 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
||
       
|
 |
 |
 |
||
|
Newsletter Volume 4(6) 8 June 
|
|
|
||
User Centred Design of Financial Services Project News Volume 4 (6), June 8, 2006 User Centred Design (UCD) of Financial Services Project News is a fortnightly e-newsletter that keeps you in touch with what is happening in the Banking and E-Commerce streams of the Smart Internet Technology CRC project on Security, Trust, Identity and Privacy. The aim is to stimulate interaction with our wider project team, industry partners and researchers involved with the use and design of financial services. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<><><><><><<><><><><>< 1. Getting to know the Gumurrii Centre - Supriya Singh Anuja Cabraal and I went to Griffith University in Brisbane and visited with the researchers at the Gumurrii Centre, the Griffith University Aboriginal and Islander Centre. We were joined by our Griffith researchers, Assoc Prof Liisa von Hellens, Alison Ruth, Jenine Beekhuyzen and Catherine Demosthenous We conducted two ‘yarning circles' for the Banking Research Stream, with some members of the Aboriginal and Islander communities. This allowed us to be inclusive in our qualitative research, to see the Aboriginal and Islander experience of money and banking as part of the Australian experience. The ‘yarning circles' literally are groups of people talking about a number of issues, over food, in a culturally appropriate way. Unlike focus groups, the participants overtly evaluate the researchers to decide how much they want to say or leave out. The emphasis is more on the sharing of experiences. The conversation is only lightly directed, rather than reaching a focal point as with focus groups. Associate Professor Boni Robertson, Director of the Gumurrii Centre welcomed us ceremonially in the conference room, complete with wall paintings. William Barton, a renowned didgeridoo player played on the didgeridoo inherited from his uncle. His mother Aunty Del ( Delmae Barton), Aboriginal Elder in Residence at Griffith, then began to chant, giving us her ‘Welcome to Country' to make us feel at home. Her singing pulled at the heartstrings leaving most of us in tears. After this beautiful welcome we began talking of money. Professor Supriya Singh ********************************************************************************* Judy, in her 40s, an Aboriginal Australian from Queensland, has come through a history of domestic violence, rape and poverty. She has succeeded in getting an education and a job where she can help others like her. She told a story of finding her non-Aboriginal mother facing discrimination from both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. Her father later became an alcoholic, and she would often find her mother on the floor with blood splattered on the walls. Judy had a son when she was in her teens, and brought him up alone. For a brief time she was married. This marriage ended in violence, both domestic and financial, and she was left bankrupt. She left the marriage with two more children but no money, saying she wanted her independence and knew how to live on a pension. She would see her mother juggling with bills and managing to put food on the table. She also was good at knowing if there was a two week grace period for one utility rather than another, and paying bills off in that order. Now she is in a supportive relationship and has a better job than she has ever had. Her partner is also working. He now manages their money. “I have managed it for long enough” Judy says. Her salary goes into her individual account. She pays rent out of it. His salary goes into his account. Their joint savings go into another individual account held by her husband. “I don't want to dip into it”, Judy says. Her partner manages all the money, his and hers, and gives her spending money. “But when we have to help his children or mine, the money comes out of our joint savings,” she says. Her partner wants to buy a home, but she queries this, saying “We have a good landlord who fixes up the place.” ********************************************************************************* Ito, M. 2005, 'Introduction: Personal, portable, pedestrian', in Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile Phones in Japanese Life, ed M. Ito, D. Okabe and M. Matsuda, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, pp.1-16. In this paper, M. Ito introduces the collection of papers on the Japanese mobile phone called ‘keitai' in Japanese. It is a useful addition to the growing body of comparative research on the mobile phone. However, instead of concentrating on cross-national research as earlier compilations have done, the editors focus on the distinctiveness of use by groups within Japan, such as young people and housewives. Managing International User Research "The desire to extend product development success internationally and understand users in the countries in which a product will be marketed has extended user methods overseas. While the practice of international research has become common, approaches have been varied depending on the needs of the project as well as corporate constraints. Many corporate researchers spend a great deal of their time travelling the globe to meet and study consumers, while others look to partner with other researchers or outsource the work entirely. Each of these approaches has its own advantages and disadvantages. This panel explored these diverse approaches, how and why choices are made, the issues and challenges faced, and lessons learned based on past experiences." Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human Factors in computing systems CHI '06 For details, please visit: http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1125451.1125454 Putting personas to work By: Tamara Adlin; Adlin, inc., Seattle, WA "Personas for use in interaction and interface design have generated a great deal of interest, but the method is still relatively new. This panel brought together professionals who have used personas to solve real business problems. The panelists described the methods they have developed to put personas to work in their organizations and how the use of personas has impacted their products and their organizations." Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human Factors in computing systems CHI '06 ********************************************************************************* 10th Australian Women in Information Technology Conference, “AusWIT has a mission of informing, sharing, community building, and re-energising those involved in the recruitment and retention of women in information technology. It is expected that a wide range of participants will attend AusWIT. Representatives from Industry, Government, and Education at all levels will benefit by attending.” Please visit: http://www.auswit.org/ The Australasian Conference on Information System Conference details available soon. For further information, please visit: http://www.acis2006.unisa.edu.au/ <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<><><><><><<><><><><>< |