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The University of Sussex

 28 Aug 2001 

Short course for industry is a winner with web workers

A new short course for industry, organised by the Centre for Advanced Software Applications at the University of Sussex, is proving to be a winner with web workers.

The web-usability course is aimed at people who are involved in the construction or management of interactive websites. "It is a very hands-on, practical one-day workshop, providing plenty of tips on how to involve users in the design process in order to save time and be cost-effective," says Dr Ian Wakeman, who set up the course with colleagues Jon Rimmer and Wendy Robins.

Delegates on the new course gain a deeper understanding of why they should design web sites with the end user in mind and they leave equipped to perform simple user tests to enhance their designs.

The team have run the workshop both in-house and on the University's Falmer campus, with delegates coming from local web-design companies, media companies based in London and further afield, as well as other universities.

The feedback so far has been very positive, say the organisers. A senior project manager at Aktivtechnology described the course as "dynamic, informative and highly enjoyable". "Thank you for the inspiring words and information," said Caroline Payne, a freelance designer. "I have just been checking out some related info, especially lo-fi prototyping, which will make such a difference to my design approach in the future."

The web-usability workshop is linked with the University's 'Knowledge into business' strategy and is part of an ongoing effort to develop stronger ties with local companies and the new-media sector in Brighton. The aim over the coming years is to devise a portfolio of courses based on postgraduate modules, including e-commerce and interactive design.

The course enables the research that is being carried out at the University to become accessible and relevant to the business world and allows research skills and knowledge to be translated into directly applicable workplace skills in a more immediate manner than through traditional academic courses.




 Notes for editors 

Dr Ian Wakeman can be contacted on 01273 678364, email ianw@cogs.susx.ac.uk.

For further information, please contact Alison Field or Peter Simmons, University of Sussex, Tel. 01273 678888, Fax 01273 877456, email A.Field@sussex.ac.uk or P.J.Simmons@sussex.ac.uk.




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