Designing for a Sustainable World on Thursday, November 12th 2009

What is World Usability Day?

World Usability Day is a worldwide event sponsored by industry practitioners seeking to raise awareness of usability, user centered design-related careers, and individuals' rights to safe, effective, and easy to use products. World Usability Day 2009 will feature over 225 events occurring simultaneously in over 175 cities worldwide.

On November 12th, South Station Boston will host a series of entertaining and educational activities to involve the public in comparative surveys, product evaluation activities, user needs analysis, evaluations of product labels, and more! We close the event with a networking social at MIT's R&D Commons at the Stata Center where we'll present findings and dicuss activities over drinks and food.

Boston Mobility - Alternative Transportation

Being at South Station, we’ll look to gather the usability of those Charlie Card machines by conducting micro-ethnographic research and find out how usable alternate means of transportation really is in Boston and what needs drive people’s behavior. View Transportation activities...

The Food Challenge

Designing for change in our food culture starts with analysis of how people choose their foods. What are the challenges today in trying to eat healthy while sustaining our local farms and the economy of our local food system? View Food Activities

Recycling – Waste or Art?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – we’ve heard the 3R’s and this year we’ll invite the public to tell us what they consider waste and why. Does art help inspire people to waste less? View Recycling Activities

DIY - Design It Yourself

Have you ever fixed a broken appliance yourself? Or, have you ever taken apart something that was beyond repair to reuse the components? If so, you can consider yourself a DIY-er. Consumer items can be designed for easier servicing and repurposing - just as they can be designed for for improved usability. View DIY Activities

Healthcare

“Green” products are more than just trend; they create real benefits for users and manufacturers. Learn about using life-cycle assessment to understand the environmental impacts of medical products over the course of their lifetime. View Healthcare Activities