Only 2 more sleeps 'til oz-IA 2008 !!!

Workshops for oz-IA kick off on Thursday - only a few places left, so if you're looking to attend one of these, get a damn wriggle on!

However, the main conference program kicks off on Saturday morning when James Hunter - a fellow Dept of Education consultant - talks about how he's making the transition from zero to hero (in a UXD sense).

Now that the program has been finalised I can work out when I need to be in attendance, sober, and/or attentive (honestly, I'm joking). But there are some presentations I'm really looking forward to hearing. These include:

• Donna Spencer (4:40pm Sun), Lisa Herrod (1:45pm Sunday), and Andrew Boyd (9am Sunday) - because they're good people, and really, really know their stuff
• Stephen Cox talking about documenting & presenting user research for business stakeholders (2:45pm Sun);
• Oliver Weidlich (1pm Sat) looking at how the iPhone has changed the mobile landscape

There's a lot more going on, including presentations from Iain Barker, Shane Morris, Roger Hudson, and Matt Hodgson, which I'm also looking forward to hearing - although Shane's got it tough with his 9am Sunday slot after conference dinner/drinks on Saturday. He'll need a Surface computer and dancing girls to wake people up - that's a hint, Shane :P

Oh, and of course you can't forget to listen to me at 2pm on Saturday afternoon. I'll be talking about strategy, and UX strategy, and how they shape your world, whether you know it or not. And if someone could have a stiff drink waiting for me when I'm done, I'd really appreciate it. Preferably a single malt whisky. Preferably preferably an Islay malt.

See you at ozIA.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Call for Proposals: 10th Annual ASIS&T IA Summit

Spreading the word for IA Summit 2009. If you think you've got the goods to present on the big stage, take note:
--------------------------------------------------------------
Call for Proposals: 10th Annual ASIS&T IA Summit
March 18-22, Memphis, Tennessee, US

The Information Architecture Summit is a premier gathering place for information architects and all those who touch on IA to discuss, share and learn more about information architecture. Last year's IA Summit attracted well over 600 attendees from a wide range of fields, from 21 countries, and from beginners to experienced IAs.

As this will be the 10th IA Summit, we are seeking proposals for presentations, panels, case studies, research papers, posters and pre-conference seminars, hands-on workshops and consortia that address this year's theme: Expanding Our Horizons.

Proposals can stretch this theme* *by looking back over our history, forward into emerging trends, platforms and technologies, in addition to addressing our core IA principles and the business of IA. The theme is wide open for interpretation and we look forward to seeing proposals that explore the field in ways that interest people most, and from a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines and functions.

Because user experience design is not just about methods and deliverables, but also about getting results for employers and clients, this year we will have a specific track devoted to business, strategy & management.

Building on the tradition from the past two events, we will continue to seek and present research papers that make empirical or theoretical contributions to information architecture. (You do not have to be affiliated with an academic institution to submit a research paper.)

We encourage submissions from both within the field of IA - practitioners, academics and students alike - and the related fields of library science, user experience, interaction design and user-centered design; as well as from those fields and disciplines that go beyond the traditional horizons of IA and the web.

How and when to submit: *For more information about the various tracks and how to submit a proposal, please see: http://iasummit.org/2009/*

When: Now! We're currently accepting submissions until October 31st, 2008, if accepted we'll notify you via email during the first two weeks of January 2009.For more information about the IA Summit and past events, please see: http://iasummit.org/

IA-Peers 20th August

What: good gossip, better beer, best company
When: Wednesday 20th, 7pm-9pm
Where: Woolloomooloo Hotel, the courtyard
Who: Anyone interested in Information Architecture (and user experience, usability, and interaction design :-)
RSVP: Eric Scheid <eric@ironclad.com.au> 0402 404 733

Hope to see you there.