The infraNET Project, University of Waterloo

presents ...

A Smart Community Seminar

"Analog Designs for a Digital World"

James H (Jamie) Roberts

Corporate User Assistance Technology Lead

IBM Corporation

Wednesday, March 28, 2001
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Davis Centre, Room 1302
University of Waterloo

About the Seminar

People all over the world want sophisticated technology that is easy to use and that mirrors their experience and takes advantage of their skills. But designing hardware and software that people actually like is difficult at best, and raises a number of interesting questions. How do we think about technology and its use, and can we translate technical potential into easy to use processes and products? How do we deliver information about technology that assists users in accomplishing their goals? How do we plan for global user communities?

Taking a number of examples from emerging technologies, with special focus on networked information technologies and perspectives on the future of the Web, this talk will articulate some of the problems facing technologists from a design perspective. These questions will also examine recent technical invention and forecasts for the future uses of technology. In examining these visions of the future, we will also explore existing design limitations that have yet to be overcome.

In short, we can begin to think differently about the complex interconnections between technology and its use, even if this new perspective leads to more questions about people's roles in this digital age.

About the Speaker

James H (Jamie) Roberts is the Corporate User Assistance Technology Lead for IBM Corporation. He is also affiliated with the IBM Toronto Software Development Lab, where he has worked on various software products as an Advisory Information Developer, and where he has contributed to various research programs on dynamic information design and delivery. Mr. Roberts has a MA (English) from the University of Waterloo, and teaches part-time for St. Jerome's College at UW. He is also part-time faculty member at York University, where he has been the interim Director of the Certificate Program in Technical Communication and where he teaches undergraduate courses on writing and technology for Glendon College.

For more information

Shirley Fenton
The infraNET Project
Computer Systems Group, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 4004

Seminar Sponsorship

This seminar is sponsored by The infraNET Project, University of Waterloo.

The infraNET Project, initiated by the University of Waterloo in 1996, is a partnership to advance Web and Internet technologies. Its founding partners are: LivePage (now part of Janna Systems), MKS, Open Text, RIM, Sybase (Waterloo) and Waterloo Maple.

We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the Institute for Computer Research, University of Waterloo.