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In this panel discussion, three experts, actively involved in UX, will be sharing their views on what UX is all about and how technical communicators can benefit from understanding the user experience complexities.

Program Details

• Date: Thursday, November 7, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location:  Innovate Calgary (IC, formerly called CTI),  3553-31 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta (Map)
  • Directions: IC is in University Research Park just north of the University of Calgary
  • Transit: From Brentwood LRT station, walk across the parking lot to IC
  • Parking: Free visitor parking is available in front of the building
• Cost: STC Alberta Members, Affiliate Members: $15. Non-Members: $20
• Registration:  Please register by email to: registration@stc-alberta.org and provide the following information:
  • Name
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Member status (STC Alberta member; STC Alberta student member; Affiliate member and name of organization;  Non- member).

  Cash payment is due at the door. (Note: Walk-ins are welcome, however, there may be standing room only, so registering is recommended.)

• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

Meet our UX experts…

Brian Traynor

Brian Traynor is an Associate Professor in the Information Design program in the Faculty of Communication Studies at Mount Royal University. He has taught courses in Information Architecture, Usability, and Project and Content  Management. Brian has research interests in user satisfaction measures and the attribution of blame by users. Brian has over 25 years industry experience centered on technology and education management.

Brian’s Topics:

• User Advocacy → User Experience
• TC activities/methods overlapping with those of Usability/UX.
• Content Strategy and why it is becoming increasingly important in UX.

Murray Thompson

Having worked in local government and telecommunications, Murray started his career as an engineer. Although it involved a combination of technical work and creativity, on both the business and people side, he felt engineering still wasn’t quite the right fit. After transitioning into IT systems and web-related roles, he soon became more focused on User Experience work.

Murray’s Topics:

• The highs and lows of practicing UX design and all that comes between
• An overview of UX-related disciplines
• Commonly-found tools in the UX superhero utility belt
• Ways that UX can be involved in delivering products and services

Richard Metcalfe

Richard considers himself to be something of an “accidental” tech writer, having approached the field through a long, circuitous path after graduating with a psychology degree from the University of Western Ontario. Until recently, he was the user experience designer for the software department of an oil and gas services company. Prior to that, he was a member of their documentation team, producing end-user documentation. He has been a volunteer with the STC Alberta chapter for several years.

Richard’s Topics:

• A brief history lesson – how I got to where I am now
• An overview of UX where I work(ed) – what I did and why I did it
• Common ground – what makes technical writing and UX similar
• Not-so-common ground – what other skills and tools are involved in UX

Join us for our annual fall pub night at Rose & Crown. Catch up after the summer, enjoy drinks, appetizers, and each other’s company.

Program Details

• Date: Monday, October 21, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location: Rose & Crown, Sutton Place Hotel, 10235 – 101 Street NW. There is hourly parking in the Impark lot across the avenue, and ETS has numerous route stops at Edmonton City Centre.
• Cost: $10 (includes one drink and appetizers). All paying attendees can bring a Special Guest for free!
• Registration: Reply to edmontondirector@stc-alberta.org. Cash payment is due at the door. Walk-ins are welcome.
• Contact: Deanne Wilson, Edmonton Director

Join us for our annual fall pub night at Buzzards aka Bottlescrew Bill’s. Catch up after the summer, enjoy drinks, appetizers, and each other’s company.

Program Details

• Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location: Buzzards Cowboy Cuisine (aka Bottlescrew Bill’s), 140 – 10 Avenue S.W. (Map). Plenty of free parking is available along the streets after 6:00 p.m.
• Cost: $10 (includes one drink and appetizers). All paying attendees can bring a Special Guest for free!
• Registration: Online (for STC members). For  those bringing a Special Guest, register your guest by email at registration@stc-alberta.org and provide your Guest’s name (Special Guests should not register separately). Non-members please also register by email at registration@stc-alberta.org.  Cash payment is due at the door. Walk-ins are welcome, but registering will ensure enough servers are available.
• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

This coming April 12, Judy Glick-Smith, communications professor, author, entrepreneur and former STC president, will be speaking at the Society for Technical Communication – Alberta chapter’s annual New Heights professional development workshop. As the STC’s premier event, New Heights 2013 will be held this year at the Innovate Calgary offices. Judy Glick-Smith will be leading discussions on the best approaches to building and executing user-centred, goal-directed audience analysis plans.

Judy is the founder and President/CEO of MentorFactor, Inc. She is a human interaction consultant, specializing in situational awareness training; flow-based decision making; personal and organizational transformation; and interpersonal communication, such as conflict management.

Judy recently completed her Ph.D. in Transformative Studies with a concentration in Integral Studies from the California Institute for Integral Studies. Her research was an examination of flow-based critical decision-making processes of firefighters and EMTs in the midst of critical incidents. The title of her dissertation is “The Path of the Razor’s Edge: An Examination of the Flow Experiences of Firefighters.”

Judy is a Fellow and Past President of the Society for Technical Communication, an international organization dedicated to advancing the arts and sciences of technical communication.

Hurry now to register for New Heights and participate in Judy’s workshop: “Goal-directed Audience Analysis: Who’s Using your Content?” Early Bird registration pricing expires March 31!

Testimonial

“I was truly moved by your presentation last night.  I was just amazed at the stories you told and the research that was driven by it.  I wish corporate leaders could hear more stories around the commitment to training their people and the impact it can and does have, when it is really needed.”

Mike Woodard

American Society for Training and Development

Organizational Development Special Interest Group, March 13, 2012

 

Have you ever noticed that when you are “in the flow”, you feel more confident and positive in your ability to make decisions? Studies have shown that the more flow experiences a person has had, the more positive his or her sense of well-being is. Having a life plan with stated goals facilitates the ability to consciously initiate flow.

Most people do not take the time to work on their own personal strategic plans other than to write a few goals for the year every January. However, when individuals are working toward specific goals and monitoring progress on a regular basis, they are more likely to reach those goals. While this presentation outlines a process, participants are encouraged to develop their own processes. The essence of the method is to write and then monitor. How one accomplishes this is left up to the individual.

This is a presentation that gets to the very heart of the individual. It is designed to help each attendee to begin thinking about his or her personal mission, long- and short-term goals, and a process to enable flow and improve overall well-being.

About the Presenter

We are extremely pleased that Judy Glick-Smith, our New Heights presenter, is available to speak to us on Strategic Planning for Your Life. See her complete biography in the New Heights description.

• Date: Thursday, April 11, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Program begins at 7:00 p.m.
• Location: Innovate Calgary (IC, formerly called CTI),  3553-31 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta (Map)
• Directions: IC is in University Research Park just north of the University of Calgary.
• Transit: From Brentwood LRT station, walk across the parking lot to IC.
• Parking: Free visitor parking is available in front of the building.
• Cost:
  • STC Alberta Members, Affiliate Members, and Non-Member Students: $10
  • STC Alberta Student Members: Free
  • Other STC Members (Society Members):$15
  • Non-Members: $20
• Registration: Online. Cash payment is due at the door.
• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

Using social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, can be a lot of fun and sometimes useful, but it can be a complicated world! With the rising popularity of social media, users must take a more careful approach to what they share and how much. What are the risks involved with using these media sites?

Join us on Thursday, February 21^st, to learn what we can do to protect our privacy and use social media with confidence. Terry Kozlyk will discuss these issues with us from his personal experiences. Terry will also discuss new Enterprise Social Networking Software and Trends and then open the floor to questions or discussion.

About the Presenter

Terry Kozlyk, DTM, C.E.T. (Electronics) and a Distinguished Toastmaster in 2011, is a Technologist with the Engineering group at Shaw Communications. Terry has worked in the technology sector for 30+ years for several companies in their dynamic environments. Through his experiences and his affection for the power of the carefully spoken word, Terry has crafted his website, TDKtalks.com, with leadership development content, podcasts, and blog writings. In the past 5 years, Terry has been active on various social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. His website is also syndicated on iTunes.

Terry is a dynamic and engaging speaker who listens to his audience and enjoys connecting with people. His presentations can be thought provoking, entertaining, motivating, and inspiring. He has spoken to youth, ESL, new Canadians and mature audiences such as Rotary and the Optimists club. Terry is also available to speak about “INNERpreneurship – The Rise of Self Destiny” and offers a free download of his e-book from his website.

• Date: Thursday, February 21, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Program begins at 7:00 p.m.
• Location: Innovate Calgary (IC, formerly called CTI),  3553 – 31 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta (Map)
• Directions: IC is in University Research Park just north of the University of Calgary.
• Transit: From Brentwood LRT station walk across the parking lot to IC.
• Parking: Free visitor parking available in front of the building.
• Cost (includes snacks and drinks):
  • STC Alberta Members, Affiliate Members, and Non-Member Students: $10
  • STC Alberta Student Members: Free
  • Other STC Members (Society Members):$15
  • Non-Members: $20
• Registration: Online. Cash payment is due at the door.
• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

Members and non-members are invited to join STC Alberta (in Edmonton) for coffee night. It’s our first get-together of the year, so come out and meet new friends or catch up with former colleagues. Feel free to bring a guest.

• Date: Thursday, January 31, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location: Second Cup, 11640 – 104 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB (map)
  This is the Oliver Square store.
  There is lots of parking and the buses run along 104 Ave in both directions.
• Cost: Buy your own coffee.
• Registration: No need to RSVP, just come out if you can.

For more information about the event, contact Deanne Wilson, Edmonton Director.

So you want to be a freelancer. You have an idea…now let’s work on a plan. Join our panel of experts to learn some tips to help develop a plan to meet your goals of financial success and independence. Panel members include Judy McMillan-Evans, an instructor with Mount Royal University’s Entrepreneurship Certificate of Completion Program; Sally Truss (Truss & Ross Polymaths) of the Calgary Branch of the International Association of Business Communicators’ Company of One; and CAFE’s very own Caralee Hubbel as they discuss the 5 Ws of business plan development and share some of their personal experience of researching and marketing the unique skills of freelancers and independent contractors.

• Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2012
• Time: Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. Program starts at 7 p.m. Refreshments and networking until 9 p.m.
• Location: McDougall Centre, Media Room, 455 6th Street S.W. Calgary, AB (map)
• Cost: Free to CAFE and STC members; $10 for non-members.
• Registration: RSVP online or by e-mail to calgaryeditors@gmail.com by November 23, walk-ins are also welcome.

Join us for our annual general meeting (AGM) at Buzzards aka Bottlescrew Bill’s. Catch up after the holidays, enjoy drinks, appetizers, and each other’s company.

Program Details

• Date: January 24, 2013
• Time: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Location: Buzzards Cowboy Cuisine (aka Bottlescrew Bill’s), 140 – 10 Avenue S.W., Calgary (Map). Plenty of free parking is available along the streets after 6:00 p.m.
• Cost: $10 (includes one drink and appetizers). All paying attendees can bring one Non-Member Guest for free!
• Registration: Online. For those bringing a Non-Member Guest, register your Guest by email at registration@stc-alberta.org and provide your Guest’s name (Guests should not register separately). Cash payment is due at the door. Walk-ins are welcome, but registering will ensure enough servers are available.
• Contact: Ruth Maryniuk, Program Manager

You are invited to join STC Alberta (in Edmonton) to celebrate the holiday season. You can expect good food and great company for the evening. Come out and meet some new friends or catch up with former colleagues.

• Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2012
• Time: 8:00 p.m.
• Location: The Melting Pot, #117, 2920 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, AB (map)
• Cost: $20 for all attendees (includes cheese and chocolate fondues, non-alcoholic drinks, and door prizes). Bring a special guest for free!
• Registration: Online. For those bringing a special guest, email, registration@stc-alberta.org and provide your special guest’s name (special guests should not register separately). Seating is limited to 12 people.  Cash payment is due at the door.

For more information about the event, contact Deanne Wilson, Edmonton Director.