Sessions at Open Source Bridge 2011 about Design on Thursday 23rd June

Over the past year, I've been working on three projects that make open datasets available to the public:

• "PDX Trees":http://pdxtrees.org
• "Public Art PDX":http://publicartpdx.com/
• "Portland Poetry Posts":http://poetrybox.info/

Although the public-facing parts of these projects appear similar on the surface -- apps or websites with locations on a map -- the design and development process has been quite different for each.

In this talk, I'll explore the opportunities and challenges I encountered in each, covering factors like:

• Data source -- Who gathered it, when and why?
• Data content -- What's in it?
• Metadata definition and stability -- Is it clearly structured? Does it follow standards? Is the structure or format subject to change?
• Data accuracy and completeness
• Data volatility -- How often does the data change?
• Geographic scope -- Does it cover a neighborhood? A city? A metro region? A state?
• Geographic density -- Is it more or less evenly distributed or are there obvious clusters and empty areas?
• Intellectual Property -- Is the data itself clearly licensed for re-use? Does it point to other data or media that have copyright restrictions or limitations?

I'll use this comparison to suggest a re-usable blueprint for analysis and planning of open data projects, including how to match available data to audience interests and expectations, as well as identifying opportunities for community participation.

Accessibility is commonly viewed as a dry formal requirement absent of any real beneficiary. It is all too often tacked on as reluctant "polish".

In this talk we will blur the line between people with disabilities and "able-bodied" people and see how everybody benefits from inclusive design, and how good decisions from the start leave us with a more aesthetic product that is usable in more ways than we could have initially imagined.

We will use user interfaces in GNOME as a case study for good and inclusive design.