Carolyn has been working in the field of User Experience Design for over 16 years, as a consultant and practice leader for companies such as Open Text and Manifest Digital. Now an independent consultant, her areas of specialty include design strategy, team workshops, interaction design, information architecture, and user research and modeling. She has co-authored A Project Guide to UX Design with Russ Unger (now in its second edition) and Adventures in Experience Design with Anna van Slee. Due to her work in teaching and mentoring students and start-ups, Carolyn was named one of "Chicago's Tech 50" by Crain's Magazine.

Joseph Dickerson

Joseph is a User Experience Architect focused on designing effective and innovative on-line and mobile applications. With over a decade of experience in software design and user research, Dickerson has made it his mission to make technology easier for people to use.

Andrew Hinton

Andrew Hinton is an Information Architect at The Understanding Group (aka TUG). Since the early 90s, he's been helping clients and employers of all shapes and sizes make better information environments. A co-founder and past board member of the IA Institute, Andrew is currently working on a book for O'Reilly on how information shapes our experience of context.

Dan Klyn

Dan started working as an information architect in 1997, and has become highly skilled through fourteen years of practice in agency, e-commerce and non-profit contexts. An engaging and passionate advocate for the craft, Dan balances IA practice with teaching graduate students information architecture at the School of Information at the University of Michigan.

Anna van Slee

Anna is passionate (in, ahem, a professional way) about two industries: Play and Health. As Director of Product Development at Marbles: The Brain Store's Workshop, she is fortunate to marry her most favorite pursuits by creating fun products that build better brains.

Mark Wyner

Mark Wyner is many things. Most notably a designer, developer, father, husband, friend, foe, soccer addict, and scorpion catcher. He is a co-founder of the Portland, Oregon agency Bunker, where they partner with clients to design and build great things.

Hotels

Burnham

Book

City Guide

CHI City Guide

Wrigley Field
1060 W Addison St

Built in 1914 as Weeghman Park before being renamed Wrigley Field for former Cubs team owner and chewing gum magnate, William Wrigley, Jr. One of America’s classic ballparks, Wrigley is an experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list. If only the Cubs could take a page from the Red Sox’s recent success.

Millennium Park
201 E. Randolph St., between Michigan Ave. & Columbus Ave.

Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop area of Chicago that was built to celebrate the beginning of the new millennium. The centerpiece of Millennium Park is Pritzker Pavilion, a bandshell designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. And don’t neglect the lovely Anish Kapoor Cloud Gate sculpture, which resembles a giant, highly polished, silver jellybean.

The Art Institute
111 S Michigan Ave.

Not only is it a mere hop, skip and jump from the Siskel Film Center, it also features a hella awesome collection of modern art, plus exhibits of African, Asian, Byzantine…oh, just enjoy several hours exploring, ’cause it’s worth it. Insider tip: buy your tickets online to avoid the up to 20 minute wait in the museum ticket line.

The Second City
1616 N Wells St.

According to their website, “The Second City specializes in sketch comedy and improv and has been delighting audiences for over 50 years.” Skip past the press release and just go. It’s a great place to discover new comic talent or enjoy some laughs courtesy of one of the Godfathers or Godmothers of comedy. Check out their schedule and book tickets in advance, as popular shows are known to sell out.