UX Salon Halifax – Digital Nova Scotia – Leading Digital Industry

UX Salon Halifax: Designing digital products people love!

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS

Summer is here at last! Time to ditch those jackets, get outside and enjoy the sun, AND join our first in-person meetup in 3 years! We are super excited to see you all again IRL soon! Join us on July 7th (Thursday) as we listen to Jamie Gerrard, a UX consultant and Haligonian, as he talks about taking a people-first approach to designing websites, mobile apps, and other digital products. Jamie's industry experience spans over 18 years and includes private and public sectors, startups, and Fortune 500 companies in the telecommunications, financial, education, government, hospitality, and travel & tourism industries. In the past, he has held several senior leadership positions, including Design Principal, Director of Product & Marketing, Director of User Experience, and Digital Strategist. Connect with him: https://www.jamiegerrard.com There will be time for some Q&A and networking. This is a FREE event thanks to our friends at Volta.

Accessibility in Design

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS

Summer fun is almost over. But wait, there's more! ? Join us on August 29th (Monday) as we listen to Justine Win Cañete, Senior Product Designer at Gusto, and Florida Doci, UX Research Lead at Gusto, as they share helpful tips for creating accessible digital products and conducting inclusive research. Justine has design experience that spans 6 years. Before joining Gusto, she was a senior product designer at Shopify. She has a passion for tech, music, and mentoring early-mid career designers. She will be visiting Halifax from Ottawa where she lives with her adorable cat, Mochi. Connect with her: https://justinewin.com Florida is a scientist and researcher, with a diverse background in biotechnology, political sciences, education, population health & technology. She is an unapologetic advocate for research integrity. Her unique interdisciplinary perspective on UX & product research is grounded in her academic expertise in natural & social sciences and her extensive research experience across various disciplines and industries. She is also an accomplished researcher and scholar at the University of Ottawa, author, facilitator, and public speaker. She will be speaking remotely from Ontario. Connect with her: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floridadoci There will be time for some Q&A and networking. This is a FREE event […]

Beyond accessibility: Meaningful inclusion in citizen experiences

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS

Details This month, we continue on from last month's focus in the area of accessibility and inclusion. Join us on Wednesday, September 28th as we listen and learn from Beth Fox, Strategic Engagement Advisor with the Canadian Digital Service. Many UX and service design professionals find themselves advocating for their users within their product teams, and their larger organizations. Increasingly, we're being asked to help improve not just usability, but also accessibility in experiences. In this talk, Beth encourages us to stretch beyond what we might think of as accessible by providing real-world examples of how inclusion (or a lack of it) impacts all facets of services and design. Beth Fox is a public servant with over a decade of bringing user experience and service design skills to public service challenges. As a founding member of the Nova Scotia Digital Service (NSDS), Beth spent years as a user researcher and service designer, advocating for the people who use government services. In her work at the province, she was an advocate for how human-centered design improves the delivery of services. A long-time collaborator across boundaries, Beth recently made the move from the provincial to the federal public service. This summer she […]

Workshop on Ethical Design: Reflection and Action

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS

Details This month, we are doing a workshop for some hands-on learning! 👋🏻 Join us on Monday, October 24th as we think together and discover with Nata Kostenko. Big tech scandals, deceptive patterns, data privacy issues... We hear about unethical practices all the time. But what exactly does it mean to "work ethically"? And how can you do it in a human-centred way? It all starts with reflecting on our thought patterns and learning how to voice our concerns. We need to find our North Star and equip ourselves with tools to act against injustice (and keep our sanity). This is a practical workshop where we will explore ways to incorporate ethics into your work process. We will play with some tools, talk about existing barriers to ethical action, and go through concrete examples you might encounter in your daily work. Come as you are and let us untangle this knot together! Nata is a service designer and design researcher at Tilt the Scales. Every day she balances her belief in the power of design to make a difference with the urge to hide from the world's problems. This is a FREE event thanks to our friends at Volta and […]

UX Research: From Insight to Impact

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS

Details 👋🏻 We cannot believe it. We're at the last UX Salon Halifax meetup of 2022. Thank you to all those who have supported us, both virtually and in person! It's been so wonderful to connect with our community again. Join us on Tuesday, November 29th at 7:30 PM as we hear and learn from Dr. Simon Landry, a Senior UX Researcher with Thomson Reuters. The aim of UX is to meet the end user's needs through the best experience possible. Often, the best way to understand the end user's needs is through UX research (UXR). However, for UXR (and the product) to reach its full potential, research must only be the start of a process that goes from insight to impact. In this talk, we’ll explore a new 6-step framework to guide UXR insights to measurable end-user impact. This presentation will share how to identify and fill gaps in product knowledge, effectively communicate your insights, and measure your impact on the end user. You will learn about the theory and practice to feel confident using the framework. Simon is a researcher with over a decade of experience working on human perception. His background includes a Ph.D. in human perception, […]

UX Salon Halifax at Third Wednesday

The Cannery 1980 Robie St, Halifax, Nova Scotia

This month, they are partnering with their friends at Third Wednesday for their first-ever joint meetup! They will be gracing their event on January 18th, Wednesday, at The Cannery. Time for some networking with fellow tech folks in Halifax! Third Wednesday is an informal gathering of interested and interesting people in the tech, media, and marketing communities in Halifax and beyond. Held on the third Wednesday of every month from 5-7:30pm, each event features 30-second intro/opportunity spots, community announcements, and a brief speaker (all around 6pm), along with a lot of unstructured time to mingle.

Free

Third Wednesday

The Cannery 1980 Robie St, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Third Wednesday is this coming Wednesday What better way to follow up Valentine's Day than basking in the glow of our warm and wonderful Halifax tech/media/marketing community. We hope to see you there from 5-7:30pm (stage at 6) this Wednesday, February 15th at the Cannery Bar in the Atlantica Hotel!

Fast, not furious: Figma Auto layout 101

Online

We as designers have a lot on our plate, the last thing we should be worrying about is fixing spacing in our designs we are constantly iterating. Not only that, as our designs become more complex, the ‘little tweaks’ start to compound and can become a major time sink. In their next *virtual* meetup, Andrea will be going over what auto layout is and how to apply it to different scenarios so that we can all work smarter, not harder and create scalable components for our designs! This will follow with a quick hands-on exercise so you can apply the learnings right away. About our speaker: Andrea is a UX Designer, based in Seattle, WA, passionate about health tech with a background in Neuroscience. She currently works at ResMed, a global company for sleep and respiratory care, on projects related to patient onboarding. She also freelances for digital health startups on the side. With these different projects, Andrea is determined to figure out the most efficient way to work without sacrificing quality. In her free time, she enjoys travelling (yay remote work), boba, and going to jazz bars.

Enhancing UI/UX Accessibility: Practical Tips for Improved User Experience​

CoWork Halifax 6156 Quinpool Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Happy October, everyone! We are excited to see everyone in our new meetup space at CoWork Halifax. Check them out if you haven't already! It's a new flexible space for you to be more productive and get stuff done in a way that works best for you. In this presentation, Jamil will share an overview of web accessibility fundamentals. He will explain the key components that contribute to an accessible web product. Through practical examples, he will showcase the tangible differences between designing with accessibility considerations and without them. Join us in this journey towards a more inclusive digital world! Jamil Sinno is a passionate Full Stack Web Developer deeply committed to promoting accessibility in the tech industry. Beyond coding, he is a multi-faceted individual—a founder, a dedicated drummer, and an unapologetic nerd. For the past two years, he has championed the cause of creating inclusive digital experiences. As the founder of Sinno Technologies Limited, he leads a team dedicated to crafting tailored web solutions. As always, we thank ResMed Inc. for being our corporate sponsor. We are always looking for sponsors and volunteers. Please reach out if you are interested in supporting us! Housekeeping: No food please, bring your own water, and we aim […]

The UX of You: A Portfolio Workshop

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS

Details Re-think your portfolio, maximize your chances of landing a new job, getting clients and being seen as an expert. Join Vinny Custodio, Senior Product Designer, for an immersive workshop. Learn how to reposition your portfolio for better job prospects, client attraction, and industry visibility. Whether you're an experienced designer or starting out, Vinny will share insider tips and real-world examples to infuse your portfolio with personality and authenticity. Leave with a revitalized portfolio that sets you apart and unlocks exciting opportunities. Don't miss this chance to elevate your career. AGENDA 7:30 PM Doors open, networking time 7:40 PM Introductions from Nata and Ruby 7:45 PM Hands-on workshop with Vinny 8:45 PM Wrap up & networking time 9:00 PM Doors close 💻 If you want to participate hands-on, please bring your laptop. SPEAKER BIO Vinny Custodio started his design journey with a "very legit" Photoshop copy on an old PC and quickly got hooked, turning a teenage hobby into a full-time career. Vinny has brought a no-nonsense, easy-going, and collaborative approach to crafting designs that tell compelling stories and solve problems. Currently, he works at Flight Centre, where he crafts experiences for corporate travellers. HOW TO FIND US AT VOLTA Enter at 1800 Argyle St. Proceed up […]

Back to the Basics of UX (User Experience)

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS

Details This month we're going back to the basics...The Basics of User Experience. Are you curious about UX? Wondering if this field is for you? Have friends that think you just do 'graphic design'? This month's session is definitely for you. Ruby will share an overview of UX, how it's changed over the years, and aim to answer some very common questions about the field. Then we'll open it up to the audience for an open panel Q&A. AGENDA 7:30 PM Doors open, networking time 7:40 PM Introductions from Nata and Ruby 7:45 PM Back to the Basics of User Experience (UX) 8:05 PM Open panel Q&A 9:00 PM Doors close HOW TO FIND US AT VOLTA Enter at 1800 Argyle St. Proceed up the stairs or use the accessible ramp to the left of the stairs. Take elevators to the 8th floor. Go through the doors ahead. Volta is on your right. Proceed across the space. Take a left down the hallway after the projection wall. The room is ahead, to the right. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS An enormous thank you to Volta for sharing their space with us. With this venue, we can continue to grow and scale our meetups for larger audiences. SUPPORT US! We are solely […]

Bowling into the Holidays with UX Salon Halifax

Bowlarama 3459 Desmond Ave, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Details Come join us for a casual holiday networking event at the Bowlarama! This event has cost of $10 per person and has a limited number of spots. RSVP early! More details to follow.