Notes from the closing plenary on the last day of the 2010 UPA conference.

1. UPA 2010 CONFERENCE
DAY 3: MAY 28
CHRISTINA YORK’S NOTES, THOUGHTS, AND TAKEAWAYS
DISCLAIMER:
THESE WERE NOTES TAKEN QUICKLY DURING CONFERENCE SESSIONS.
I DID NOT ALWAYS DISTINGUISH WHO SAID WHAT.
I AM NOT TRYING TO STEAL SOMEONE’S THUNDER OR CONTENT.
I AM TRYING TO SHARE THE IDEAS PRESENTED, THE IDEAS I HAD, AND THE
EXPERIENCE OF THE CONFERENCE WITH THOSE WHO COULDN’T ATTEND.
MUNICH, GERMANY

2. CLOSING PLENARY: CHANGE,
IMPACT, AND OPTIMISM
DARIO BUZZINI (90 MIN)
“An open-ended journey to illustrate how design has been moving from
shaping the things around us to shaping the behaviors and societies we live
in.
We have learned by involving people in our processes, we have enriched our
craft and engaged the inherent desire in people to design their own worlds.
We have had to re-conceive our role as designers of stuff and experiences, into
one of to ultimately empowering people by enabling them to create.”

3. THE ROOM WAS PACKED. I MADE SURE TO GET A
SEAT AT THE BACK SO I COULD VIEW MOST PEOPLE
IN THE ROOM.
THERE WERE A LOT OF VISUALS IN THIS
PRESENTATION AND VIDEOS THAT WERE MOVING
OR INSPIRING. IT GAVE ME A LOT OF MATERIAL TO
PUT IN MY NOTES AND THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE SEEMED BURNT OUT - DRAINED
FROM DAYS OF MENTAL ENGAGEMENT. BUT I
REALLY ENJOYED BUZZINI’S TALK AND IT HELPED
GEL FOR ME THE CONCEPTS AND IDEAS THAT HAD
BEEN PRESENTED, DEBATED, AND DISMISSED OVER
THE LAST FEW DAYS.
1 OF 4

4. 2 OF 4

5. 3 OF 4

6. 4 OF 4

7. I FOLLOWED THE IDEAS THROUGH FROM RACHEL
HINMAN TO STEVE PORTIGAL TO DARIO BUZZINI: I
SAW CONTINUITY IN CONCEPT, CONTINUATION IN
THEME.
CULTURE IS THE THING MOST PERVASIVE AROUND
US, YET IT IS MOST DIFFICULT TO SEE AND
UNDERSTAND. HOWEVER, IT IS THE THING THAT
WILL CHANGE OUR WORK, WHICH IN TURN, WILL
CHANGE THE WORLD. WE DESIGN NOT FOR USERS,
OR CLIENTS, OR STAKEHOLDERS: WE CREATE FOR
PEOPLE AND OUR GOAL SHOULD NOT STOP AT
“USABLE” BUT STRIVE FOR EMPOWERMENT. WE
ARE MORE THAN WIDGETS, INTERFACES,
WIREFRAMES AND CREATING CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN PEOPLE, INFORMATION, TECHNOLOGY IS
WHAT WE DO.
IMAGE FROM DARIO BUZZINI’S CLOSING TALK

8. THANK YOU, MUNICH!
DAY 3 COMPLETE.
FOND FAREWELL TO NEW AND OLD FRIENDS.