Venue, parking and transit
Palmer Commons
100 Washtenaw Ave.
Great Lakes Room (4th floor)
A parking garage (the Palmer Drive Structure) is adjacent to Palmer Commons at the intersection of Washtenaw Avenue and Palmer Drive.
- From Washtenaw Avenue, turn on Palmer Drive, proceed approximately 100 yards to the 2nd parking entrance on your left that is marked "Visitor Parking"
- Upon exiting your vehicle, look for large metal Maize and Blue signs that read "East Elevators"
- Proceed towards the East Elevators and follow the signs that list Palmer Commons
- In the elevator, push PL (Plaza Level) and exit onto the outdoor plaza near the Life Science Institute entrance. Continue across the outdoor plaza to Palmer Commons
The garage costs $1.40/hr. For more parking information, see here
Program/Schedule
Doors Open, Coffee & Snacks
Come check in, grab a cup of coffee and bagels, and settle into the ballroom (you can take food & drinks in with you!).
Opening Remarks / Welcome
An Architecture for Your Career in IT
How to build a sustaining and challenging career in the new information age through developing an architecture for yourself and your life that builds resiliency, learning and balance. What are the skills that we all need to work harder to develop, grow, and succeed in technology and what are some hard learned lessons from the trenches?
With Great Data Comes Great Responsibility
Quantitative data are a powerful tool for designers, but the choices we make about what data to gather and how we gather them shape the way we see the world. As advocates for our users, what responsibilities do we have to ensure that we are creating just and humane representations of the world.
Information as the Atomic Level of Storytelling: from the Local Archive to the Whole World
Lightning Talks Round 1: Tables and chairs and signs, oh my! - Telling the story of our spaces and services
As we re-designed the first floor of our library, we began thinking of ways to better serve the needs of our patrons. Beyond the physical improvements to the space that we were able to make (i.e. construction), we focused on the furniture and the language used in these new spaces as sources of information.
Lightning Talks Round 1: That's Wrong! Learning When & How to Break the Rules
Design depends both on structure, and the subversion of that structure. How do designers identify the structural elements that may impede or contribute to their work? Which rules are breakable, and which aren't? Let's learn how to draw the lines, then color outside them.
Lunch Break
All attendees will receive a handout of places nearby to grab a quick lunch!
Lightning Talks Round 2: Channel Charlie
Richard Saul Wurman hits the nail on the head: "I like to question the minutia, to get to the essence of things...We need to be better at listening, and we need to aim more directly at understanding and being understood."
Lightning Talks Round 2: Car shopping online; Why it's almost illegal
A case study of when strategy is simple, but structure is nearly impossible.
Lightning Talks Round 2: Where I-75 Meets the Web: Investigating the Highways of Detroit's Digital Services
Detroiters are used to navigating confusing physical infrastructure. They shouldn't have to get used to navigating complex digital infrastructure, too. I'll explore the relationship between physical and digital infrastructure in the City of Detroit, how it impacts residents, and opportunities for radical, user-centered change.
Becoming an Innovation Advocate
“Too expensive! Too much time! Where’s the data? What’s the proof?” – No matter how good a new idea is, too often it is met with initial resistance. How do we nurture and advocate for innovation within our organizations? What structures are necessary to support this change? Jeff will take you inside a Girls Who Code classroom where innovation flourishes, discuss reasons why organizations fail to innovate, and begin a conversation about strategies for becoming an innovation advocate in your own community or organization.
Community Engagement Hands-On Session
Attendees will have the opportunity to get their hands dirty and work on some real-life IA problems from local non-profit organizations. We have been working with organizations to curate interesting, challenging IA problems that can be tackled in a short amount of time so that participants can flex their IA muscles, collaborate with other attendees, and present recommendations that will be hugely beneficial to gracious organizations that would otherwise not be able to afford such valuable help!
Raffle & Closing Remarks
Post-Event Happy Hour / Gathering
We have reserved the basement of Ashley's Pub (338 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104) for post-WIAD drinks and mingling.
