The person behind the name badge

Kathrin Hollinger, Usability Engineer at UID, shares her experiences on the international conference of usability professionals in Munich

"Usa-ba-bility Conference" is written next to the button in the elevator, which takes us to the roof terrace of the Bayerischer Hof Hotel. The unique view over the rooftops of Munich makes you forget the spelling mistake. However, it seems like an evidence that time has come to host the international conference of the Usability Professionals‘ Association (UPA) in Germany from May 24 to 28, 2010. And although the location is not a stone's throw away for everybody – as it is for me – about 750 people interested in "usa-ba-bility" and user experience from 45 countries accepted the invitation.

They all now bustle about at the welcome party to enjoy the buffet and the sunset, full of anticipation of the week to come. In a multi-cultural mix of English, I can hear enthusiastic greetings like "good to see you again" and "finally, we meet in person". Many people have been in contact before, but see for the first time today who is behind their social network profiles. Only few people insecurely watch out for familiar faces: me for example. For a usability professional attending an international conference for the first time, most people can only be identified by their name badges. I read "Kevin" on one badge, who is passing me to the dessert buffet. A tall, likeable American. Kevin someone from somewhere.
At least, I know my colleagues from UID. Jakob Biesterfeldt for example who is taking the microphone to give the audience some warm words of welcome. His vision and his untiring effort as a UPA Co-Chair helped to host the 2010 conference in Munich.

The next morning, I find myself in a bustle in the exhibitors' room under the sun- flooded glass dome. The Microsoft Surface Table at the UID booth has already been besieged by a crowd of people, before we can put it into operation. A member of the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs is curiously watching the "oversize phone".
Next door, the large banquet hall fills with even more unfamiliar faces for the opening presentation. And while Rachel Hinman from Nokia is entering the stage, the first one in the audience already starts to "twitter". The people who were not able to attend the conference can at least follow via Twitter, how Hinman talks about the design of a Mobile Money Service for Uganda in her lecture "Technology is a Cultural Practice".

The next lecture I marked in my schedule with an X for "important" is "Using stories effectively in user experience design". Together with the circles for "maybe interesting", my schedule now rather reminds of a Tic-Tac-Toe game. The audience is squashing in – I can snatch one of the last seats in the first row shortly before the presenters enter the stage: a bubbly American woman and – a tall, likeable American man, wearing the same name badge as yesterday. Now I know: Kevin is Kevin Brooks, author of "Storytelling for User Experience". I have been waiting for two years for its publication. And now, I am facing the author himself. But this was not all…

After exciting 90 minutes, it is lunch time. The conference attendees run to the foyer to join the lunch guides who hold signs with their lunch discussion topics. As another networking platform, UID initiated lunch discussions within the conference organization for each conference day. While eating delicious food in a relaxed atmosphere, the participants have the opportunity to discuss on "International User Research", "Social Media", "Eco Design" and 16 other topics – including sightseeing. Passing the Palace of Justice, I am guiding my group to my restaurant. Even before we reach it, the discussion on web analytics is in full swing. "Thank you so much for this inspiring and connective event", says a participant from Togo to me, patting me on the back after having finished his "Wiener Schnitzel".

Back at Bayerischer Hof, the presentation marathon continues. The attendees have to choose between a total of 30 lectures this afternoon. Just in time, I scurry through the door to the lecture "Combining methods: Web Analytics and Usability Testing". After the "Dimensions to describe the aesthetics of interaction elements" presented on the German Track of the UPA, I hurry to the discussion on the added value of eye-tracking where I got the last standing place.

Impressed of the good atmosphere, I join a mixed group going to the beer garden in the evening to round off the day. While my colleague Tobias is explaining the Bavarian menu to an Indian, I am already thinking about the next day.

Unfortunately, I miss the lectures of my colleagues Sylvia Le Hong ("Cultural differences and similarities in the use of gestures on touch screen user interfaces") and Lenja Sorokin ("User-centered development of AAL technologies with people suffering from dementia") this afternoon, as I am preparing the finale of the international student Design Competition (iSDC) in the early evening as a iSDC Co- Chair, before all conference attendees meet up for the grand dinner with Bavarian delicatessen and traditional brass music.

In the banquet hall, the tables laid with white cloth and candlesticks welcome the guests to bring together old and new friends for the last time. "Just like a class reunion", says my colleague Sylvia. Next to her and other colleagues from UID, Ilona from Toronto and Charles from London, three seats are still available around our table. "Are these already taken?", asks a tall, likeable American, this time without his badge. I am sitting there now, together with Kevin Brooks, and tell him about my experiences on "Storytelling". And while I am still enjoying my personal great finish of the UPA 2010, Jakob Biesterfeldt and Silvia Zimmermann, President of the UPA, say good bye to the audience in a heartfelt speech, receiving standing ovations from everybody.

Links for further information

• Website of the UPA International Conference 2010
• Website of the Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA)
• More pictures on Flickr

Contact

User Interface Design GmbH
Marion Gottschling, Corporate Communications
Contact form
phone+49 (0) 7141 3 77 00 0
fax +49 (0) 7141 3 77 00 99

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