The world’s a mess. The number of problems we face and the technology involved, grows exponentially from year to year. Yet our job is to make it all work. From a UX design perspective, addressing these issues can seem like a game of “Whack a Mole,” where new issues pop up as soon as one is solved. It doesn’t have to be that way. What if we tried a proactive approach to encourage the right choices? We could build the pathways that allow other positive actions to take place. Through this strategy, we create foundations for future growth that will have a positive effect on not just the tech systems we use but the world around us.
This year’s series, “Using UX for Good: Building a Better World”, will explore practical ways we can do this through the voices of visionary thinkers and designers who have already planted the seeds for growth. These innovative approaches to change can inspire us to take action while we expand the potential of our daily work. With this Speaker Series, we celebrate the change-makers among us and look to them for inspiration as we solve the problems we face and create pathways that will expand, rather than contract, our future.
2020 Events
UX Writing & Microcopy:
How Small Words Make A Big Difference
UX Writing & Microcopy:
How Small Words Make A Big Difference
Skyler Reed, January 2020 In this talk, we will walk through how UX Writing & Microcopy can (and will) transform writing within business organizations, trades and arts work, and application design to reduce stress and provide guidance for all people from every walk of ...
Calm Technology: Designing for the Next Generation of Devices
Calm Technology: Designing for the Next Generation of Devices
Amber Case, February 2020 How can you design technology that becomes a part of a user’s life and not a distraction from it? You’ll learn how to design products that work well, launch well, are easy to support, easy to use, and remain unobtrusive.
Democracy is a Design Problem
Democracy is a Design Problem
Dana Chisnell, March 2020 Design directly affects every person in the nation. Join Dana as she explores the design of our democracy and how to make better design decisions that do not have as many unintended consequences for our democracy.
The Long Nose of Innovation
The point is, it’s Hard to Extrapolate from a Point
The Long Nose of Innovation
The point is, it’s Hard to Extrapolate from a Point
Bill Buxton, April 2020 Using examples from the Buxton-Microsoft Collection, the argument is made that knowing our history is as important to UX designers as it is to architects, musicians or any other creative discipline.
Participating in Public: Municipal Software for Online Dialogue and Decision-making
Participating in Public: Municipal Software for Online Dialogue and Decision-making
Travis Kriplean | Arthur Smid, May 2020 We’ll consider how design can facilitate consensus rather than division. Let’s explore this together and build the practices and software to support democracy.
Life & Death Design: What Life-Saving Tech Can Teach Everyday Designers
Life & Death Design: What Life-Saving Tech Can Teach Everyday Designers
Katie Swindler, June 2020 Apply new techniques presented to your work in any field to create clear, intuitive experiences that effectively guide the behavior of your users, no matter their state of mind.
The Coming Extinction Level Event for Brands & Companies
The Coming Extinction Level Event for Brands & Companies
Nathan Shedroff, July 2020 UX developers of all kinds bridge the distance between our clients/companies and our customers and we can have as big an impact on strategy as anyone else in the company.
August Social Zoom Trivia Night
August Social Zoom Trivia Night
UX focused Trivia contests via the Kahoot app, led by our Vicefoo and resident Game Master, Robert LaCosse!
Learning to live together: Community-based approaches for design and research
Learning to live together: Community-based approaches for design and research
Amelia Abreu, September 2020 Explore the history of participatory design movements and highlight community-based action tactics and creative inquiry approaches with Amelia Abreu at CHIFOO's September event.
Something You Know, Something You Have, Something You Are
Designing Better Authentication to Make the Web Safer
Something You Know, Something You Have, Something You Are
Designing Better Authentication to Make the Web Safer
Stacy Taylor, October 7, 2020 Come learn about password alternatives, two factor authentication, and biometric authentication, and leave with few simple steps you can take to make your data more secure. (The secret code for this meeting is 123456.)
Systems of Systems
Systems of Systems
Tatiana Mac, November 2020 We’ll look to see how to assess where our design systems live in broader ecosystems, the challenges inherent, and how to lean into the good, and resist the bad, to ensure we’re serving all humans in an equitable and ethical way, maintaini...