It all started with a Natter
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your involvement with the UX event Natter?
I have worked in design and tech for around 20 years in various roles that included print and packaging designer to front end engineer but have found my true passion lies in UX. One thing I have learned over the years is how much the communities helped me develop and learn and how much of a passion I have for helping others. I felt that it was my turn to give something back to the communities that helped me on my journey.
If I can be a part of something that empowers someone to take steps to achieving their goals in UX and design I’ll be happy.
I have also been able to use the platform to improve my own soft skills. If you’d have asked me 12 months ago to stand up in front of a room full of people and compère an event I would have had a panic attack but hosting these events has given me so much more confidence in myself.
What inspired the creation of Natter, and what are the main goals or objectives of the event?
Myself and the rest of the team really wanted to give something back to the people of Manchester. We wanted to create a supportive environment for sharing knowledge and empowering individuals, whether you’re an industry newcomer or professional. We all have something that we can share and a story to tell. We wanted to create that safe space for people to come, share and learn.
We were recently able to provide a platform for a good friend of mine Natasha Allen from Interactive Investor to do her first ever public presentation. Getting up in front of people and talking is not an easy task but she totally smashed it.
How does Natter differ from other UX events or conferences?
I think what makes us different is that we want the community to help us shape what Natter is. If you have a passion for a specific area of UX and want to run an event around it, we’re here to help facilitate it. We actually had a Service design specific event this week this came of the back of a conversation with people saying it would be great to have something focused on service design in Manchester we collaborated with Service Design Nottingham and made it happen hopefully this has launched a new community focused Service Design. We want to do more focussed events like this in the future so if there is something you want to do just reach out to myself or any of the team.
Could you highlight some of the key topics or themes that have been discussed at Natter events?
We have heard people talking about things ranging from the psychology of design to how to create nested components in Figma. That being said, there are often conversations around how to start a career in UX? Is it right for me and how do I progress my career? What does leadership in UX look like?
What can attendees expect from the Natter events in terms of speakers, workshops, or interactive sessions?
Networking, pizza, more pizza… some drinks, a diverse range of talks from industry professionals and good conversation. Our community is supportive and friendly and is open to people looking to get into UX, career changers, students, professionals and leaders.
How do you see events like Natter contributing to the advancement of UX design and innovation?
I think that creating a space for people to come together, connect, share ideas and experience can make people think about things in different ways. Sometimes it only takes a small seed of inspiration from a conversation to blossom into a totally new way of thinking.
What do you hope attendees will take away from their experience at Natter?
I hope that if people have had 1 conversation that has inspired them or made a new connection we have achieved our goal as I said earlier, we want to help people succeed and progress on their own personal journeys. I want Natter to be a community similar to the ones that helped and inspired me on my journey.
Can you share any insights into the process of organising and planning an event like this?
Organising events, when you sit down and pre-order some pizzas and drinks whilst making sure you’ve covered people’s dietary requirements you get your speakers and venue organised, tickets listed you are all good you sit back and relax for about 10 mins then the panic sets in! What have I forgotten and what if no one turns up this feeling remains until the night when everyone turns up and has a great night. Then you do it all again because you see the value that you are adding to the community all come together in that moment.
How important is community support and involvement for events like Natter, and how has the response been so far?
I think that since the lockdowns of 2021 we have seen a real desire for the in person events and community support becoming more important than ever since our first event we have been overwhelmed with the numbers of people wanting to attend and get involved the response and feedback we have been receiving has been amazing and is what spurs us on to do more for the community in the future.
Keep an eye out as we have some exciting announcements coming very soon looking at how we can inspire the future generations of designers.
Lastly, can you tell us about the support Street Group is providing for Natter and why you believe in its mission?
We couldn’t run these events without the support of our sponsors and can’t thank Street enough as they were our first sponsor. By collaborating with tech companies across Manchester and beyond this creates a unique opportunity for businesses to get access to potential future employees and gives attendees a glimpse of what it’s like inside some of the top tech companies in the North.
If you are interested in sponsoring, hosting, speaking or getting involved in any way please reach out to myself or any of the Natter team.
To find out more about life at Street Group, follow us on LinkedIn, see what our team are saying on Glassdoor, or visit our careers site.
