The April UX Book Club was jam-packed full of great people, lively conversation and interesting debate.

What made it so good?

There was a great mix, again, of old-hands and new people. Lots of UXers are coming out of the woodwork! Rue Bebelons is also a great home for UX Melbourne Book Club, we have our own space with dedicated waiter service…. although we might end up out growing it at the current rate of expansion.

How was the book?

For ‘old-hands’ Simple and Usable by Giles Colborne was a great contrast in approach from February’s classic, Envisioning Information. Giles Colborne obviously went to great lengths to make the reading experience ‘simple and usable’ with very succinct one page explanations of different usability and design principles and tools.

Hearing each group's feedback.

Colborne makes sure he covers strategic and conceptual issues as well as describing over 50 design tools for achieving simplicity. He makes sure that simplicity is not just an absence of complexity but rather “The secret to creating a simple user experience is to shift complexity into the right place, so that each moment feels simple.”

Four Parts are devoted to detailed descriptions of the four strategies for simplicity:

1. Remove
2. Organise
3. Hide
4. Displace

These strategies, and the problems they address, are neatly demonstrated in the design challenge of a TV remote control. This is a really handy illustration of the outcomes of each strategy.

It was interesting to compare such an easily digestible book with Tufte’s Envisioning Information, a book that demands a lot of mental effort from the reader. Some readers felt that the ‘easy reading’ experience actually encouraged the reader to gloss over the rich ideas that were on offer. Perhaps for knowledge to stick there needs to be a small amount of friction in the reading experience?

For those who were at the February Book Club it was nice to recognise Tufte’s principles so neatly presented in the ‘Organise’ Part.

Overall Simple and Usable is a really valuable learning tool for anyone working in a design context, and especially helpful to the practice of User Experience design.

When’s the next Book Club?

The next UX Melbourne Book Club will be Tuesday 19 June, Rue Bebelons, 6pm.

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Don’t forget to sign up for the UX Melbourne Announcements and join the UX Melbourne Google Group for Book Club chat!

2012 has proven to be a smashing year so far and we hope you can join us for the next night of debate, sharing and fun.

What’s the book?

‘Simple and Usable’ by Giles Colborne. http://www.simpleandusable.com

You can compare prices for the book at www.booko.com.au which calculates all online prices including postage. There is also an ebook version.

When is it?

Tuesday 24 April
6.00 for 6.30 start

Where is it?

Rue Bebelon
267 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Can I come, even if I haven’t read the book?

Yes, all welcome. See you there!

Hooray! The first UX Melbourne Book Club for 2012 is coming.

This month the book is “Envisioning Information” by Eward Tufte. You can compare prices for the book at Booko, which calculates all online prices including postage.

When is it?

Tuesday 21 February
6.00 for 6.30 start

Can I come if I haven’t read the book?

Of course! All welcome.

New venue this month!

Rue Bebelon
267 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

We’re looking forward to trying out our new venue, come and let us know what you think.

The December UX Book Club meeting was a great end to the year. Thanks to Jeremy Yuille for offering a super space at RMIT to host. Thanks to all those who brought something yummy to eat or drink.

We had a great mix of regulars and newbies, even someone who’d only been in Australia for 2 days! Obviously the UX Book Club is a ‘must go to’ event…

For those who couldn’t make it here is a brief idea of the night…

The text was a blog post: http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesign/ Which included a Microsoft ‘Productivity Vision’ video.

The reactions to the post were varied, they included:

• Agreement that the lost of physicality in our day to day lives is not good.
• This is a long and broad trend, including: industrialisation, urbanisation, modern educational systems, westernisation (see http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html)
• Opinions that the video wasn’t all bad. The integration of devices was cool.
• There was a broad feeling that the post was more a Rant Against Futuristic Videos. That the video’s vision (Microsoft’s) was pretty narrow, and that the actual evolution of interaction should (hopefully) be more imaginative, more varied and more …interesting.
• And if it isn’t, well, we only have ourselves to blame.

It was also noted that the Microsoft video was very similar to an ad by Corning “A Day Made of Glass”

It was felt that a new language was needed to support new paradigms of interaction, the new modes of interactivity that will develop and new visions for the future.

Two names that came up were Edward Tufte and Carol Dweck, you might want to check them out.

We have some great plans for UX Book Club Melbourne in 2012. Watch this space for upcoming announcements.

Have a great Christmas.

Come and join the last UX Book Club for 2011!

We thought an article rather than a book would be the best approach
given the short notice, so the article is: A Brief Rant On The Future Of Interaction Design. (Please read the Responses and Follow Up at the end of the post too.)

Some things to think about…

• Do you share Bret Victor’s frustrations?
• Do you think his concerns are new?
• Do you think they are being addressed?
• Do you think there are more interesting issues when contemplating the future of Interaction Design?

Where is it?

Level 2, Building 9, RMIT City Campus.
Enter off Bowen St, close to Franklin St.

When is it?

Tuesday 6 December
6:00 PM for a 6.30 PM start

How much does it cost?

Nothing, just turn up and be nice!
(Drinks arrangements to be advised…)

Want more?

For those who are really keen you could also check out the other
suggested ‘reading’:

• Marc hassenzaal’s entry on user experience
• Radio National: The Internet – Prophecy and Reality

See you there!