Dallas 2018

Check-in begins, coffee and breakfast courtesy of Optimal Workshop

Lets take a couple minutes to thank our sponsors and volunteers before we get our day started.

Join Kim Harris, Senior UX Designer at projekt202 as she kicks off our World IA Day Celebration:

Even if your office water cooler has been replaced by a super-fancy electronic dispenser, or an industrial-sized coffee maker, it’s still the place where you’ll find co-workers chatting about the latest news around the office.

With conversations ranging from slight changes in personnel resources to large-scale organizational decisions, employees are constantly seeking information that might impact their day-to-day projects and their long-term careers. These are some pretty important conversations, right? So why is the “water cooler” known as the most respected source for company information?

It’s time for us to halt the distribution of misinformation and utilize IA techniques in a rare form—as a method of creating a centralized strategy for effectively managing workplace communication.

“The next frontier for exponential growth… and the only sustainable competitive edge lies in the one of human connectivity.” - Susan Scott

Imagine an organization where direct communication between practitioners and executives is encouraged, where employees are engaged in the visioning and decision strategy for their org, and where all employees feel a sense of ownership and empowerment over their careers.

You might be surprised at what a bit of organizational transparency can do.

There currently is an inverse relationship to the amount of attention and care that is being put into critical, life-altering interactions between humans and technology; consumer apps have greater research, testing, feedback, and design than those that are intended to save lives.

Bad design doesn't just fail, it can produce tragedies. 

But while these issues can seem vast and far reaching, a juggernaut that would resist radical change that could come from just a small group of people, the emerging maturity of user experience as a profession and a philosophy is exposing, tackling and demanding changes.

Not all solutions can be delivered in the realm of tech and solve the solution.

The role of design cannot be limited to the screen. Until design began to be a part of processes and services, of which interaction with technology is a touchpoint, it's been increasingly silo'ed 

Applying process design to product design is key to untangling a large problem set. Understanding and charting the way information flows through people as they integrate with a system is key to taming the anarchy. And it doesn't have to wait until large initiatives, hiring pushes, design overhauls, etc occur... small changes, inexpensive changes, can have life changing impact.

Come learn about the power of colored duct tape, the lifesaving nature of a can of red spray paint, and the ten million dollar blue pill. This talk isn't about the matrix, but sometimes you'll feel like you followed the white rabbit down to a world you didn't imagine.

Presented by Katie Kelly

Lunch Time! Courtesy of Big Design

ProjectUX will debut a special episode of the UX show for startups that was filmed live at Big Design Conference featuring UXperts Alan Cooper, Jared Spool, Debra Gelman, and Bibiana Nunes reviewing Dallas startup Noise Aware's User Experience. ProjectUX is the new web TV show where User Experience experts help startups improve their products through a round of usability testing and an in-depth UX audit. We review elements such as information architecture, accessibility, usability, and visual design with the mission of helping startups build better products.

After the screening we will host a Q&A session with host Brandon Ward, a member of the Noise Aware team and producer Rob Andrews.