Userfocus Usability Newsletter, November 2013

Welcome to the November edition of the Userfocus usability newsletter.

• Message from the Editor
• Feature article: How to wow me with your UX research portfolio
• What we're reading
• Online training in user experience
• Upcoming training courses
• User experience quotation of the month

Message from the Editor

Today we launch a new online training course on usability testing.

Titled Usability Testing Bootcamp, this online video training course will give you the confidence to run a usability test of your company's product, software or web site. I've put everything I know about usability testing into this course and I really hope you'll join me on it.

You can find out more about the course here.

Crammed with insights from usability testing experts, on this course you'll:

• See the forms, templates and cheat sheets that practitioners use in their job.
• Discover how professional recruitment agencies find test participants.
• Hear experienced usability testers describe the problems you're likely to encounter when moderating and logging usability tests - and you'll find out how to solve them.
• Learn battle-tested, persuasive techniques to present the results to developers, managers and clients.
• Benefit from industry insights from user experience experts like Dr Deborah Mayhew, Dr Philip Hodgson, Miles Hunter, Dr Todd Zazelenchuk and Jeff Sauro in our unique, 15-minute masterclass interviews.
• Get coached through the various steps you need to take to run your first usability test.

I really want you to sign up for this course. Even though it's brand new, I'm going to offer you a massive 50% discount if you sign up this month.

"Why?" I hear you ask...

You know when you go to a foreign city and you're looking for a good restaurant? You walk along the street, peering into restaurant windows. Some restaurants are empty and some of them are full of life.

Which restaurant do you pick?

Online courses are like that too. No-one wants to sign up for a course that has hardly any students. So my aim this month is to get 300 people signed up for the course. We already have 150 students and now I'm looking for 150 more. Once we get to 300, the course will revert to its full price of $199.

But right now, you can get it for $99.

Get the course for $99, saving 50%.

Still undecided? Just so you know, this offer won't be repeated. Although we offer a discount on our online courses to newsletter subscribers, we will never discount it as deeply as this. This is a time-limited offer to help us get a restaurant full of people on the course quickly. When it's gone, it's gone.

One more thing.

I'm so confident that you'll enjoy this course that it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. So sign up today, it's risk free!

I hope to see you on my course on Udemy!

PS There are currently 8,991 people on this list and 150 vouchers available... so if you want to get this course for $99, you should act quickly. But not before you read this month's article...

— David Travis

Feature article: How to wow me with your UX research portfolio

If you work in user experience, the portfolio has replaced your CV. This is fine if you are a visual designer but for people who specialise in user experience research, the portfolio poses a particular challenge. Here are some suggestions on ways to create a winning user experience research portfolio. Read the article in full: How to wow me with your UX research portfolio.

What we’re reading

Some interesting usability-related articles that got our attention over the last month:

• Potential interview questions for interaction designers. From 2007 but still a really interesting discussion.
• Menu complexity at fast food outlets and web sites.
• A collection of experience maps curated on Pinterest.
• Combine a photo with a word cloud generated from your user interview to create a simple and effective persona.
• Want to write accessible content for the web? Try this great resource.
• What does a 'no-reply' email address say about your company?

Like these? Want more? Follow us on Twitter.

Online training in user experience

We have three online training courses in user experience. They are priced at $199 but newsletter subscribers can save money on each one by using these links:

• User Experience: The Ultimate Guide to Usability. Normal price: $199. Price for newsletter subscribers: $149 with coupon code SUBSCRIBER.
• How to carry out a usability expert review. Normal price: $199. Price for newsletter subscribers: $149 with coupon code SUBSCRIBER.
• Usability Testing Bootcamp. Normal price: $199. Price for newsletter subscribers: $149 with coupon code SUBSCRIBER.

Usability Training: Now Booking

Consultancy Skills for User Experience Professionals, Dec 2, London. SOLD OUT.

For internal or external consultants who need to market usability, this is a 1-day seminar that shows delegates how to market and deliver user centred design projects to managers and budget holders. More information about this training course: Consultancy Skills for User Experience Professionals.

Web Usability: An Introduction to User Experience, Jan 20-21, London. 8 PLACES LEFT.

A fast-paced, 2-day immersion seminar that shows delegates how to boost sales and conversion rates, increase usage and improve customer satisfaction. More information about this training course: Web Usability: An Introduction to User Experience.

User Experience quotation of the month

“Design is so critical it should be on the agenda of every meeting in every single department. ” — Tom Peters.

Hungry for more?

Read previous newsletters.