Published on October 7, 2019

Done in collaboration with Louisiana Tech University
Strasbourg, France, 3-4 April 2020

Symposium Theme: Re-thinking Usability and Design: Examining Connections to Technical Communication and Localization
Proposals Due:Monday, 2 December 2019
Location: University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
Symposium Website:https://usability-conference.weebly.com/

Overview of Symposium
As technologies evolve and cultures change, the contexts in which individuals access and use information shift in often unexpected ways.  This situation means what constitutes usable designs and what constitutes usability is also in a continual state of change.  Such factors influence – and are influenced by – practices in technical communication and localization, for the three fields (usability, technical communication, and localization) are closely interlinked. For these reasons, we need to continually review, reflect on, and — if needed — revise our approaches to these areas.

Objectives of Symposium
The focus of the Symposium is “Re-thinking Usability and Design: Examining Connections to Technical Communication and Localization,” and the objective is to bring together researchers in usability, technical communication, and localization in order to– Discuss the current state of research in these areas– Present the results of recent (i.e., within the last year) research in these areas– Collect comments and suggestions on ongoing or future research projects– Explore opportunities for research partnerships with colleagues working in these areas — Map prospective research trends in these areas– Plan trajectories and discuss conference and publication venues for participants’ workBy examining such ideas, attendees can devise new frameworks and approaches to re-thinking and addressing current and prospective challenges affecting how we approach usability based on its relationship to technical communication and to localization.

Submitting a Proposal
Individuals interested in presenting at the Symposium are invited to submit a 250-300 word proposal to give a 15-20 minute talk.   Proposals should be between 250-300 words in length and note– The title of the proposed presentation– The name and affiliation of the presenter– The overall topic/focus of the proposed presentation– The approach the proposed presentation will take to examine this topic– The connection of the focus and approach to the theme of the Symposium– The methods attendees can use to apply ideas to usability and user experience designProposals should be submitted as .doc files emailed to kirk.stamant@gmail.com, and the subject line of the related message should read “Strasbourg Symposium.”Proposals are due on 2 December 2019.

Topics for Presentations
The Symposium is open to a number of areas relating to usability as it relates to technical communication and localization, and topics to consider include– The methods we should use to conduct research on usability and design– The theories that should guide our approaches to usability and design– The contexts we study when doing research on usability and design– The methods we use to test or apply prior research in usability and design– The variables we should consider when evaluating aspects of usability in different contexts– The topics we should focus on when researching usability and design– The ways culture, language, and society affect our understanding of usability and design– The ways new and emerging technologies are approaches to usability and designas well as other topics connected to the Symposium’s overall theme.

Details on the Symposium
Registration for the Symposium is free to all presenters and attendees, and additional details on travel and lodging for the Symposium will be posted to an event-related website later this summer.

Questions on the Symposium  
Should individuals have questions on or wish to discuss any aspects of the Symposium (or on prospective topics for a presentation), feel free to email the Symposium chair, Kirk St.Amant, at kirk.stamant@gmail.com