Andy Stefanovich HOW opening keynote
Imagine for a moment a room filled with thousands of like-minded individuals. Everyone is there for the same reason – to learn something new about the industry they love, to be inspired to be better and more excited about their chosen professions and to connect with people who understand the ins and outs of daily life as a creative professional.
This was exactly the scene at the 2010 HOW Design Conference this past June in the mile-high city of Denver, CO. In addition to being asked why attend industry conferences, I’m also asked how to get the most out of the experience. Let’s be real — the investment of time and money to attend any conference is pretty significant. You have the cost of admission, travel and lodging, and the days away from your family and your job! I’m a big believer in ROI (return on investment), so here are a few pointers on how to get the most from a conference experience.
In my last post about the HOW Conference, I focused on the importance of connecting with people. Here we will discuss the educational component of conference-going. In convincing yourself or your company to put up the cash for attendance, I’m guessing the most compelling reason was centered around what you could learn. There are some forward thinking managers who believe keeping you connected and inspired is important but, sadly, they seem to be a bit scarce. The question then is, “How do I maximize what I learn”?
First of all, walk up to the registration desk with a list of things you WANT to learn. Without looking at speakers and sessions decide what it is that your company, your career and your psyche want to glean from the conference. I’ve no doubt all afore mentioned entities know where they are and where they want to go. So, take a good hard look, unbiased by program offerings, at what you want to learn at the conference. I suggest the list be condensed to contain three items, no less and no more. With the list in hand register for sessions staying focused on what you want to learn.
Next, be open-minded about what you WILL learn. These may sound like contradictory ideas but they are actually complimentary. I’m a huge believer in charting a course but having the flexibility to make alterations along the way as unforeseen opportunities and obstacles come into your path. Don’t walk into sessions expecting ah-ha moments, miracles or perfection. Those do happen and every once in awhile you connect with what’s being said and have a “come-to-Jesus moment.” The presenters are people just like you sharing ideas and experiences. It’s 100% up to you what you learn because EVERYONE has something to teach. Look past personalities, communication styles and personal views and be open-minded about what you can take away. Attendees often spend more time critiquing every element of a presentation than looking for their own personal take-away. Sorry folks, but its not up to the event staff or the presenter to force a take-away into your hands. It’s laid out on the stage like a gift and it’s up to you to walk up receive it and take it home with you.
Kevin Carroll of Katalyst HOW closing keynote
The HOW Conference provides abundant opportunities to expand and deepen your knowledge about design, business, career growth, life balance and so much more. It requires self-examination, planning, a willingness to be flexible and a genuine desire to be open-minded. As a greater community of creative professionals interested in furthering the industry, the relationship between the staff, presenters and attendees is key to the success of any conference. By entering into an unspoken agreement to be positive and constructive, everyone who experiences the conference can walk away feeling they have contributed and gained insights to furthering the industry and their careers.
Next up: Why the HOW Conference… INSPIRATION
For more information on the HOW Conference, visit http://howconference.com
Recently, I came across a blog posting titled 
I started freelancing under the name DownsDesign about six years ago while in college. I left my full time job as an Art Director for a community college to pursue my life-long dream of opening a design studio. We work with mostly local clients, doing a mix of branding, print design, and web design for small to medium-sized clients.
I am a smalltown Kentucky boy that grew up thinking that being comfortable and fitting in makes for the best lifestyle — get good grades, go to college, pick a good major, don’t stay up late, get up early, get a secure job working a 9-5, don’t disagree with your superiors, don’t do anything to call unneeded attention to yourself. These are a few of the things I learned from watching others around me in society as well as some of what I was taught. Nothing is wrong with any of those things; however, if you don’t fit the mold for some of them, there is nothing wrong with you either. It’s ok to do things different in a way that possibly even makes you feel uncomfortable in comparison to what others are doing or what your mind tells you (Seth Godin calls this The Lizard Brain).
Are you a Corporate Creative? “Whether they’re copywriters, marketers, product designers, R&D engineers or even forward thinking managers and, dare I say, enlightened HR staff—if they are individuals who are empathetic, entrepreneurial, intuitive and non-linear thinkers with a healthy rebellious bent, then, I’d say, they are a corporate creative,” says Epstein.
I haven’t had a glamorous career by any stretch of the imagination. So far, it has been limited to the in-house design world and a select set of clients I’ve worked for as an independent designer. However, it has been a fast and fun 12 years that all started with me giving up one of my dreams.
The graphic design industry has seen significant changes throughout its history. If we follow the written word and the desire to bring it to life through visuals and printing, we see a history complete with technological advancements and artistic expressions. Actually, the advancements of technology paired well with cultural movements to create unique eras of design and typographic treatments. Yet it all started to change with the invention of the personal computer. Paste up is dead. Pixels are king. But what does this really mean? The common question “Is print dead?” should be exchanged with “How far can we push communication on the web?” Are we designing things just so they can be developed into tangible items we can hold in our hands or are we designing as a means of problem solving? I prefer the latter.
This is what’s next in our industry or at least that’s what it seems. If you’re not one to design for the web, you need to be ready. You also need to befriend programmers and software developers for they are the new printers. They not only bring your ideas to life, they often better them.
When you look at the creative industry over the past few decades, the changes we have witnessed are amazing. What was once a profession based only in print and media is now a profession that touches virtually ever aspect of daily life. Consumers require more stimulation and expect to see strong visual representation and functionality. Our clients look to us to take their products to market and expect a high return on investment.
