CHIFOO 2010 Program Details
Interaction Leadership: Expand Your Sphere of Influence
To raise the bar for the field of human-computer interaction, we need committed leaders who are willing to push the envelope. But leadership is more than just making noise. It requires building influence through a combination of facilitation, diplomacy, and advocacy. To make progress, we must be able to bridge cultural gaps and align our peers’ valuable skills with a shared vision.
We all have the ability to lead positive change within our respective spheres of influence, from small to large. The 2010 CHIFOO program series will arm you with fundamental design leadership skills and inspire you to flirt with the edges of possibility. In monthly presentations throughout the year, experienced practitioners and speakers will explore how you can:
- Navigate through power structures and create momentum for interaction design initiatives
- Ensure that your message reaches a broad audience and produces a sense of urgency
- Take calculated risks that will further the discipline of human-computer interaction
- Stir positive change in the world through design thinking
Pulling Off the Mask
The trap is so easy to fall into: as we rise in leadership, we believe we have to play a role, stand apart, not show fear, adopt a formal tone. But the essence of formality is separation, a mid-career game that just creates stress. The young know it’s a game. The old put the game behind them. So how can you avoid it?
Bill will explore successes and failures in how informality can create real connection, whether it’s with employees, with products, with customers, or simply with each other—because leading means pulling people toward you, not pushing them away.
Design Thinking for a Better World
Design thinking makes information and products better. But why stop there? Often, we address only the symptoms of society’s big problems. Design thinking helps us see why problems happen, so we can create lasting solutions. This talk will wake you up, inspire action, and give you blueprints for saving the world.
As leaders and thinkers in the world, we need to utilize the skill and expertise we have developed to reach beyond our profession to effect change on a broader scale. When asked, “What are the boundaries of design?”, Charles Eames replied, “What are the boundaries of problems?” We’ve reached a critical juncture in history—a point where it appears the wheels are falling off the cart, coupled with a newfound appreciation of design thinking, adductive reasoning, and lateral thinking. As people leading this charge of thoughtful problem solving to make better products, interactions, and services, it’s time to lead the charge on solving problems beyond selling more products.
Prior CHIFOO Meetings in 2010:
Confessions of a Public Speaker
About Scott Berkun
Scott Berkun is the bestselling author of Making Things Happen and The Myths of Innovation. His work as a writer and public speaker has appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, Forbes Magazine, and other media. He has taught creative thinking at the University of Washington and has been a regular commentator on CNBC, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. His many popular essays and entertaining lectures can be found for free on his blog at www.scottberkun.com
It was a full house at our first meeting of the year with speaker Scott Berkun. Thanks to the Art Institute for hosting our standing room only crowd this night. And thanks to everyone who showed up. There was plenty of lively discussion before and after this meeting.
Mobile Agency Life: Leadership in a Quickly Shifting Landscape
About James Keller
James Keller is a digital communications strategist and user experience evangelist at Small Society, a small agency based in Portland with a passion for the iPhone™ platform, dedicated to helping organizations bring great ideas to life. Before joining the Small Society team, James was at Wieden+Kennedy helping the Portland office align client business goals and brand experiences with emerging technologies. Leveraging her extensive knowledge of interaction design, business analysis, campaign analytics, and integrated marketing communications, she has led multiple teams in creating efficient and effective online strategies for top brands such as Coca-Cola, NIKE, Procter & Gamble, Levi’s, LAIKA Studio, Zipcar, and the MTV Networks. She can frequently be seen at conferences speaking on topics such as information architecture, social media, and convergent culture.
It was a great meeting with lots of energy. James described what it was like to be an Apple ap developer on the day the iPad was announced. People were curious to hear James tell us about the new Apple products. Nancy Wirsig McClure confers with John Smith as he prepares to take notes of the program.
Good to Great Research: Breaking Away from the Formula
About Jessica Coffey
Jessica Coffey’s background and education encompasses design, research, and psychology. As co-founder of Teneo Research, she draws on over a decade of experience leading global research and design programs for innovative companies such as HP, Microsoft, Pepsi, Samsung, and Whirlpool. Prior to Teneo, Jessica was senior director of research at Fiori Product Development, where she led and grew its renowned research business. She served as professor and design research manager at the Center for Universal Design at NC State, and has also held design and research positions with esteemed firms including E-Lab and Ziba Design.
See the slides from the March 3 meeting.
Read notes from the March 3 meeting.
Designing with Lenses: Lessons from Other Design Crafts
About Bill Scott
For a long time Bill Scott couldn’t decide if he was a designer or an engineer, but finally gave up trying to classify himself and just decided to live in both worlds as much as possible. He has enjoyed working with technology for 25 years, and enjoyed interacting with people for even longer. It seemed only natural to blend these two loves together. These dual passions drove him to create one of the first successful Macintosh games (GATO, 1985), build war-gaming interfaces for NATO, found and lead the UX design team at Sabre, write OpenRico’s AJAX framework, manage the user interface engineering organization at Netflix, publish the Yahoo! design pattern library, and even write a book about it all (Designing Web Interfaces, O’Reilly).
Photos from the event taken by Ann Marcus.
See more photos from the meeting on Flickr.
Explicit Values for Better Design Research
About Rick Robinson
Rick Robinson is an interdisciplinary social scientist with a Ph.D. in human development from the University of Chicago. He was a co-founder of E-Lab, a research and design consultancy, and then Chief Experience Officer at Sapient. Both firms were pioneers in the development and application of ethnographic and observational research approaches for clients such as BMW, Ford Motor, General Mills, General Motors, McDonald’s, Sony, and Warner-Lambert. He is the co-author of The Art of Seeing, as well as numerous articles on design and research. He currently works as an independent consultant.
Jared Spool Reveals Design Treasures from The Amazon
About Jared Spool
If you’ve ever seen Jared speak about usability, you know that he’s probably the most effective, knowledgeable communicator on the subject today. What you probably don’t know is that he has guided the research agenda and built User Interface Engineering into the largest research organization of its kind in the world. He’s been working in the field of usability and design since 1978, before the term “usability” was ever associated with computers.
Jared spends his time working with the research teams at the company, helps clients understand how to solve their design problems, explains to reporters and industry analysts what the current state of design is all about, and is a top-rated speaker at more than 20 conferences every year. He is also the conference chair and keynote speaker at the annual User Interface Conference, is on the faculty of the Tufts University Gordon Institute, and manages to squeeze in a fair amount of writing time.
Traversing Power Structures
About Will Evans
Will Evans is Founder and Principal User Experience Architect for Semantic Foundry. He has 14 years’ industry experience in presentation layer and user experience design, from usability-focused user interface architecture through the entire software product lifecycle for both thick- and thin-client applications.
Will’s experience includes working as a user experience architect for AIR Worldwide, information architect for consumer websites like Gather.com, and user experience architect for Kayak.com. He worked as an information architect at Lotus (IBM) and Curl, a DARPA-funded MIT project at the Laboratory for Computer Science, which turned into a software company allowing Will to work alongside notable figures such as Tim Berners-Lee and Mike Dertouzos.
Skill Building for Design Innovators
About Steve Portigal
Steve Portigal is the principal of Portigal Consulting, a bite-sized firm that brings together user research, design, and business strategy. Portigal Consulting helps clients discover and act on new insights about themselves and their customers. Steve speaks regularly at design events such as IDSA and IxDA conferences. He writes for interactions magazine, Core77 and the Portigal Consulting blog All This ChittahChattah. He is an avid photographer and has a Museum of Foreign Groceries in his home.
Download audio (MP3) of this event.
Photos from the July 14 Meeting
Fourth Annual CHI-Bowl
CHIFOO members will get in free. Non-members and guests will pay $10 for this great entertainment package. Bring the family! For just $20 for 1 adult guest and up to three children 17 or younger can bowl and party with us. Please bring friends and/or family, form a team and bowl away. It’s the most interactive meeting of the year.
Going Bowling with CHIFOO? Don’t miss it! Please RSVP and let us know you’re coming.
Not a CHIFOO member? Now’s a great time to join and get the benefits of a full year’s worth of excellent programs in addition to a great bowling party for only $20! You can’t beat a deal like that. Join CHIFOO today.
Designing into the Path of Disruptive Technology
About Eric Gould Bear
Communication Arts described Eric Gould Bear as “one of the most thoughtful and provocative interface and interaction designers working in the field.” He has been a leading force in the design of award-winning human-computer interfaces since 1984, has published numerous articles on the subject, and is first-named inventor on over eighty software and hardware interaction patents and patent applications. Specializing in interactive telecommunications services and devices, Eric has established user experience strategies for many well-known corporations. An enthusiastic and inspirational leader, Eric is known for his collaborative approaches to creating easy-to-use technology and engaging digital media.
