Austin: 2009 HOW Design Conference

Co-authored by Kyle Younkman and Nathan Shipp   Each year HOW, a publication specializing in design, holds a design conference featuring a wide range of sessions including creativity, design principles, business, career, technology and production, in an effort to inspire and inform designers of all levels. This year, the conference was held in Austin, Texas and Fahlgren was kind enough to send Wendy Jenkins, Kyle Younkman and Nathan Shipp to experience everything that HOW and Austin had to offer. Austin: The Experience While we were lucky enough to visit Austin during a record heat wave, the average day being about 105 degrees, that didn't stop us from getting out and exploring. Plus, due to Kyle's uncanny ability to strike up conversations with absolute strangers, we were able to learn a lot about what to see, what to eat and where NOT to go. According to our cab driver who picked us up at the airport, Austin has "everything," well except for line dancing. He may have been onto something. We experienced everything from cupcakes out of an airstream trailer to a mass exodus of bats from under a bridge.  And then there was HOW... Austin: The Conference The official conference began with a networking event. Everyone received a belt buckle with 10 descriptions written on it and you had to find people who fit each of those descriptions to sign your card. This is where Nathan became VERY popular as he was the guy "getting married this summer." The opening keynote, Progress vs. Novelty, touched on some interesting points regarding consumer behavior and the intersections between culture and commerce. Robert Walker, a columnist from the New York Times Magazine discussed how good design can elevate the value for the consumer, partner and client.  People want to display and share things that are well designed. At the same time, we need to stop targeting the same market of consumers, because they are running out of space to display these things. We need to consider the groups we haven't spoken to, different age groups, income levels, regions, etc. We also need to listen to the consumer - consumers have more vehicles to express their opinions on products, facebook, twitter, etc -  and not just simply react. Out of the sessions, we each picked our favorite that were both the most memorable and beneficial to share: (more...)