Join us and:

• Learn how to apply user research techniques—even when you have no time

• See how rich Internet applications and AJAX are changing the way designers solve problems ranging from interaction to architecture

• Learn how AJAX development forces us to rethink every Web design convention

• Get techniques for stripping your project down to just those elements that will be successful based on usability and user insight

• Use simple metrics to figure out your next steps toward Web 2.0 development.

Jeffrey Veen has worked on projects with some of today's most successful Web products, including Flickr, Blogger, TypePad, and the Creative Commons. He's currently building a Web application for Adaptive Path, based on the company's years of experience in innovation and design. You won't want to miss this opportunity for direct access into the process and thinking behind these apps.

Most sites are about driving action. Action requires that users make decisions. Are you providing the right information for them to make their decisions? Is the information provided when the users need it?

The latest research from User Interface Engineering has shown some stunning answers to these questions. Jared Spool will show you how the layers of your site's hierarchy actually support the user's decision making process -- but only when designed properly. He'll also explain UIE's recently published framework for predicting the content your users will need and how you can use it to budget your content development resources.

You'll learn:

• Two important points on the knowledge spectrum: current knowledge and target knowledge
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• The difference between tool knowledge and domain knowledge
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• The six key types of information that live in the "needs/solution spectrum," including the "needs identification" and "solution refinement" types
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• The 3 stages of decision making: winnowing, selecting, and validating
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• How proper design of department pages, galleries, and content pages gives confidence to users when making important decisions

Jared Spool is among the world's most effective and knowledgeable communicators on the subject of usability. He has guided the research agenda and built User Interface Engineering into the largest research organization of its kind in the world. He's been working in the field of
usability and design since 1978—before the term "usability" was ever associated with computers.

Jared works with the research teams at the company, helps clients understand how to solve their design problems, explains to reporters and industry analysts what the current state of design is all about, and is a top-rated speaker at more than 20 conferences every year. The conference chair and keynote speaker at the annual User Interface Conference, he is also on the faculty of the Tufts University Gordon Institute.

Photoshop — February 1

Capture. Enhance. Manage. Deliver. This workshop, specifically developed for any Web developer or designer who has to incorporate graphics into their Web sites, is designed to teach you everything you need to know to produce quality images at the right file size. This all-day Photoshop deep-dive class will begin with a flurry of interface tips to make every Photoshop user faster and more efficient, then move on to specific image correction techniques to make your Web graphics look their best. In the later portion of the day, we’ll cover production tips for reducing file size, automating repetitive production tasks and best practices for incorporating images into Flash-based content.