UMO stands for UsabilityMatters.Org, a non-profit organization in India that aims to promote design awareness and exchange between designers and users. It organizes events and forums for the HCI, usability, and design community to discuss issues and challenges. UMO is run by a team of volunteers and was founded in Hyderabad by designers interested in usability. It holds annual contests and exhibitions related to design and usability and works to improve practices in the field. UMO is open to volunteers and sponsors to help spread design awareness.

1. What is UMO? UMO stands for UsabilityMatters.Org, that is a non-profit organization working towards design awareness and exchange of design sensibilities through interaction between designers and design sensitive consumers. It is a forum dedicated to discussing, improving and promoting the work of the Usability and Interaction design community in India. Here you can find bad designs, make-do design inventions (jugaad), feel good concepts and other Design and Usability related stuff. What we Do? UsabilityMatters.Org strives to provoke thinking among our peers, to extend the limits of the accepted boundaries of the prevalent practices and to challenge the mediocre by discussions and deliberations that translate into results for a better environment around us. We regularly organize events to raise awareness and discuss various issues that relate to the HCI, Usability, Interaction Design and Graphic Design community of India. Who are the People? UsabilityMatters.Org is founded by a group of Usability enthusiasts from Hyderabad. The founder team consisted of Kaladhar Bapu, Ashish Tiwari, Shyam Sundar Durisetti and Ravi Krishnan. However, this was only the germ of an idea that was taken up and further worked upon by a group of volunteers who come together to host various events. We call the group of these volunteers as "TeamUMO"

2. UMO has got 700+ members from all around the world UMO has successfully organized Boycott Bad - Design Contest’07 Boycott Bad - Design Contest’06 Boycott Bad - Design Contest’05 International Cartoon Contest ‘07 International Cartoon Contest ‘06 International Cartoon Contest ’05 World Usability Day 2007 World Usability Day 2006 World Usability Day 2005 at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad

4. UMO: Boycott Bad-Design Contest’08 UMO is holding this competition for identifying Bad-Designs as part of our activities towards the World Usability Day-2008. Participation is open to everybody from every country in the world, and from any background- designers and design sensitive consumers Theme for the Competition: Brake down - Experiences with bad designs and services in transportation Boycott Bad - Design Contest’08 Please have a look at Boycott Bad - Design Contest’07 Boycott Bad - Design Contest’06 Boycott Bad - Design Contest’05

5. UMO: International Cartoon Contest’08 The UMO-International Cartoon Contest'08 is organized by UMO towards the World Usability Day. Participation is open to all cartoonists from every country in the world. Theme for the Competition: The wheel rolls on International Cartoon Contest‘08 Please have a look at International Cartoon Contest ‘07 International Cartoon Contest ‘06 International Cartoon Contest ’05

6. UMO 2008: Bad Design Expo Cartoon and Bad Design Contest entries would be put up for a public exhibition for one week From 29 & 30 Nov and 1, 2 & 3 Dec. 2008, at State Art Gallery, Hyderabad

7. How to Get Involved Since we are a non-profit organization, we do enjoy the freedom from a set of commands that need to be executed per year basis. But then we also need to align various energies into right directions and get as many people involved for a given initiative. The best involvement one can have in such a scenario is to be a volunteer and help take the Design Community in India to the next level. Roles of involvement are Volunteer Get Registered as a volunteer, voice your views, throw ideas, and share the work with the most active design and usability community in Hyderabad, India Affiliate Get in touch to know more about how to become an Affiliate. Sponsor Get in touch to know the detailed plans about sponsoring UMO activities, and making donations etc.. Sport a Badge You can also help spread the word about the site by using the UMO badge on your site.

8. We sincerely thank our Affiliates and Supporters Contact [email_address] [email_address] Call: 9849301500( Kaladhar Bapu )