If you’re familiar with higher education, you’ll know that it’s a broad and varied sector. This is no more true than in a university as large, old and research-focused as Edinburgh. And supporting our university by working in user research and experience design in Information Services right now is a challenging and interesting prospect.

We run a lot of workshops and facilitate a lot of design thinking activities. Sometimes we struggle for meeting rooms when running something at short notice but actually, I enjoy working in impromptu and open spaces. Here’s why…

At this month’s Web Publishers’ Community session talks covered user experience; GDPR compliance in EdWeb; how to check if a Google Analytics implementation is working; and how the EdWeb cookie consent banner works.

If you’re interested in predicting the future, our next lunchtime UX meetup is for you. Find out how adopting a user-centred approach to developing services and experiences can help you get ahead of the curve.

I recently ran a one-day workshop for IS web editors focused on teaching them how to iteratively improve their digital content so users are able to self-serve on their site. The event was a great success, with attendees leaving with an appreciation for what it takes to create user-focused content.

It’s just over a year since we trialled our first user experience training package. We’ve run the sessions 4 times now, receiving excellent feedback from attendees and refining the provision each time to better meet staff needs.

We’re hosting a one-day workshop for IS web editors to learn how to iteratively improve your webpages as a means to promote self-service and reduce support calls. Book a place to attend the event on 29 March.

Yesterday I ran a practical introductory session to some collaborative UX research and design practices for Edinburgh students, as part of our Festival of Creative Learning. It also gave colleagues an insight into how students approach their studies.

Colleagues from across the University learned about the design thinking process as part of our latest monthly user focused lunchtime meetup.

We’re running another of our showcase events to highlight how the pilot User Experience (UX) Service is helping a wide range of projects get closer to their target audiences and make better decisions. Booking for Wednesday 4 April is now open.