Marcela in Transit

Note from Wendy's slides:

Why qualitative methods in HCI research?
The nature of the phenomena
Poorly understood contexts of use
Poorly understood activities
No known requirements
Examples---AWARE home, cellphones
The phenomena is not about usability

Why usability Vs. usefulness?
Usability
Primarily targets the actual interface
Aims for measurement of phenomena and value assignment
Focus on the psychological (removed from real-world setting)
Controlled experimentation e.g. usability labs
Concerned with learning/training

Usefulness targets the context
Targets situated meaning and practice--”social properties of settings”
Identifies activities that support activity
Aims for description of “tool” use in naturalized settings
Concerned with uptake/appropriation

Where do qualitative methods belong?
Requirements capture
Identifying activities for support that are legitimate for users
Verification at prototype
Verifying assumptions built into a preliminary prototype
“just-in-time” ethnography
Evaluation
Field testing a built and deployed system

Consciously Embedding Values•Good design driven by deep, rich understanding of target population, practices, underlying culture •A challenging process: •Difficult to uncover underlying culture •Hard to divorce oneself from one’s own world view and culture •Even harder to turn understandings into design •Tensions arise between designer’s culture, target culture, designer’s understanding of target culture, gatekeepers, those in power, economic and technical constraints, etc.

Ethnographic methodologies can help in process of aligning values between tool and target culture –Descriptive methodologies –Helps ground work, suggest areas for improvement •“Hot” HCI research not always what users want –Not a prescriptive methodology •Example: AwareHome

Spain/Portugal Festivals:
13 Pilgrimage to Fatima Fatima, Portugal
15-25 San Isidro (religious festival) Madrid, Spain
Mid-May Jerez Horse Fair (equestrian pageantry, bullfighting, flamenco dancing) Jerez, Spain

JUNE 10 Portuguese National Day (closures) Portugal
10 Corpus Christi (religious festival, 1st Thu after 8th Sun after Easter) Spain
June 12-
July 4 Euro 2004 Soccer Cup Throughout Portugal
13 St. Anthony's Day (religious festival) Lisbon, Portugal
13 Pilgrimage to Fatima Fatima, Port
June 18-
July 4 International Festival of Music and Dance (starts 3rd Fri of June) Granada, Spain
23-24 St. John's Day (bonfires, fireworks) Barcelona, Spain
28-29 St. Peter's Day (religious festival) Lisbon, Port
Late June - early July Grec Festival (music, dance,
theater) Barcelona, Spain

JULY Through
July 4 Euro 2004 Soccer Cup continues Throughout Portugal
Through
July 7 International Festival of Music and Dance continues Granada, Spain
Through
early July Grec Festival continues Barcelona, Spain
July 3-
Sept 26 BAIXAnima Street Festival (street music, dance, theater, circus, weekends only) Lisbon, Portugal
4 Municipal Holiday (banks closed) Coimbra, Portugal
6-14 Fiesta de San Fermín (running of the bulls) Pamplona, Spain
10-13 European Balloon Festival (hot air balloons) Barcelona, Spain
13 Pilgrimage to Fatima Fatima, Port
25 Feast of St. James Spain

France Festivals:
-23 Cannes Film Festival (www.festival-cannes.fr)

Cannes (Riviera)
20 Ascension (religious festival, 40th day after Easter, closures)
France
20-23 Monaco Grand Prix (auto race) Monaco (Riviera)
May 27-
June 30 Festival of St. Denis (classical music, world music, dance, theater; www.festival-saint-denis.fr) Saint-Denis (Parisian suburb)
30 - 31 Whit Sunday, Whit Monday (religious festival, 7th Sun and Mon after Easter, closures) France

JUNE Through
June 30 Festival of St. Denis continues (www.festival-saint-denis.fr) Saint-Denis (Parisian suburb)
5-6 Anniversary of the D - Day Landing (parades, ceremonies) Normandy
12-13 Le Mans Auto Race (24-hour race,
www.lemans.org) Le Mans (near Loire Valley)
Mid-June Joan of Arc Festival (historical pageant and market, music and light show) Reims (near Paris)
Mid-June International Music Festival Strasbourg (Alsace)
Mid-June-
early Aug Nights of Fourvière (theater & music in a Roman ampitheater, www.nuits-de-fourviere.org) Lyon
21 Festival of Music (free concerts to celebrate summer solstice) France (in mid-size to large cities)

JULY Through July Nights of Fourvière (theater & music in a Roman ampitheater, www.nuits-de-fourviere.org) Lyon
Early July International Classical Music Festival (Festival International de Colmar, www.festival-colmar.com) Colmar (Alsace)
Early July-
early Aug International Festival of Baroque Music (www.festivalbeaune.com) Beaune (Burgundy)
3-25 Tour de France (bike race, ends in Paris; www.letour.fr) France
5-31 International Music and Opera Festival (www.festival-aix.com)
Aix-en-Provence (Provence)
July 10-
Aug 7 Chorégies d'Orange Music and Opera Festival (performed in Roman theater, www.choregies.asso.fr) Orange (Provence)
14 Bastille Day (Independence Day, parades, fireworks, closures) France
July 14-
Aug 15 Paris Neighborhoods Festival (theater, dance, concerts, www.quartierdete.com) Paris
Mid-July Avignon Festival (theater, dance, music, 3 weeks; www.festival-avignon.com) Avignon (Provence)
Mid-July International Jazz Festival Antibes/Juan-les-Pins (Riviera)
16-30 Classical Music Festival (Nuits Musicales du Suquet) Cannes (Riviera)
21-28 Jazz Festival (www.nicejazzfest.com) Nice (Riviera)

Germany Festivals
12-28 Biennale (classical music festival, www.muenchenerbiennale.de) Munich
15-23 Horse Races Baden-Baden
20 Ascension (religious festival, 40th day after Easter) Germany
28-31 Carnival of Cultures (multicultural festival, www.karneval-berlin.de)
Berlin
May 28-
June 6 Wine Festival
(www.weindorf-wuerzburg.de)
Würzburg (Bavaria)
May 29-
June 1 Wäldchestag (performances, fair ground, beer tents) Frankfurt
31 Whit Monday (religious festival, 7th Mon after Easter) Germany

JUNE Through
June 6 Wine Festival continues
(www.weindorf-wuerzburg.de)
Würzburg (Bavaria)
Through
June 1 Wäldchestag continues Frankfurt
1 Fête de la Musique (world music festival, www.fetedelamusique.de)
Berlin
June 4-
July 4 Mozart Music Festival (www.mozartfest.de) Würzburg (Bavaria)
10 Corpus Christi Day (religious festival, 9th Thu after Easter) Frankfurt, Köln, & Bavaria
June 17-
July 15 Summer Tollwood Festival (cabaret, circus, dance, music) Munich
19-20 City Birthday Celebration (music, street performers) Munich
Late June Romanesque Music Festival Köln
June 23-
July 2 Summer Festival at Opernplatz (food festival, music, entertainment) Frankfurt

JULY Through
July 2 Summer Festival at Opernplatz continues Frankfurt
Through
July 4 Mozart Music Festival continues (www.mozartfest.de) Würzburg (Bavaria)
Through
July 15 Summer Tollwood Festival continues Munich
Throughout July Wine Fests (weekends) Mosel River region
2-4 Summer Jam (reggae festival, www.summerjam.de)
Köln
3-19 Kiliani Volksfest (carnival rides and games, beer tent) Würzburg (Bavaria)
3-25 Kaltenberg Knights' Tournament (medieval festival; weekends only; www.ritterturnier.de)
Kaltenberg (near Munich)
10-12 Köln Lights (ship parade, fireworks, music) Köln
12 Love Parade (counterculture parade, 2nd weekend; www.loveparade.de)
Berlin
16-25 Kinderzeche (children's festival, www.kinderzeche.de)
Dinkelsbühl (Bavaria)

Netherlands/Belgium Festivals

JUNE
Early June
Amsterdam Kitefestival
Ijburg, Amsterdam, Neth.


4-27
Holland Arts Festival (concerts, theater, etc.; www.hollandfestival.nl)
Amsterdam, Neth.


18
Grachtenloop (run around canals, www.grachtenloop.nl)
Haarlem, Neth.


19-27
Amsterdam Roots Festival, Oosterpark (ethnic food, music, world culture; www.amsterdamroots.nl)
Amsterdam, Neth.

Late June-mid-July
Summer Festival (concerts & other events)
Brussels, Belg.


JULY
Through mid-July
Summer Festival continues
Brussels, Belg.

1
Ommegang (medieval pageant, www.ommegang-brussels.be)
Brussels, Belg.

9-11
North Sea Jazz Festival (www.northseajazz.nl)
The Hague , Neth.

21
Independence Day (parades, fireworks)
Belg.

Steves on Basque country http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/countries/herald/02basque.htm

Visited Coimbra in Feb, 2003. After reading the raves in the guidebook, I was disappointed.
Our day trip from Sevilla was to Cordoba. The Mezquita is awesome! If you have a chance, make sure you go there.We also went against the guidebook on someone else's recommendation and went to Cadiz, which was ok, but disappointing compared to the rest of our trip

LISBON & SUBURBS: A beautiful city! It reminded me of San Francisco for its setting and Paris for its parks, plazas, and promenades. SINTRA village is easy access from the city but this is a great place to homebase for a few days. It is only 50 minutes by train from Station Russo. What a beautiful National Park with two castles and the Moorish Fortress. Great easy hiking and gorgeous settings. The Sintra Village is located at the edge of the national park and gorgeous scenery. You can also daytrip to the beach from here!

BELEM is another beautiful place by trolley #15 ride from Baixa. Check Rick Steve’s books for all details. This is the best location to know more about the early world explorers. Beautiful parks to picnic and rest. The church with its Manueline Architecture is gorgeous! The church cloister is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Vasco de Gamas tomb is also at this church.

Mary, Trevor, Bhavita, and I (Moshe) recently went to two beautiful towns near the city of Vic (Take RENFE north to zone 6). The first was a little place up in the mountains, called Pantá de Sau, with about 4 residents total. There is a hotel and a hostel up there, and you must take a cab to get up there from Vic. It will cost about $30 for the cab ride. The second town is called Rupit. You can take a bus from Vic to get there. There are 4 hostels there as well. You can pick up hostelling information from the tourist info office in Vic. Make sure to bring your hiking shoes and gear, as it is a lovely place to hike in. Also bring your camera. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Costa Brava is a mere 10-euro bus ride away, and has some beautiful secluded beaches (click for pics). My suggestion is to take a bus from Barcelona to Palamós and go find the tourist office. There you can find hiking maps that will allow you to hike northward to all the greatest beaches of the costa brava. You can also hike inland to a little city I stayed in called Palafrugell. Bring your own food and buy at local shops and the trip will be very cheap indeed. I went with Bhavita and Mary and spent only 46 euros for all transportation, loding, and food. And what's more, is that that price included a visit to Girona as well, which is around there.
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Montserrat
It's only about 12 euros round-trip, including the great aire ride (cable car). It's beautiful. Go now.