the opportunities for expression, intervention and participation? ‘outside in’ is a forum for involving new voices, media and practices in a discourse about the use of public space.
Over 2 days, ‘outside in’ will promote reflection, participation and action in public space. Featured will be major international voices in public art and graffiti, design and architecture, activism and urban planning,
social sciences and politics. Combining presentations, panel discussions, and participatory workshops, symposium activities are intended to engage people from a wide variety of disciplines in sharing and creating together. Accepted submissions will be published in symposium proceedings and all attendees will contribute to a public exhibition during the symposium. We invite participation from designers, artists, musicians, sociologists, activists, theoreticians, policy-makers, community workers, educators … and
everyone concerned with access, design, and use of public space today!
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themes:
Public Access
- new medias and technologies for public use
- public forums or access in virtual or digital realms
- public presence or participation through new medias
- local/global, public/private concerns
- technology impacting public spaces and communities
- re-invention of geography, architecture & public space with new media
Beyond Utility
- design beyond efficiency
- designing for new genres and modalities
- open systems and adaptable products
- designing for appropriation & sustainability
- experimental design methods and processes
Civic (mis)behaviors
- new roles and voices in the public sphere
- expression, community, and collectivism
- emerging tactics, strategies & forms of authorship
- stakeholders and coalitions in public projects
- the front line between freedom and protection
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WORKSHOP DETAILS:
We now invite submissions for Outside In workshops!
The symposium format is a unique blend of presentation and participation styles in order to involve a wide spectrum of voices and expertise in creative exchange - in the morning of each day will be prominent
invited speakers with keynote presentations and open panel discussions. In the afternoons, presenters and participants alike will join in workshop formats, which combine less formal presentations with hands-on activity to engage and involve a wide spectrum of disciplines, creative voices, and practitioners in discussing and creating together. Each workshop will be guided by 2-3 people and will be 4-6 hours long, spread over both afternoons of the two-day symposium.
Please note that the only category for submission to Outside In is in the workshops! A printed publication from the symposium will feature outstanding workshop submissions and all workshop outcomes. In addition, all workshop outcomes will be exhibited at Valand, the Fine Arts Academy in Göteborg, and in other selected galleries and outdoor venues around the city. Registration for morning presentations and afternoon workshops will be separate (admission to workshops will only be for accepted submissions).
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WORKSHOPS (see www.outsidein.se
The workshop titles and leaders are as follows:
Hacking the Street
Jonah Brucker-Cohen + Katherine Moriwaki
Confronting Public Territory
Tele + Ruskig
National Suicide Day
Swoon
Loop City
Sara Hodges + Dietmar Offenhuber
DIY Media Architecture
Adam Somlai-Fischer + Aether Architecture
A Day in the Life
Rick Charnoski + Buddy Nichols
The Kids are Alright
Linda Melin + Daniel Rehn
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SUBMISSIONS FOR WORKSHOP PARTICIPATION SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
* Name, Country, Affiliation (if applicable)
* Contact email
* Web address (if applicable)
* Workshop applying for
* 250-300 word statemento f interest AND|OR media (we accept digital format images, mp3s, video submissions)
Please email all submissions to margot.jacobs@tii.se
Submissions Due: May 15th, 2004
Posted by richard ting at April 22, 2004, 11:48 AM
April 14, 2004
Group Usability Testing
Developers looking for the best way to test application usability can choose between a focus group or usability testing. But there is a third way that combines the best of both those approaches: group testing.
Focus groups and usability tests each have their strengths and weaknesses. Focus groups, which bring together six to nine users, along with a moderator, are easy to organize. But their success depends largely on the quality of the moderator, and they uncover only users' opinions of an application, not how users actually use it. Usability testing, by contrast, observes actual users testing an application, often on a one-on-one basis. Yet even though usability testing is a powerful way to evaluate design usability and interaction styles, it is a poor way to assess user needs.
Group testing combines the strengths of both approaches, especially when used during an application's prototype phase. Group testing involves a group of users, just like a focus group, but it also gives developers an opportunity to actually test the application. Group testing is cost-efficient; it produces large amounts of data in a short time. One caveat: For group testing to deliver the best results, it should be moderated by an experienced researcher who understands both usability testing in general and the underlying technology.
