October 2014: Wireframing Like a Boss

Can’t draw? Haven’t picked up a pen since 1998? Not sure what the difference is between a wireframe and a prototype? Just looking to pick up some quick and easy tips for creating full, annotated wireframes for clients. Perfect, this session is just for you!

Caryn Humphreys, of software design and development shop Vehikl, will introduce you to the different types of wireframes (both internal and deliverable), the terminology related to wireframing, and current available software.

She’ll also lead a hands-on workshop that will teach you how to create effective wireframes. Choose from one of the provided web or mobile app ideas and we’ll run through the basics of how to draw your wireframes.

Whether you’re delivering to developers on your team, planning out your design sprint on your UX team, or showing a proof-of-concept to clients/shareholders, you’ll walk away knowing how to wireframe… like a boss. (Or like someone who makes wireframes, at least.)

Thursday October 16, 2014
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Boltmade Inc.
2nd Floor, 187 King St S
Waterloo, ON

(December 2011) UX Show and Tell

Tuesday Dec 20, 2010
5:30 to 7:00 pm + Join us for drinks afterwards
Pollock Executive Briefing Centre at The Communitech Hub
151 Charles St. W., Suite 100 (Tannery Building) in Kitchener
[Map

Show off your work or your tools this winter!

What are you working on before the holidays? Come share with us at this month’s UX Show and Tell event! Bring examples of anything from your work: research artifacts, personas, sketches, wireframes, design comps, prototypes, documents… anything goes. Even show off a favorite tool, if you’d like. Tell us about a challenge you faced, explain a problem that you solved, or simply share something you’re proud of.

Tips for presenting

Prepare to make your presentation brief, to allow time for questions and discussion. And importantly, please be aware of our 3 golden rules:

• No sales pitches
• Anchor your demo in design/UX (e.g., a code review wouldn’t be appropriate for this event)
• Choose only one or two pages from that 5-pound design specification

A projector, laptop (Macintosh), and Internet connection will be available. If you can present from our laptop, that would help the evening progress more smoothly. But feel free to use your own computer if necessary.

Do I NEED to bring something to show?

No, it’s not required that you bring something to show. But we certainly encourage you do so, as you’ll be surprised how much fun it can be. Remember, you don’t have to show a lot. Even a single screenshot can be plenty. And yes, you DO have something that others would find interesting or valuable!

Mix and mingle afterwards

After the event ends at 7:00, we’re planning to get together at a nearby pub or restaurant. If some informal chitchat over a drink and food sounds like fun, please just hang out for a few minutes afterwards while we see who’s interested and decide where to go.

UX Show and Tell Recap

Hey UXers!

Hope you can attend our next UX group meeting tomorrow (May 17th) from 5:30-7pm at Barley Works at the Heuther Hotel.

To read more about what we’ll be discussing and to register, check out our blog post about the event: NUIs in your living room, in a pub.

If you missed our last UX group meeting on April 19th, here’s a quick recap.  We had 20 UXers attend our “show & tell” session, which turned out to be very interactive and fun!  We split into groups and each group listened to design challenges and ideas that their peers have been working with.

Then, each group picked a representative that presented their design challenge to the whole room.  Some of the interesting ideas we heard about include:

• Design challenges for group collaboration and some of the time wasters that get in the way when individuals are working together in an office or on a tabletop surface.
• How Adobe Fireworks can be used for wireframing and for finished designs.  We saw how this can be a great tool for creating a design and gathering commentary.
• Overview of recommendations for revamping a website that is used by students and staff at Wilfrid Laurier University.
• Saw examples of how menu options for an application were brought from early prototypes to the final product.
• Got a sneak peak of a new feature for math software and heard about the design challenges of designing for a small space in an existing application.

Thanks to everyone who shared their ideas and opinions at this event!  Photos from the event are posted below.  Hope to see you at our event tomorrow!

(April 2010) UX Show and Tell

Monday April 19, 2010
5:30 to 7:00 (Then drinks afterwards if you’re interested!)
Accelerator Centre
Meeting Room #2
295 Hagey Blvd., Waterloo
[Map]

A chance to share our work and learn from each other

This month we’re hosting our first UX Show and Tell, an event that’s become fairly popular with other IxDA and UX-related groups around the world. It’s no wonder, as it’s quite a lot of fun and is a great way to learn from each other.

Bring examples of anything from your work: research artifacts, personas, sketches, wireframes, design comps, prototypes, documents… anything goes. Tell us a challenge you faced. Or show us a problem you solved. Bring a question you have, or simply show off something you’re proud of.

We’ll keep things brief, so please choose only one or two pages from that 5-pound design specification. 🙂

Do I NEED to bring something to show?

No, it’s not required that you bring something to show. But we certainly encourage you do so, as you’ll be surprised how much fun it can be. Remember, you don’t have to show a lot. Even a single screenshot can be plenty. And yes, you DO have something that others would find interesting or valuable!

RSVPs requested

If you’re hoping to attend, please click here to RSVP via Communitech. As usual, everyone’s welcome to join us, so spread the word!

Join us for informal drinks and chitchat afterwards

After the event ends at 7:00, we’re planning to get together at a nearby pub or restaurant. If this sounds like fun, just hang out for a few minutes afterwards while we see who’s interested and decide where to go.

Feeling a bit timid about your sketching skills?

At last night’s event, “What can we learn about design from Pixar?“, sketching figured prominently as a discussion topic. A number of people expressed concern about their lack of drawing skills, a sentiment that seemed widely shared, given the nodding heads around the room. Henry Chen, one our presenters last night, just forwarded this message from Adaptive Path’s alumni mailing list, which touches on this issue and suggests some resources to hone your skills.

Leah Buley writes:

Part of the challenge for me is just putting pen on paper and having faith that something interesting will result, so I’ve found these kiddie coloring/instruction books give me enough structure to get me moving:

• Taro Gomi’s line of doodle books
• Usborne Books series. I like this one.
• You might also take a look at Dan Roam’s Back of the Napkin. He gives me confidence that the sketch itself isn’t really the most important thing, it’s the thinking behind it. Kind of encouraging for those among us who still feel a little daunted by the artistic aspect of sketching.
• Finally, I have to give a little plug for Betty Edwards’s Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain — an oldie but a goodie.

You’ll find lots of talk about sketching on the IxDA discussion list, too, such as this thread about sketch-style wireframes.