Call for Participation

Special Workshop on
Design for Usability DeUs 2010:
Setting the Agenda for Human-Computer
Interaction in the Middle East
30th March, 2010

to be held at
INFOS 2010
The 7th International Conference on
Informatics and Systems
28th-30th March, 2010
Cairo, Egypt
http://infos2010.fci.cu.edu.eg/Workshop2010.php

Important Dates:
Contribution submission due: 15th March 2010
Notification of acceptance: by 20th March 2010
Registration deadline& Contributions posted on web site: by 22 March 2010

Design for Usability continues to pose a fundamental concern for designers of all types
information and software systems. The failure to take sufficient account of the human
users of such systems, and even for non-IT types of artifacts, continues to be one of the
frequently cited sources of failures and disappointments. In the Middle East region in
particular, attention to the human users continues to be woefully inadequate. Welldesigned
human-computer interaction for software and information systems can
dramatically increase the attraction and hence the success of such systems.

This Workshop aims to:
- Establish what is the state of the art in Design for Usability in the Middle East
- Identify issues and obstacles to developing usability practice in industry, and usability
education in academia
- Define a roadmap for developing usability and human-computer interaction in the
Middle East
- Set up a recognized community in usability and human-computer interaction for the
Middle East

Workshop questions
The workshop is intended as a form for searching discussions of a number of general as
well as region-specific usability issues, with the aim of articulating clear positions,
visions and proposals for enhancing usability research and practice. Participants are
invited to write short responses (no more than 400 words) to the one or more of the
following questions (a maximum of three):
- How critical is attention to usability research and practice to MENA development
activities?
- What is status of usability research in the MENA region?
- What are the impediments to applying usability principles in information systems and
industrial designs in the MENA region?
- What is needed to spread greater awareness of usability research and practice in the
region?
- What experiences have practitioners had when they tried to apply usability concepts
and theories in industrial settings?
- What are the main features of the current state of the art in design for usability? What
future directions are anticipated?
- What examples on how usability practice has substantially improved design can be
useful?
- What are researchers and practitioners’ observations on how people in the MENA
region, in general use computing and other technologies?

Submission format
- Not all workshop participants need to send responses, but this is encouraged so that
all other participants can read each other’s responses prior to the workshop.
- Responses shall be formulated as a Microsoft power point, or a PDF presentation. It is
recommended that contributions occupy no more than 5 slides.

Submission content
Wherever possible, given argumentations should be supported by concrete examples.
Additionally, participants should try to pose some new related questions (preferably with
some motivation and even a partial answer) that seem important to address as well. The
most relevant questions will be added to the tentative list so that other participants have a
possibility to have a look at them and give an opinion about them before the workshop.

Workshop report
All results obtained during the workshop will be collected in a technical report which will
be made available on the organizers’ website.

Important Dates
Contribution submission due: 15th March 2010
Notification of acceptance: by 20th March 2010
Registration deadline & Contributions posted on web site: by 22 March 2010

Workshop Co-Chairs
Professor B. L. William Wong, School of Computing, Middlesex University, UK.
Dr. Galal Hassan Galal-Edeen, Faculty of Computers & Information, Cairo University.

Workshop Co-Chairs’ Biographies
Dr B.L. William Wong is Professor of Human-Computer Interaction and Head,
Interaction Design Center, at Middlesex University's School of Engineering and
Information Sciences. He previously served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force,
where his last appointment was Head, Systems and Communications Operations Branch,
HQ RSAF. His research interests is in the representation design of information to support
decision making in complex dynamic environments such as emergency ambulance
command and control, air traffic control, and hydro-electricity dispatching. Drawing on
insights from these earlier work, he has started to apply himself to the problems of sensemaking
particularly in domains with high information density and variability, drawing on
the work that is now being referred to as visual analytics. Author of over 80 scientific
publications, and recipient of over £3.5 mil in grants, he has been Principal Investigator
or Co-Investigator for projects funded by NZ industry, Australian Research Council, the
European Commission's FP6 and FP7 programmes, EUROCONTROL's Innovation
Research programme, the UK's Joint Information Systems Committee's Rapid Innovation
programme, and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the US Air
Force Research Lab, and the US Department of Homeland Security. As chair of the BCS
Interaction Special Interest Group's Education and Practice sub-group, he set up the
HCIEd conference series for HCI educators, and together with the Ergonomics Society
set up the CREATE series of interaction design conference. He is also the Vice-Chair for
IFIP TC13.1 HCI Education.

Dr Galal Hassan Galal-Edeen is currently an associate professor of Information
Systems at the Faculty of Computers and Information, Cairo University. He holds a BSc
in Management Sciences, with maxima cum laude and a position as the top of the class,
from the Sadat Academy for Management Sciences, Cairo. He also holds a Master’s
degree in Business Systems Analysis and Design, from the City University, London, a
PhD in Information Systems Engineering from Brunel University, UK, a BA in
Architecture from the University of Greenwich, UK and finally a Master in Advanced
Architecture Studies from the University of London. He has been a full time faculty
member for over 15 years in a number of UK universities. His research interests lie in the
area of information systems requirements engineering, systems architecting and
evaluation and the usability of all designed artefacts. Dr Galal is a full professional
member of the British Computer Society and a Chartered Information Technology
Professional. He is also a Certified Trainer (by the International Board of Certified
Trainers) and a Human Resources Development consultant. Dr Galal is currently the
Director of the new Cairo University Innovation Support Office.

Program Committee
• Dr Mohammad Ghoniem, Chair of the Information Systems Department, The
• French University in Egypt.
• Dr Ghada El-Said, The French University in Egypt.
• Dr Perihan El-Baz, Senior Business Analyst/Manager, Global Consulting Services &
Software Development, Cairo.

Track Sessions Location
This session will take place as part of the Seventh International Conference on
Informatics and Systems (INFOS2010) 27-28-30 March 2010 at Cairo University
Conference Building, and organized by Faculty of Computers and Information, Cairo
University, Cairo, Egypt. However, the workshop session itself maybe re-located to the
Development Research and Technological Planning Center, where the new Cairo
University Innovation Support Office is located.

Working Language
The working language of the workshop will be English.

Registration Information
At least one author of each accepted response must register for the workshop.

Registration Fees (there is no workshop registration fee for delegates who register
for the INFOS2010 conference attendance, however, workshop delegates must
register for the workshop):

Registration before 20th March 2010:
For participants from Egypt: 100 L.E.
For participants from outside Egypt: 20 US$
With 40% Discount for Students.

Registration after 15th March 2010 (student discounts do NOT apply after this date):
For Egyptians: 150 L.E.
For Non-Egyptians: 30 US$
Please visit http://infos2010.fci.cu.edu.eg/ for registration information.

Accommodation-Hotel guide
With reference to hotel accommodation, we regret that we are neither booking hotels for
speakers nor promise any price reduction, however, some hotels may offer you the Cairo
University discount with the submission of a letter from Faculty of Computers and
Information. Please ask us for such letter and we suggest that you do try the following
links:
- Safir hotel: http://www.safirhotels.com/default.aspx?pageId=27
- Pyramisa hotel, Giza.
- Cairo Sheraton Hotel, Towers and Casino: http://www.sheraton.com/
- Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence:
http://www.fourseasons.com/cairofr/
- Shepherd hotel, Cairo.
- Raja Hotel Cairo: http://cairo.hotelguide.net/data/h100034.htm
- Hotel Pharaoh Egypt: http://hotelkey.com/hotel-hh-148614-it/pharaoh-egypt.html
- Guide to Cairo Hotels: http://cairo.hotelguide.net/

However, assistance with accommodation booking can be obtained from our travel
agency, Memphis Tours, at:
https://www.memphistours.org/

For Further Information
Workshop Organizing Committee Chair
Dr. Galal H Galal-Edeen, Galal@acm.org
Mobile: +2 010 12 44 309