MLK said, "We must rapidly begin the shift from a ‘thing-oriented’ society to a ‘person-oriented’ society." As practitioners, what is our role in that shift? We'll explore that question by looking at how “thing-oriented” design differs from “person-oriented” design. How might engagement, or our definition of it, perpetuate the very

Human-centric design came into our lives with a great promise - the promise that a specific methodological framework will be able to help us solve the big issues of our time. We were promised a more sustainable, more equitable, more livable world through the idea of technooptimism - the idea

It's time for tangible inclusion. Making your research inclusive is paramount, otherwise how are you designing for the real world? Inclusive research is not a dark art and is not unattainable. One of the main barriers for designers today is the lack of material on inclusive research techniques, ways of

In an ideal world, after raising awareness, accessibility becomes obvious to every organization. Management understands its importance, teams are trained, and the appropriate tools are readily available. However, the reality often paints a different picture. Conflicting priorities, time constraints, and resistance to change can pose challenges in incorporating accessibility into

Join us for an exploration of how and why interfaces are disappearing. We’ll first explore what Zero UI is at a high level and then dig into some specific examples. Subsequently, we will dissect the underlying design structures of these seemingly invisible interfaces and guide you through the process

In the history of computing, we're at a pivotal moment. We've moved from the early days of batch processing to 60 years of command-based interactions. Now, as highlighted by Jakob Nielsen, we're transitioning to a new phase: intent-based user interactions, marking a significant evolution in how we interact with technology.

Ever since "Art AI" hit the public sphere, designers have felt a target on their backs. Some feel the industry will change forever or designers will lose their jobs. Others feel designers should be integrating "AI" into their workflows today to remain relevant. But what if these technologies aren't "AI"

Face it, all your projects are going to die and you haven’t even designed the end. In a world that is flooded with new apps, services, and products can we really assume that our product won’t be killed off in the evolutionary cycle of the ‘next big thing’

When new users arrive at your product, their onboarding experience is the process that's meant to welcome and guide them towards lasting success. But in a team’s quest to address short-term metrics and feature awareness, onboarding often gets condensed into just a front-loaded moment, missing out on its bigger

Here is a scenario - does this resonate? You conduct data gathering in a research study. As the researcher, you place heavy emphasis on how to ask the “right question”. Even after careful scrutiny of the questions, your interactions yield shallow answers from participants. This results in lots of chatter

Designers have lots of great insights into user needs, the problem that needs to be solved and how to get to a solid outcome. The challenge is that we’re not always involved early enough in the conversation to steer the strategy and direction of a project - we’ve

Are you frustrated with reactive measures to user experiences? Tired of unused research, repetitive studies & justifying the need to automate measures? As the boundaries between design, technology and business blur, the significance of establishing robust, objective databases of measurable design metrics cannot be overstated. In this talk, Jessa will empower

The job title “Designer” carries vague promises of creativity and self-expression. It’s not necessarily a job you pick to get rich fast. It’s a job you are drawn to because you find meaning in it. ‘Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work

Product design has become stagnant—driven by infinite scale, overly-occupied with processes, and homogenized through adherence to standards. At the same time, video games are taking over the world and it's time we in Design take them seriously. Much more than gamification, video games are an under-explored frontier for product

Uber rolled out SOS functionality only after there were sexual harassment cases reported on their rides. Fitness apps continue to ignore menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy. Pension funds, failing to acknowledge that women live longer, have contributed to financial inequities. If these products and services had dared to ask: what about

The tension between quick incremental change and longer term planning is one Designers, and organisations, often experience. Knowing how to tell a compelling and tangible story about the long term vision is a powerful way to cut through the noise and drive change across disciplines. Rachel Ilan Simpson is the

User Fudged Experiences happen when users improvise with our products or service, usually in an unexpected and hacky way. This talk will reveal you how can use User Fudged Experiences to discover what your users are trying to accomplish, explore user perception, spot examples of design affordances in the physical

This talk is about an industry that everyone knows, but only from driving by: the construction industry. After so many years of digital products, here's a look past screen designs and a "behind the scenes" look at a project where the operator is the center of attention. According to Statista

Neurodiversity is a topic that has always fascinated Irina. She really wants to understand how historically marginalized communities experience the designs we create. Two years ago, she conducted a research project focusing on design requirements for the autistic community. The available information was fragmented, so she collaborated with this group