stc-jamesriver.org - Information Design and Management in 2005:

The speakers premise was that, for many companies, usability tends to come only at the very last part, if at all, of a product’s cycle. Most of the time, usability is misplaced and undervalued and is in constant limbo as to who actually “owns” it. This presentation helped participants see that usability can be a structured part of a product cycle, allowing many different teams to take an active role in promoting and implementing usability. The speaker explained what usability is, how it works within her company, the internal and external resources we use, and how to implement usability at all times during a product cycle without feeling overwhelmed or spending a lot of money.

About the Speaker

Ellyn Hassell is an independent technical writer then employed by Blackbaud, Inc. of Charleston, SC. Ellyn presented the topic of usability at the 2004 STC Conference. She has been very active in the James River Chapter; she chaired and directed the 2005 Technical Communication Competitions for us. Ellyn and her family live today near Williamsburg, VA where she cares for her child and works from home in a true teleworking environment.