Our world is at a crossroads. We face problems unlike any generation before us. Diminishing natural resources, pollution, and climate change are so complex, so multifaceted, that traditional problem-solving methods yield little success.
As designers we have an opportunity to assist the world in solving the pressing issues of our day. Our unique training in tackling problems using a multidisciplinary human-centered approach (known as design-thinking) is what governments and NGOs around the world desperately need. There are ten potential projects for every design thinker with the time and talent to solve them.
In his session on “Design Thinking for Social Change,” Ryan Russell discusses how designers can leverage their talents, skills and processes to assist in solving global problems. Learn how to connect your passion with the issues, and unlock the power of shared vision.
Typography is an integral part of visual design and always has been. But one day the web came along and, despite its fresh design offerings, greatly handicapped designers in this key area.
Over the years many options have arisen for mastering typography on the web, most offering both monumental pros and perilous cons. In his session on “The Past, Present and Future of Web Typography,” Mark Wyner will discuss the evolutions we’ve seen in web typography, technologies we have used and are using rein in fonts, and offerings he believes will set us free moving forward.
Mark has been designing and developing on the web for over a decade. He is a seasoned veteran with extensive expertise in virtually every facet of interactive media, from design to technology. He is also one of an elite group of pioneers of the web-standards approach.
From the first inspired idea to the final solution, how do designers dip into that well of endless inspiration and come up with transformational solutions? By looking to the world of personal experiences and drawing from inspirations that are unique to us, we have an inspiration pool that no one else can replicate.
Stanley Hainsworth is an award winning creative director, the founder of the Seattle agency Tether and former VP of Global Creative for Starbucks. He knows his stuff, and in his session on “IDEA+OLOGY: The Designer’s Journey,” he’ll will take you on a visual journey through the minds of today’s best design thinkers, exploring and revealing the sources of the concepts behind the projects.
Author and CSS expert Christopher Schmitt explores the decision process and steps involved in converting a finished graphic design into a sensible, valid XHTML+CSS Web document in his informative, half-hour workshop on “From PSD to XHTML+CSS 4TW!.” Christopher will also unlock the mysteries of creating beautiful web forms in his session “Designing Our Way Through Web Forms” on Thurs., May 21st.
