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"

For nearly a year, I have been working as the User Experience Lead for the Microsoft Evangelism Network which consists of five community-based web sites each targeting a unique audience.

Channel 8 - for students  | Channel 9 - for developers  | Channel 10 - for technology enthusiasts | TechNet EDGE - for IT Professionals | VisitMIX - for web designers, developers and business decision makers.

My role has been to oversee the "experience" visitors have on/across these sites with a focus on the overall visuals (look and feel), the way information is displayed and the functionality/interaction that visitors experience when navigating the content. I consider myself a generalist who takes on the roll of creative director, information architect and interactive designer depending on the task at hand. I am simplifying this but, most important is the amount of work that we as a small team have accomplished over the 10 months.

The challenge collectively has been to create a platform capable of supporting all sites. What this equates to is the ability for incremental changes/improvements across the entire eco-system. When one site is improved - they are all improved. For those familiar with the development process, this has involved many hours of planning, coding, designing and stabilizing. We utilize "building blocks" for hosting a variety of information types and rely heavily on CSS to create a unique look for each property. While some visitors are critical of our process, the result has been the publishing of 3 beta sites, 2 new sites and 3 re-launches of existing sites. Never mind the countless administration tasks that have been completed. The three guys that make up the development team are amazing to work with and it is truly exciting to see my designs come to life.

Last week, I found myself on the wrong end of a video camera being interviewed where I described briefly my though process behind the new design (and re-launch) of Channel 8 and my approach to design in general. What follows is the interview.

 
The NEW Channel 8’s Designer Speaks Out

If Andy Warhol was right, it appears that I have about 22 seconds of fame left, better make them count!?!

To be honest,  I have been waiting for a couple months for this week. Attending the Adaptive Path UX Week is like going to summer camp! Summer camp for designers, or as the opening slide stated, User Experience Professionals. Being surrounded by technical geeks in my daily life, it is refreshing to be around people who also work to deliver creative solutions for a variety of products, problems and applications.

The opening keynote was presented by Deborah Adler who was principle designer and inspiration for Target's ClearRx solution. ClearRx is a comprehensive system for packaging prescription medicine. Deborah developed this solution as a masters thesis after her Grandmother mistakenly took the medication prescribed for her Grandfather - same medication/wrong dosage. This is a common scenario and it is reported that 60% of Americans do not take prescription medications correctly. Ironically, the amount of money spent every year on pharmaceuticals is equaled by the amount of money spent on correcting the problems associated with this problem. In short, Deborah saw a (big) problem and created a solution that helps not only her Grandparents, but thousands of others who are prescribed medication.

I have read about Deborah Adler and ClearRx, it was really great to hear her talk about this project, the challenges and the success related to it. As designers, we look for opportunities to provide understanding to or solutions for everyday problems. It is easy to draw inspiration from Deborah and her work.  

"Design has the power to make a difference"

One of the best parts of my job over the past couple of years has been the opportunity to meet people I would regard as "thought leaders" in the Design community. In my position as a designer in the Developer and Platform Evangelism team I have been relatively isolated; the chance to learn or gain inspiration from other designers through blogs, conferences or 1:1 interaction has really solidified my own thoughts on design. While I have not actually him (yet), one of the people I count on my list of influential Design thinkers is Bob Brunner, former Director of Industrial Design at Apple Inc. and Pentagram Partner. Bob recently spoke at Yahoo! Design Week and Luke Wroblewski (another person I hold in high esteem) summarized some key concepts from the presentation.

"Designers have a responsibility to own what the world sees. They need to have ownership of the experience and drive to make it right."

[Via LukeW.com]

Last Friday people stood in line for hours to obtain the latest and greatest gadget - the iPhone. Leading up to that event there were (and continue to be) countless discussions breaking down every aspect of the products design. It is hard to debate the innovation of this device and how it will change/influence everything that comes after it. Users expectations have again been raised. 

What about those everyday things that we all use, but don't think much about. Sure, these items did not have people lined up around the block when they debuted, but they have remained and that alone is something to admire. Johnathan Glancey, architecture critic for the Guardian Unlimited, has spent time looking back at some past innovation in a weekly series he titles, "Classics of Everyday Design". Some of the everyday items that have been featured are:   

(No. 1) The Catseye - designed by Percy Shaw. A Simple concoction of glass, rubber and cast iron, this reflecting road-stud has saved countless lives.

(No. 2) The Paperclip - designed by inventor Johan Vaaler in 1899. It remains indispensable and is yet to be superceded. From a simple tool to a national symbol of resistance, the paperclip is a small triumph of everyday design.

(No. 11) The Brio, or Bic Crystal ballpoint pen - patented in 1938 by Lazo and Georg Biro and redesigned by Marcel Bich in 1950. Everyday, some 14 million are sold worldwide.

(No. 17) Yale Key - first patented by Linus Yale Jr in 1861, improved in 1865 and remains the standard key for all front doors around the world.

(No. 20) Polyprop Chair - designed by Robin Day and in production since 1963. An essential prop of school assembly halls, libraries and lunchrooms, at least 14 million have been made to date. 

As designers we are always looking forward to the next great thing, it is strangely refreshing to look back and see how those things we all take for granted continue to influence us today.

I have always been intrigued with the concept of process. Especially, Design Process. This morning I came across the following statement published by the Vitra Design Museum located in the SW corner of Germany near the Swiss border town of Basel.

The following describes Vitras "Views on Design."

"Design is the process through which nearly all objects are given a specific design and function - from cars to paper clips, from clothing up to chairs. Design means more than styling or giving shape to an object. Good design is a complex process in which the various, often contradictory requirements have to be fulfilled so objects can function in the desired manner. Design is only good when aesthetics, economics, durability, function, ecology and comfort come together to complement and harmonize with one another."