I am lucky enough to be in a position that allows me to attend conferences targeting creative professionals. The reason attending is important for me is the opportunity to participate in conversations with,  gain inspiration from and learn new ways other designers solve problems. It is also a way for me to re-calibrate myself outside of the routine that builds up day-to-day. When I read about Interaction 08, the inaugural conference being hosted by the Interaction Designer Association (IxDA), the opportunity was one that seemed hard to pass up. An important factor in my decision to attend was the lack of what I refer to as, "the usual suspects"  - those designers who spend a lot of time on the conference tour which seems to be growing every year. While there were some old friends, there were plenty of new faces to exchange ideas with.

Sitting at gate 13 of the Savannah airport, I have an chance to catch-up and think about the conference. In short, I am a bit conflicted. The first thought is about the the discipline of Interaction Design. I do not deny is important, but it is difficult to personally "silo" it from the other tasks I perform as a Designer. It is my opinion that the design community is growing in strength and we  are influencing decisions in all facets of business. Perhaps this opinion is a result of being a member of a small team within a large corporation requiring me take on a wide set of responsibilities. Understanding how to incorporate more "interaction design"concepts into the project/product lifecycle is what I take away most from the past three days.

There were some many though provoking concepts presented balanced with some concepts that simply seemed elementary. A highlight for me was the keynote presentation by Bill Buxton who proclaimed that "the biggest design project is to change the culture of the organization". I could not agree more. This is truly the most difficult part of my job. However, I have slowly been able to gain the attention and trust of those around me to understand that a holistic approach to a project is what ultimately leads to success. Holistic, as I define it, is that ability to agree on the overarching goals, how success will be measured and what are all the touch points a user will have with the experience being created. This is incredibly oversimplifying but, the point is that there are many steps with as many exercises that are required before the implementation phase of the project can be started.  It is my role as the interaction designer to facilitate this discovery phase, to define the user behavior and to help usher the project to a point of measurable results.

While happy to have been a part of the very first "Interaction" conference, I must admit that on a whole, it fell short of my expectations. I felt many of the presenters missed the opportunity to validate the ideas they were presenting with evidence. Many of the presentations would have been (and most likely started out as) interesting blog posts. There seemed to be a constant theme that we should band together as Interaction Designers to change the world to which I would argue that, collectively as creative professionals, we are. More people are recognizing the difference between good and bad designed products and are willing to pay more money for, spend more time with/on or tell more people about the great experience it provides. Fragmenting the design community into disciplines may cause confusion as to the role designers play. Personally, I see myself as a generalist and interaction design is just one of the many things I am responsible for delivering as part of the process. Again, this may be due to the situation I am in - it is hard for me to think about how to put some theories into practice.

Having said all that, I appreciate the work, dedication and passion the IxDA has for the discipline and of the effort they are putting forth to lay the ground work for the profession. It is an exciting time. Another thing that made this conference exciting was seeing the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Ironically, a school I had considered back in the early ninety's as a place to attend. Walking around the various buildings, seeing the projects and meeting the students made me envious. The students I met all displayed an enthusiasm for being a part of the creative profession that was infectious and energizing. Interacting with the students made me reflect on the work I do with a new appreciation for the responsibility we as Designers play in the world. Either that or I sensed strong competition for my job.

I will definitely be keeping a close watch on what the IxDA does and look for ways to get more involved. Who knows, perhaps I will be serving these words up on a plate and eating them in the future.

Related Links: Channel 9 interviews with Bill Buxton: "Designing User Experience"   and "a conversation with Bill Buxton about design thinking"