Work Samples

“Einstein was once asked by a reporter if they could see his lab. He took out a pen and pointed to his temple.” -- Author unknown

Much of the work we do is testing - which is hard to show samples of in a portfolio. And we are precluded from showing the results of testing as part of the non-disclosure with our clients. Our design work has other limitations for a traditional portfolio: we are part of the team on most designs - we work on specific elements and do not have complete creative control. To claim the designs we work are solely our work (and hasn't changed since we last worked on it) is unfair to us and to our clients.

In lieu of direct work samples, we have assembled publications, presentations, and other work that should shed light on our perspective, approach, and the work we do. Hopefully this material will help (though talking to us directly will shed even more light). BTW, these are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.

Sort list by: Title | Date

• An Introduction to Usability Testing, HCIL 2018 [8 mb]
  

  Presented by Bill Killam at the 35th Annual HCIL Open House, May 2018.

• Three Usability Test Methods [2.6 mb]
  

  Presentation made at the 2017 UXDC Conference, April 2017

• Usability Testing Demystified [2.2 mb]
  

  Presented by Bill Killam and the UX Meeting up on May, 15, 2013.

• QuitPal Presentation [1.6 mb]
  

  A case study on an iPhone application development project. Presented by Bill Killam at the UXPA's 2012 UserFocus Conference, Oct 19, 2012.

• A Site for All Eyes [2.3 mb]
  

  Presentation on responsive design. Presented by Dori Kelner and Bill Killam at the UXPA's 2012 UserFocus Conference, Oct 19, 2012.

• Agile Software Development and User-Centered Design Processes [165 kb]
  

  White paper by Bill Killam, July 2012.

• Is an Eye Tracker Really Useful in Usability Testing? [2.1 mb]
  

  White paper by Bill Killam. January 2012, updated May 2014.

• Designing an Effective Web Presence for the Hispanic Audience [1.9 mb]
  

  Presented by Carla Briceno & Bill Killam at the 2011 User Focus Conference, Sept. 16, 2011.

• A Talk on Motivation in the Modern Workplace
  

  Celeste Lyn Paul, UCD Senior Interaction Architect, speaks on the April 15, 2010 PBS NewsHour with Paul Soloman on what drives people's behavior in the modern workplace.

• Modified-Delphi Card Sorting [371 kb]
  

  Presentation on Modified-Delphi card sorting to the DC UPA chapter meeting, May 24, 2007.

• Limitations of Server Log Files for Usability Analysis [518 kb]
  

  In an environment where many stakeholders question the return on investment in usability, some in the industry have developed interesting ideas aimed at gathering user data. One such idea is the analysis of server log files to gather information about user behavior. Unfortunately, many technical roadblocks exist which call into question the value of using server logs in this manner. October, 2006.

• Voting Testimony [45 kb]
  

  Testimony of UCD President Bill Killam at the September 22, 2004 meeting of the EAC's Technical Direction Guidance Committee (TDGC). Mr. Killam spoke as part of the panel entitled "Design and Usability as part of the Voting Experience." For more information and other testimony, visit the NIST website on voting: http://vote.nist.gov.

• Voting Equipment Status [55 kb]
  

  Presented at the 2004 UPA Annual Conference as part of the panel discussion entitled "Can Usability Save Democracy? Voting, Usability, and e-Participation," June 2004.

• The Top 5 Roadblocks To Accessibility [36 kb]
  

  Presented by Karl Groves during the 51st Annual Conference of the Society for Technical Communications, May 2004.

• Design Standards [743 kb]
  

  Presented by Bill Killam and Marguerite Autry during the 51st Annual Conference of the Society for Technical Communications, May 2004.

• Improving the Usability and Accessibility of Voting Systems and Products [592 kb]
  

  This document, also known as the Human Factors report, was produced by UCD staff in collaboration with members of the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). This document was delivered to Congress in late April 2004 to meet the requirements of Section 243 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). More information can be obtained at the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) website (http://www.eac.gov) and the NIST web site on voting (http://vote.nist.gov).

• Position Paper on the Suitability to Task of Automated Utilities for Testing Web Accessibility Compliance [51 kb]
  

  "We believe that automated utilities that canvass individual web pages, web-based applications, or other software applications can improve the efficiency of accessibility-related heuristic evaluations. Specifically, they are valuable at identifying barriers to accessibility, but they currently do not and potentially cannot address accessibility itself." October, 2003.

• Usability's Importance to Business [855 kb]
  

  When Sky Radio and Forbes wanted information on usability for their new "ROI Report," they turned to members of the Usability Professionals' Association (UPA). Two interviews on the value of usability to business were featured in the February 2003 edition of the American Airlines inflight audio program. You can listen to UCD President Bill Killam's interview here.