3 design bombs at WebExpo
Warning: These talks will change your perception of web design.
4 guests, three talks and thoughts that will make it hard for you to sleep and leave you ready to work hard. We’ve invited the world’s best web designers to Prague, who we recommend you don’t miss. Who’s coming to WebExpo 2017?
Anton & Irene
They founded their own New York studio so they could get into more creative work, and they were a huge success right from the start. Anton Repponen and Irene Pereyra have been working together for 8 years, and together, have over 90 completed projects to their credit — and in their words, only one extremely demanding client (we were curious who it was, too — but naturally they wouldn’t tell us). However, we do know that their client list includes renowned brands such as Karim Rashid, Balenziaga, Wacom, BBC, National Geographic, and Red Bull.
Anton and Irene openly admit that they could care less about user research. And apparently, instinct has served them well as they’ve won about 84% of their client pitches.
Despite their packed scheduled, they always find time for their own (no less creative) ideas. They have, for example, filmed an interactive documentary about co-living, as well as designed their own analog wristwatch. Their superman pace never stops, even with the workshops and lectures they lead every month in different parts of the world. And this year, we’ll finally have them with us in Prague!
Topic: Real Work/Life Balance in the Studio
Have you quit agency life and struck out on your own, only to find you’re dead on your feet and dressed in a hipster vest? After many years, Anton and Irene have found the perfect balance between paid work for clients and their own unpaid projects. At this talk, you’ll find yourself delighted by examples of their own creations and listen to a (not so) universal tutorial on how to build a successful creative career (free weekends included!).
Erika Hall
She revealed in one interview that she learned to read thanks to the jokes on the back of Playboy. Her outstanding practices have proved their worth to this day — from the study of philosophy to web design and development, which she’s devoted herself to since 1995. Erika Hall also co-founded the stubborn studio, Mule, where she runs research and strategy.
What makes a studio stubborn? It deviates from the academic way of thinking. Erika claims that companies are increasingly more interested in the quality of research, rather than how much that research really helps them. But investing in truly meaningful research can save companies from making financially demanding missteps. In addition, she’ll reveal potential innovations that have never occurred to us before and allow us to create our products better.
And you can be sure at this year’s WebExpo, Erika will be delivering a passionate talk on data-based decision making.
Topic: Beyond Measure
Erika will focus on the limits we often don’t see when using quantitative data to make design decisions. In fact, more data doesn’t necessarily give us a better understanding — on the contrary, we actually stop differentiating essential things from all the stupid stuff.
This lecture is a must-see for designers and engineers, who want to help their clients and the world. Erika inexorably shows that even in today’s world, we have to rely on things that simply can’t be counted.
Avi Itzkovitch
Introducing Avi among UX designers is like presenting Snoop Dogg to hiphop fans. But all the same, we’d like to highlight, why we are happy to welcome him at WebExpo. Avi Itzkovitch consults and lectures on trends in design and UX, constantly browsing between online and offline life and bringing inspiring ideas to the world of design. Avi’s trend-setting resulted in the establishment of the international conference UX Salon in Tel Aviv. And his previous appearance at WebExpo was so successful that we are already looking forward to seeing him again for the third time!
Topic: How smart are smart things?
A fridge that syncs with your iPhone, a wallet connected to the internet…but why do we really design all these interconnect devices when we don’t really need them? And what if “smart” actually means “stupid” in reality? In Prague, Avi will be shining a critical light on smart devices. He’ll describe in depth how to think about different types of devices so that we can really make sense of them. Otherwise, they don’t really serve the world — just a few geeks.
Mark the 22–23 September in your calendars! Mike Amundsen, Scotty Allen, and Julia Khusainova are coming to WebExpo 2017.
Still don´t have a ticket? Buy it now for 259 €
Looking forward to WebExpo? Do you have questions or comments? Feel free to write to us on Twitter. We’re happy to help!
