UXnews
Publications :: Courtesy of InfoDesign
Now Let's Do It in Practice: UX Evaluation Methods in Product Development
UXEM workshop in CHI'08 (April 6th, 2008 in Florence, Italy) - "The aim of the workshop is to transfer knowledge from practitioners to academics about challenges with putting UX evaluation into practice, and from academics to practitioners to inform and inspire practical UX work with research findings of UX evaluation methods. Participants will gain an overview of the current state of practical approaches, tools, and methods for UX evaluation, as well as insights into the importance of UX evaluation in product development. The main outcomes of the workshop are a model of different UX evaluation methods across product development process and a list of UX evaluation challenges in product development. " (Kaisa Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila, Virpi Roto, and Marc Hassenzahl)
Meaningful Measures: Valid User Experience Measurement 
Proceedings of the International Workshop (Reykjavik, Iceland June 18th 2008) - "The workshop VUUM brings together a group of experienced HCI researchers and practitioners to explore a long-standing research problem – the meaningfulness of measurable constructs and the measurability of nonmeasurable ones. One may argue that basically everything can be measured, but some things may be more 'measurable' than the others; how to estimate the threshold of measurability remains unclear. The sixteen interesting submissions in this volume touch upon the basic issue of the formal-empirical dichotomy. Many arguments can be boiled down to the fundamental problem that our understanding of how people think and feel is still rather limited, which is essentially inferred from people's behaviours. Psycho-physiological and neuro-psychological data seem promising, but the issue of calibration and integration is a big hurdle to overcome. Nonetheless, we are convinced about the value, meaningfulness and usefulness of this research endeavour." (Effie Law et al. - MAUSE COST Action 294)
The future and what it holds
"The focus of my questions in this video interview with Howard Rheingold, was kindly suggested by the event organizer Leandro Agrò, and they focused on (a) the future of technology, (b) the speed at which things change, (c) who will eventually control the Internet, (d) what we can do about it, and (e) how pervasive technology will become in the next few years." (Robin Good's Latest News)
Considering the User Perspective: Research into Usage and Communication of Digital Information
"In this article we present the methodology and initial results from qualitative research into the usage and communication of digital information. It considers the motivation for the research and the methodologies adopted, including Contextual Design and Cultural Probes. The article describes the preliminary studies conducted to test the approach, highlighting the strengths and limitations of the techniques applied. Finally, it outlines proposals for refinement in subsequent iterations and the future research activities planned." (Kelly Snow et al. - D-Lib Magazine May/June 2008)
The Importance of the Management Perspective in the HCI Field
"We explore the roles and the importance of having a management community inside the Human-Computer Interaction field and inside the large CHI community. We believe that the management community keeps the broad HCI field in touch with the strategic and managerial values of HCI research and practice. It can be an effective advocate and bridge for bringing the importance of HCI research and practice to the strategic and managerial levels of organizations, thus HCI work can have bigger and broader impact on people, organizations, and societies. We call for additional energy, effort, and participation to the management community." (Ping Zhang and Roberto Polillo - CHI 2008 DVD Proceedings)
Twelve emerging best practices for adding UX work to Agile development
"If the user experience practice in your company was weak before Agile, Agile development isn't going to help things. If your user experience practice was strong before Agile, it'll remain strong after Agile, and evolve to adapt." (Jeff Patton - Agile Product Design) - courtesy of thehotstrudel
Reduce Bounce Rates: Fight for the Second Click
"Different traffic sources imply different reasons for why visitors might immediately leave your site. Design to keep deep-link followers engaged through additional pageviews." (Jakob Nielsen - Alertbox)
The what, when and why of wireframes
"They are a visual representation of the content of a web page that is the culmination of user research, business objectives and content. Best brought together in a sequence of pages to illustrate paths of navigation and interactions on the page." (User Pathway) - courtesy of thehotstrudel
Death to Lorem Ipsum & Other Adventures in Content
"(...) to push the thinking further with a discussion about content, UX teams, and how the relationships can be strengthened to create experiences and projects that really sing. The resulting conversation start with content basics and closes with a bold challenge." (Kate Rutter - Adaptive Path blog)
Designing better services
"Service Design is a new holistic, multi-disciplinary, integrative field. It helps to either innovate or improve services to make them more useful, usble, desirable for clients, as well as more efficient and effective for organisations." (Stefan Moritz)
InfoDesign by Peter J. Bogaards: Founder of BogieLand.
Events :: Courtesy of eventful.com
Oct 21, 2008: Design by Fire at Media Plaza
"The Design by Fire conference strives to be the incubator for the newest ideas on interaction design. The conference provides a stage for inspiring professionals with a passion for interaction design to share their vision with peers."
Jul 26, 2008: FailCamp at Independents Hall
Share your fail.
This isn't about finger pointing. It's about having a safe place to admit YOUR mess - ups, small and large and most importantly, what you learned.
We all make mistakes. The best of us learn from them. The best of the best help others learn from their mistakes.
These can be business failures. These can be life failures.
We want your fail.
This may or may not be at IndyHall, but that's our homebase for now.
This event is a product of some very good friends of IndyHall, including Amy Hoy and Patrick Ewing.
This event was inspired by the idea of a LoserCamp.
Jul 22, 2008: Digging Deeper: Building Blocks for Sustainable Design at Temple Night Club
The IDSA SF Chapter has been hard at work creating the event of the summer. Dubbed "Digging Deeper", the evening conference will tackle eco-issues that confront designers.
As the dialogue around sustainability expands and points of view proliferate, distinct courses of action blur. Every choice is a trade off. Getting smart when designing green means understanding context.
Digging Deeper seeks to equip designers with the questions, methods and actionable tools for designing green. Experts on measuring the environmental, social and business impacts of design decisions will demonstrate appropriate research methods and strategies required for success and ensure a sustainable future. Emerging solutions will be documented in an online toolkit to enable broader knowledge sharing and the development of best practices for Sustainability in Design.
You are invited to join our Digging Deeper forum during the evening of Tuesday, July 22nd. We are thrilled to announce that Temple will be host to this zero waste event. Temple is a progressive, sustainable venue focused on reducing the entertainment empire?s ecological footprint.
Temple is located at 540 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Reception begins at 5:30pm
Priority attendance given to IDSA Members
Oct 4, 2008: Design for the Other 90% at Ontario College of Art & Design
The Professional Gallery of the Ontario College of Art & Design hosts a collection of design solutions addressing the basic needs of poor and marginalized populations not traditionally serviced by professional designers.
The exhibition, organized by the New York-based Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum and curated by Cynthia E. Smith, explores a growing movement among designers to design low-cost solutions for the ?other 90%? ? that is, the 5.8 billion people (out of the world?s total population of 6.5 billion people) who have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted. Design for the Other 90% looks at how individuals and organizations are finding unique ways to address the basic challenges of survival and progress ? for example, nearly half of the other 90% do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter.
?Unconventionally, this exhibition highlights products that are economically self-sustaining, yet affordable to people living on a dollar a day ? inexpensive irrigation systems for farming, for instance,? says Charles Reeve, Curator of the Professional Gallery. ?The new forms of ingenuity here focus on pressing issues like poverty relief and environmental sustainability, both of which are key themes in what we teach and research here at OCAD.?
Launching as part of OCAD?s Scotiabank Nuit Blanche programming, Toronto is the only Canadian stop for the touring exhibition. An extensive website, including a blog, discussion forum and additional resources is available at http://other90.cooperhewitt.org/.
In addition to the exhibition at the OCAD Professional Gallery, the Design Exchange will present a complementary program of exhibits and events as part of Design for the Other 90%.
Jul 24, 2008: EDO Lounge in Zürich: Erlebnis-Häppchen at Das Dreieck
Die Experience Design Organisation, EDO ermöglicht den Dialog zum Thema Experience Design in der Schweiz und Europa (www.edolounge.org). Wir wollen ein Forum bieten für alle, die sich für Experience Design interessieren.
Am Donnerstag, 24. Juli holen wir die Welt des Experience Designs nach Zürich: Wir lassen uns inspirieren von Video-Beiträgen der New-Yorker "Good Experience Live" (GEL) Konferenz.
Aug 14, 2008: Bandwidth Music | Technology Conference at The University Club
The Bandwidth Music | Technology Conference 2008 will take place August 14 & 15 in San Francisco in the Bandwidth HQ atop Nob Hill. Register by July 10th to get the $275 rate - tickets are limited and are available through Ticketweb.
The Bandwidth Conference is for music and technology professionals and focuses on the evolving musical experience. Bandwidth features conversations with movers and shakers, as well as a chance to interact with others in an intimate environment - the right people in the right space in numbers that make it easy to connect. Topics focus on marketing, fan behavior, trends and future forecasts, and an examination of the ways people discover, purchase, interact with, and are exposed to music.
We'll be featuring a conversations with Sub Pop's Jonathan Poneman and Alexandra Patsavas of Chop Shop Music. We'll also feature a conversation with Susan Bonds and Alex Lieu of 42 Entertainment, the company behind Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero online presence. There will be loads of great speakers representing the best of the music, digital, online and media worlds. Below is the current list.
Kevin Arnold, IODA/Aaron Barnes, Friendster/Shawn Bates, weareFlex/Susan Bonds, 42 Entertainment/David Brewster, PlayNetwork/Cory Brown, Absolutely Kosher & Misra Records/Ted Cohen, TAG Strategic/Jeff Daniel, Rock River Music/Chris Dominguez, GetBack Media Inc./Christina Eichelberger, Sony/BMG Music Entertainment/Uli Eiser, Revolver USA/Jackson Haring, High Road Touring/Eric Johnson, Wolfgang's Vault/David Katznelson, Birdman Recording Group/David Krinsky, Rhapsody America/Meriko ?Ko? Kawashima, BPM(brands+music)/Randy Leasure, Sony/BMG Music Entertainment - Global Digital Business Group/Alex Lieu, 42 Entertainment/Tim McQuaid, Fan Asylum/Nancy Miller, Wired Magazine/Nish Nadaraja, Yelp/Alexandra Patsavas, Chop Shop Music/Jonathan Poneman, Sub Pop/Ian C. Rogers, TopSpin/David Rosenheim, JamBase/Scott Schaefer, Bloodshot Records/Michael S. Scherotter, Microsoft Corporation/Vickie Starr, Girlie Action Media and Marketing/Jaan Uhelszki, Editor At Large, Relix/Greg Werckman, Ipecac Recordings/Larry Weintraub, Fanscape/Kurt Wolff, CNET Download.com Music
*All speakers subject to change
Sep 15, 2008: Interop New York 2008 at Javits Convention Center
Join thousands of business and technology leaders and gain comprehensive insight into the latest IT innovations at Interop New York, September 15-19, 2008. Attend 150+ sessions, visit 250+ leading exhibitors, network with peers and learn how to build an IT strategy that improves business agility.
If you haven?t already registered, learn more at http://www.interop.com/?priorityCode=CMKDNN13
Mar 15, 2009: American Society on Aging / National Council on Aging Joint Conference at Las Vegas Convention Center
Topics:
- What's New
- What's Important
- What Works
- How we can do it
Aging in America, the 2009 Annual Conference of the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging takes place March 15-19 in Las Vegas. The ASA-NCOA Conference, with nearly 4,000 attendees, is recognized as a showcase for programs and projects that can be replicated, a forum for policy discussion and advocacy, and a prime source of information on new research findings in aging. It is the largest gathering of a diverse, multidisciplinary community of professionals from the fields of aging, healthcare and education, along with business leaders from across the United States.
Attendees come from around the country and abroad to find the answers, the experts, the research, the best practices, and the most comprehensive educational offerings available to professionals. It is the place to be if you want to learn about what?s new, what works, and how you can make it work to respond to the ever-growing demands of serving an aging population. The conference provides attendees with the opportunity to network with new and old friends, gain insight from voices from the front line and find new grassroots and national partners for advocacy.
Feb 5, 2009: interaction09 at Simon Fraser University, Downtown Vancouver
"The Interaction Design Association (IxDA) is pleased to
announce Interaction|09, to be held February 5-8, 2009 in
conjunction with Simon Fraser University?s School of
Interactive Arts + Technology, and the Faculty of Business,
located in lovely Vancouver, B.C. Mark your calendars now for
what promises to be another exciting and informative conference
centered around the design of interactive systems of all types,
from web and desktop applications, to mobile devices, consumer
electronics, digitally-enhanced environments, and more. This
will be our growing community?s second annual opportunity
to gather with several hundred other Interaction Design
professionals from around the world."
Oct 13, 2008: An Event Apart Chicago 2008 at Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
Join Eric Meyer, Jeffrey Zeldman, and special guests to gain a deeper understanding of web standards and emerging best practices. Be inspired by fresh ideas and new directions. Join the greatest minds and hottest talents in web design today.
Featuring 12 Great Speakers!
* Andy Clarke
Author, Transcending CSS
* Curt Cloninger
Author, Hot-Wiring Your Creative Process
* Jason Fried
37signals
* Robert Hoekman Jr.
Author, Designing the Obvious
* Cameron Moll
Author, Mobile Web Design
* Sarah Nelson
Design Strategist, Adaptive Path
* Jeff Veen
Design manager, Google
* Rob Weychert
Designer, Happy Cog
*Jason Santa Maria
Designer, Happy Cog
* Eric Meyer
Author, CSS: The Definitive Guide
* Jeffrey Zeldman
Author, Designing With Web Standards
Plus one more to be announced!
Aug 18, 2008: An Event Apart San Francisco 2008 at Palace Hotel San Francisco
An Event Apart, the design conference for people who make websites, has posted its San Francisco 2008 schedule. Join us August 18?19, 2008 at the Palace Hotel for two jam-packed 9.5-hour-long days of learning and inspiration with Heather Champ, Kelly Goto, Jeremy Keith, Luke Wroblewski, Dan Cederholm, Tantek Çelik, Jeffrey Veen, Derek Featherstone, Liz Danzico, Jason Santa Maria, Eric Meyer, and Jeffrey Zeldman.
Nov 16, 2008: Xtopia 08 at Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC)
Xtopia 08 -- Jetzt Super Early Bird Preis sichern und bis zu ?250 sparen
Xtopia , die Microsoft-Konferenz für Business, Web Technology, Design & UX findet dieses Jahr vom 17.-18. November 2008 in Berlin statt.
Seit kurzem ist nun unsere Webseite unter www.xtopia.de mit vielen Updates online. Informieren Sie sich über die Themen, Sprecher und das Gesamt-Programm.
Bis zum 04.07.2008 können Sie diese Konferenz zum sehr attraktiven Preis von 349,00 EUR (zzgl. der gesetzlichen MwSt. in Höhe von 19%) buchen.
Information und Registrierung unter www.xtopia.de
Oct 17, 2008: Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature at Marin Civic Center
The Collective Heritage Institute, aka Bioneers, was founded in 1990, when Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons assembled Bioneers for the first annual Bioneers conference, a gathering of scientific and social innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and communities.
Bioneers was conceived to conduct programs in the conservation of biological and cultural diversity, traditional farming practices, and environmental restoration. Our vision of environment encompasses the natural landscape, cultivated landscape, biodiversity, cultural diversity, watersheds, community economics, and spirituality. Bioneers seeks to unite nature, culture and spirit in an Earth-honoring vision, and create economic models founded in social justice.
Restoration addresses the premise that "sustainability" is problematic in the context of an environment that is already depleted. As Paul Hawken has noted, sustainability is simply the midpoint between destruction and restoration. The goal of Bioneers is restoration, addressing the interdependent array of economics, jobs, ecologies, cultures, and communities.
Bioneers are biological pioneers who are working with nature to heal nature and ourselves. They have peered deep into the heart of living systems to devise strategies for restoration based on nature's own operating instructions. They come from many cultures and perspectives, and all walks of life.
Bioneers are scientists and artists, gardeners and economists, activists and public servants, architects and ecologists, farmers and journalists, priests and shamans, policymakers and citizens. They are everyday people committed to preserving and supporting the future of life on Earth. They herald a dawning Age of Restoration founded in natural principles of kinship, interdependence, cooperation, reciprocity, and community.
Uniting nature, culture, and spirit, Bioneers embody a change of heart - a spiritual connection with the living world that is grounded in social justice. Their pragmatic strategies effectively address many of our most pressing ecological and societal challenges.
Above all, Bioneers represent a culture of solutions. Their stories demonstrate that just as people have created the environmental and social problem we face, people can solve them - through a reciprocal partnership with nature. Over and over, they show how great a difference the actions of one individual can make.
Aug 1, 2008: iPhoneDevCamp 2 at Adobe Systems
NOTE: The iPhoneDevCamp 2 registration page is now live. If you would like to attend, please use the registration form. Adding your name to this Upcoming page does not constitute event registration.
iPhoneDevCamp 2 is an upcoming gathering to develop applications for iPhone and iPod Touch using both the native SDK and web standards. This follows the first iPhoneDevCamp held at Adobe Systems in San Francisco, July 2007.
Attendees will include Cocoa Touch developers, web developers, UI designers, and testers, all working together over the weekend. Development projects will include both solo and team efforts. While some attendees will wish to work solo during the event, we encourage attendees to team up, based on expertise, to work in ad-hoc project development teams. All attendees should be prepared to work on a development project during the event.
Attendees will be able to:
* Create new applications for iPhone and iPod touch.
* Migrate Mac OS X applications to iPhone and iPod touch.
* Test and optimize applications for iPhone and iPod touch.
The event is being held in Summer 2008, around the time of the public launch of iPhone 2.0 OS and the iTunes App Store. Attendees are encouraged to attend Apple?s Worldwide Developers Conference 2008, June 9-13, which includes an iPhone Track.
We are sensitive to the NDA that Apple has in place on the iPhone SDK. It is our hope that Apple will lift this NDA shortly after the public launch of the App Store. iPhoneDevCamp 2 will be held one month after the launch of the App Store. We have no intentions of violating the terms that individual developers have in place with Apple on the iPhone SDK.
The organizers of iPhone Dev Camp 2 include Raven Zachary, Dominic Sagolla, Christopher Allen, Chris Messina, Bart Decrem, whurley, and Blake Burris.
iPhoneDevCamp is not affiliated with Apple, Inc.
Apple, iPhone, and iPod are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
May 30, 2009: Maker Faire at San Mateo Fairgrounds
Make magazine's and Craft magazine's "urban Burning Man" for tinkerers and crafters returns to the Bay Area.
Officialesque description:
Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It?s for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things.
Aug 18, 2008: Search Engine Strategies San Jose Conference & Expo at San Jose McEnery Convention Center
Search Engine Strategies returns to San Jose with a new focus on the interactive marketplace. Our new content line-up includes key market makers along with an educational outline designed to address the issues Search Marketers face each day.
From universal or blended search considerations in natural search or SEO, to the latest tactics for managing sophisticated sponsored listing programs, we have created a social, educational and networking environment for you.
Event Overview:
* Delivers real-time actionable information you need to grow your business through search engine marketing (SEM/SEO);
* Teaches the ins-and-outs of search engine marketing from top search experts and the search engines themselves;
* Provides a unique setting to network with fellow marketers and search engine industry professionals and discuss the trends in search engine marketing;
* Grants access to the world's most comprehensive gathering of search engine marketing & optimization-related solutions providers and potential partners & affiliates;
* Get the latest event information at the SES Blog.
What You Will Learn:
* How search engines list Web sites for free and through paid placements;
* How to get free "organic" traffic by building a site that pleases search engines and your visitors;
* How to efficiently purchase listings guaranteed to rank your company at the top of search engine results;
* How to calculate the ROI of your search marketing efforts by tracking your visitors from the time they hit your site until they buy?and get tips on improving conversion if they don't!
* How to build links that generate traffic to your Web site, and how to avoid the penalties of "spamming" the search engines;
* What's coming next in the constantly evolving world of Web search, and how you can profit from it.
ANNOUNCING
SES San Jose 2008 will incorporate the first annual SEM Awards ceremony.
The mission of the SES Awards is to inspire innovation and encourage new ideas. The SES Awards honor 15 outstanding search marketers and will be judged by a panel of industry experts and the Search Engine Watch editorial staff.
The Editor's Choice award winner will be selected exclusively by the SES editorial staff.
SES Awards Categories:
? Best Search Engine Ad Platform
? Best Business-to-Business Search Marketing Campaign
? Search Engine with Most Relevant Search Results
? Best Multi-National Search Marketing Campaign
? Most Innovative New Search Engine
? Best Use of Local Search
? Technology Platform Search Marketers Can?t Live Without
? Best Integration of Search with Other Media
? Best SEM Technology Platform for SMBS
? Most Effective Use of Web Analytics
? Most Innovative Use of Search Engine Optimization
? Best Web Analytics Platform
? Most Innovative Paid Search Campaign
? Most Advertiser-Friendly Search Engine
? Best Social Media Marketing Campaign
? Editor?s Choice
To sign up visit: http://www.searchenginestrategies.com/sanjose/awards/
Apr 5, 2009: CHI 2009 at Unknown
Computing is reaching into all parts of modern life. CHI 2009 will be the showcase for the technologies, designs and ideas that will form the new world of digital life. There are many exciting new ways in which computing can improve life in many parts of the world. CHI 2009 will be the place to see that happen.
CHI 2009 will be held in Boston, MA, USA. Many of the pioneering computer companies had their home in the Boston area. It is also the home of some of the great computing research universities.
Sep 27, 2008: InfoCamp Seattle 2008 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
InfoCamp Seattle 2008 is a collaborative unconference open to all professionals and students interested in user-centered information and design issues.
Mark your calendar for September 27-28, 2008!
Official web site: http://www.infocamp.info
Participant wiki: http://infocampseattle2008.pbwiki.com
Register for InfoCamp: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/39383
Contact us at: infocampseattle@gmail.com
Sep 2, 2008: Workshop 5 - MobiMundi: Exploring the Impact of User-generated Mobile Content ? The Participatory Panopticon at MobileHCI 2008
The MobiMundi Workshop aims to provide a forum for researchers and developers from different backgrounds to gather together to explore and discuss the impact of mobile information and communications technologies and services on society.
The theme for this workshop will examine the real and potential impacts of user-generated mobile content on individuals and society as a whole. The individual and societal impacts discussed will primarily focus on user centered and social perspectives, but will also explore how user behavior is changing and which problems are emerging, bearing in mind that individual actions are creating privacy and security issues which could lead towards a new quality of a hyper-surveillance society by providing the framework for the participatory panopticon.
Oct 15, 2008: SHiFT 2008 - Social and Human Ideas For Technology at FIL
Nov 11, 2008: Co-op America's Green Business Conference at San Francisco Marriott
(placeholder location)
just before the Green Festival
Join us at the Green Business Conferences
You can build the marketplace for green businesses.
You'll connect with like-minded business visionaries.
You'll learn how green businesses succeed.
Starving for a green connection?
Roll up your sleeves and get ready to bite into the green business revolution at this hands-on conference.
Learn from your peers in this value-packed three-day event as you discuss the many ways to build your business and a prosperous sustainable economy ...
This may be the best part. Registration includes all keynote speakers, workshop sessions, entertainment, and organic meals for the entire conference.
Past Speakers
Mark Finser
President, RSF Social Finance
Cofounder, New Resource Bank
Eric Freidenwald-Fishman
President & Creative Director, Metropolitan Group
Priya Haji
Co-founder & CEO, World of Good
Elysa Hammond
Chief Ecologist, Clif Bar
Bob Johansen
Institute for the Future, Author, Get There Early
Simran Sethi
Host, Sundance Channel's The Green
Joe Sibilia
President, CSR Wire & Meadowbrook Lane
Greg Steltenpohl
Founder, Adina and Odawalla
Mal Warwick
Chariman, Mal Warwick Associates, Inc.
Bryan Welch
Publisher, Ogden Publications, Inc
Oct 18, 2008: Maker Faire Austin 2008 at Travis County Expo Center
Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It?s for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things. Returning to Austin before you know it! Get crafting/making, everyone...
Oct 3, 2008: National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation at Renaissance Austin Hotel
NCDD's high-energy, highly participatory conferences bring together practitioners, scholars, public leaders, trainers, artists, activists, teachers, and students from all of the various streams of practice that exist in this critically important field. Join us in Austin, Texas for our fourth National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation, which will take place October 3rd through 5th, 2008 (with pre-conference trainings on the 2nd)!
Why Attend NCDD's biennial national conferences?
Although the approaches, philosophies, venues, and even our purposes for doing this work can be very different, we all share a common vision: a future in which all people--regardless of income, position, background or education--are able to engage regularly in lively, thoughtful, and challenging discussions about what matters to them, in ways that have a positive impact on their lives and their world.
Making this vision a reality is no easy feat. To truly make the impact we believe we can and should have on the world, we must work together rather than just working simultaneously, and we must build on each other's knowledge and expertise rather than starting from scratch in our own silos.
NCDD's biennial conferences provide people who are committed to helping dialogue and deliberation flourish in the world with the opportunity to increase their skills and knowledge in these processes, share their own learnings and innovations with others, and develop supportive, collaborative relationships with their peers. Perhaps most importantly, NCDD conferences leave participants feeling more motivated, energized, supported and prepared to do this vital work.
What is an NCDD Conference Actually Like?
NCDD gatherings are not your run-of-the-mill conferences. Instead of parading endless speakers in front of you in the hope that you will absorb some of their knowledge, we acknowledge and tap into every participant's expertise and unique perspectives, and ask you to play an active role in shaping the future of this burgeoning field.
NCDD conferences are highly participatory. We use the plenary sessions (where we're all in one large room) as an opportunity to not only showcase innovative large-group dialogue and deliberation techniques - often blending methods to better meet the group's needs, but also to utilize the wisdom in the room to tackle challenges facing this emerging field. Our concurrent workshops, led by key leaders and innovators in the field, offer participants a smorgasbord of experiences designed to build skills, increase knowledge, broaden awareness and build relationships. And the arts always play an innovative, prominent role in our conferences.
While none of our conferences have been perfect - and we don't expect our next one to be either, our attendees value our willingness to experiment with new things, to involve everyone willing to volunteer some of their time in the planning process, and to respond to conference participants' needs as they arise.
NCDD conferences a chock-full of opportunities to network with your colleagues, experience different group methods first-hand, share learnings, hear from leaders in the field, and explore key issues facing our field. Some people have told us that they've never attended better conferences.
Aug 29, 2008: Slow Food Nation at Fort Mason Center
[also a big garden at Civic Center, various locations]
How is a heritage turkey different from its factory farm counterpart? What is a Blenheim apricot and why should we preserve it for posterity? How can we all enjoy local, affordable, and sustainably produced food? The answers will be apparent at the first Slow Food Nation, a celebration of American food organized by Slow Food USA in San Francisco.
San Francisco is poised to be at the center of a movement with global implications. Experts such as Alice Waters and Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore?s Dilemma, are anchoring the task force planning the four-day celebration, which will embody the values of the Slow Food movement and illustrate how food and agriculture form a complex global tapestry of cultural, political, and environmental issues. In addition to education through taste, the event will offer a wide range of activities for all ages, including talks, forums, workshops, and films that will teach people the importance of preserving traditional foods and production techniques?and alert them to the broader implications of their eating choices.
A marketplace of around five dozen farmers and artisans from across the country will showcase the range of traditional American foods. Attracted by the simple pleasures of the table, participants will leave having learned how American food production affects global issues, including greenhouse gas emissions, childhood obesity, famine in the developing world, and the disappearance of the small farmer. Attendees will emerge with a broad-based vision of the life-enriching benefits of a sustainable approach to food and life, as well as the tools and personal connections to implement that vision.
Aug 29, 2008: Con-X-treme at San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport Hotel
Promoting the creation of animation and all things Media.
WHAT IS CON-X-TREME?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CON-X-TREME is volunteer-run event held this year over the extended Labor Day weekend at the San Mateo Marriott Hotel. The primary area of emphasis is focused on the creation of art and other media, traditional and non-traditional, without the limitation of holding true to a certain theme or topic.
While some may view this as simply it is another anime or science fiction convention event, the real opportunities this event brings forward is an opportunity for fans of all mediums to meet and network with both other fans and professionals alike. Whether it be physical art, virtual art, film & television, video games or music, CON-X-TREME attempts to have compelling, knowledgeable, and well-spoken Guests of Honor who are willing to spend time sharing their experiences within their respective industries, mentoring our attendees through discussion panels, classroom instruction, and other programming events.
Throughout each day of the weekend event, CON-X-TREME presents curriculum through a series of classroom programming where event members may participate in the discussion or hands-on study of particular subjects.
CON-X-TREME is not all classrooms, lectures, and study however, as we temper much of the proceeding with many other programming alternatives including, but not limited to, the following:
v A 24-hour anime programming room featuring professional and fan-created animation videos and programs;
v A room dedicated to premiering the latest in console and computer video games and technology;
v Dedicated space for costume gatherings and workshops which will culminate in a full costume contest event;
v Event space which promotes and displays artwork from many of the Bay Area?s most vibrant and popular artists;
All in all, CON-X-TREME aspires to provide opportunities for the truly creative side of fans and professionals to mix freely within an environment which inspires creativity and spontaneity.
Come Join US
Aug 29 - Sept 1 at the San Mateo Marriott. www.con-x-treme.org
Guests:
ex?pression College for Digital Arts
Smith Micro (Sponsor.Software)
Hash (Animators, Software)
Bob May (Robot from Lost in Space)
C. Andrew Nelson (Darth Vader, Visual Effects)
(Animator, 3d Modeling)
Joey Jordan (Artist)
Jeffrey O. Alcairo (Angry Guy Art Studio)
Stephanie Bryant (Video Blogging, Technical Writer)
Techgal-Industrial (Manga Artist)
Wacom (Drawing Tables)
Registration is $50.00 for the weekend.
Children 13 and under are free and must be accompanied by parent.
Animation workshops sponsored by:
ex?pression College for Digital Arts
Angry Guy Studios
C. Andrew Nelson
Hash
Smith Micro
Waccom
Animation and media workshops in:
- Final Cut Studio
- Hash Animation
- Manga Techgal-Industrial
- Adobe CS3 Angry Guy
- Flash
- Special Effects
- 3D modeling
- Abode Elements
- Poser
Video Contest
Cosplay
Bofing
Art Show/Art Contest
"Veronica's Place"
Amine veiwing provide by Bay Area Animation Society
Sunday Night Buffet
Calendar maintained by Mark Vanderbeeken. Read Mark's blog, Putting People First.