Sept. 19-21, Louisiana Tech University played host for the inaugural Louisiana Tech Usability Studies Symposium (LATUSS) at the Academic Success Center in Bossier City. 

The event drew attendees from around the country and brought together researchers from education and government to examine strategies for developing technologies to meet the needs of today’s society.  Sponsored by the Eunice C. Williamson Endowment, the Symposium was hosted by Tech’s Technical Communication program and was organized by Professor Kirk St.Amant, Eunice C. Williamson Endowed Chair in Technical Communication at Tech. 

Usability focuses on creating technologies that are easy to use and designing products that fit seamlessly into our everyday lives. The Symposium consisted of a mix of formal presentations and open discussions to review current practices in the designs of technology.  Attendees included researchers from art, communication, and design who represented organizations as diverse as the University of Central Florida and the U.S. Veterans Administration.

The Symposium is one of the steps toward establishing the Eunice C. Williamson Usability Studies Research Center at Tech. The goal of the Center is to provide both Tech and the local community with resources for planning the designs of new products and guiding the development of cutting-edge technologies. The center would integrate research and teaching practices to provide students with unique learning experiences.  It would also seek to contribute to the development of local businesses and the operations of local government and non-profit organizations. 

For more information on the proposed center or the planning for the 2019 Symposium, contact St.Amant at stamantk@latech.edu.