Below are papers and slides created for various audiences, including design students/faculty and design practitioners. I have published papers for conferences held by CHI, IDSA, and ASIS. I consider these to be small contributions to an expanding body of design knowledge. You may find some "golden nuggets" of inspiration among these writings.

Note: The papers and slides are in PDF; you will need Adobe Reader to view them accurately.

October 2007 | solo talk: IDSA (San Francisco)

This talk offers a framework for re-interpreting digital aesthetics beyond the veneer of sexy pixels, towards a deeper understanding of the rhetorical and humanistic nature of beauty of digital experiences. Style, performance, utitility, and story are the core elements that hold in balance the total aesthetic experience, rewarding and memorable for users of digital media.

June 2007 | online article: boxesandarrows

Amid the hype of Web 2.0, "rich" has become the prime buzzword for fresh, sexy digital products, marked by glossy buttons with AJAX actions. But what does rich really mean? Using the concepts of Classical rhetoric as a framework, I try to transcend the hype and dig into the value of richness for digital products.

March 2007 | guest lecture: San Jose State University

This talk offers an overview/survey of observations and insights drawn from personal experience at various companies, designing web/desktop software products. Of particular interest are comments regarding the UCD Process phases/artifacts, organizational models that frame & enable UCD activity, and attributes that help define a "design leader" in complex problem-solving situations.

April 2006 | solo talk: IDSA (Phoenix, AZ)

This talk examined the concept of "interface" beyond typical conventions of software UI's, as a necessary gateway to (hopefully) positive user experiences with products, services, systems, and even food! These slides offer a glimpse of what interface means for non-UI design professionals, with applicability for almost any designed artifact.

August 2005 | published paper: IDSA (Wash, DC)

This paper explores the fundamental issues facing any designer in hi-tech product development: how to get your ideas heard and built by diverse team members. Tapping into insights gleaned from experiences at companies like Oracle, BEA, and Adobe, this paper outline five key lessons novice and intermediate designers should heed to help them become adaptive leaders.

March 2005 | solo talk: IA Summit (Montreal)

This conference talk illuminates upon core UCD process phases and deliverables like flow diagrams, object models, and wireframes as catalysts for engaging with complex teams and enabling decisions that impact the overall user experience and design.

Nov 2004 | published short paper: DMI(Seoul)

This short paper suggests a divergence when it comes to enterprise software innovation: those who seek to establish policies of convention and those who strive to radically alter behaviors and patterns. Indeed what emerges is a sobering look at the lifecycle of corporations and the necessary design "attitudes".

Oct 2004 | published paper: IDSA (Pasadena)

This paper suggests that there are variations of the theme of beauty when it comes to a user experience POV of objects, services, and systems. These varities are based upon notions of lifestyle, cultural values, technical performance, and individual goal achievement. Together, these concepts expand traditional notions of beauty.

April 2004 | published short paper: CHI (Vienna)

Co-authored with former VP of UI Design at Oracle, Dan Rosenberg, this paper discusses the issues and opportunities in setting up and expanding a global user interface design team for enterprise software.

2004 | online article: boxesandarrows

After a sudden stint of doing icon design for enterprise software, I decided to write a paper summarizing my experiences and lessons learned. What emerges is an evolved understanding and appreciation for not just pixel "pushing" but crafting the tiniest details of a user experience.

Copyright ©2007 Uday Gajendar | Colophon | Contact