I’m Going to IxD ‘09

I haven’t mentioned it before, but I’m attending the 2nd annual Interaction Design Conference this year. I’m so excited about it I can hardly sleep at night. Just check out the incredible program and speakers lined up this year and you probably won’t be able to sleep either. And as long as you’re not sleeping you may as well watch all the videos from the conference last year.

Mixed in with my excitement though, is a bit of trepidation. I’m not formally educated in IxD and I have a long way to go before I’m comfortable calling myself an interaction designer. I’ve been interested in IxD for a long time, though in the beginning I didn’t know what it was called or how to articulate the particular intersection of interests that IxD encompasses^[1]. When I stumbled across the IxD community and saw what they were doing and thinking, I realized I had found my tribe. One of those “ah-ha!” moments when everything clicks and starts to make a little more sense. This is where I want to go, this is what I want to do. I’m 100% sure about that. But I’m not an expert. Not yet, not by a long shot.

Present day, present time. The workshop as it currently exists.

It was rather copacetic then, when registering for the conference, that I came across David Malouf’s workshop, Introduction to Interaction Design. I was actually surprised that this was being offered and delighted that someone had taken a moment to consider those of us that might need a little help in the basics. It was the icing on the cake and I didn’t hesitate to sign up.

Too good to be true? It just might be – I learned a week ago that the workshop might be canceled. And so I’d like to take this opportunity, as new member to the IxD community, to implore whomever holds the fate of the workshop in their hands to save Introduction to Interaction Design. Pretty please with a cherry on top. I know that the conference needs to turn a profit and that the numbers might not justify the workshop monetarily, but the value of what David is offering goes far beyond that. I can’t speak for the other people who signed up but I’d wager they’d agree with me. Save Intro to IxD!

If all else fails, I’d like to invite everyone to my apartment for the workshop^[2] or to a local venue (I have a couple places in mind, depending on what equipment is required). I live two blocks from the hotel where the conference is being held and would be more than happy to organize an extra-curricular session if , of course, others are interested and David agrees^[3]. But I hope it doesn’t come to this.

So come on IxDA, don’t drop Introduction to Interaction Design! Save Introduction to Interaction Design!

1. I began a meandering path at Oberlin when I designed an independent major, Technocultural Studies, and continued on through game testing, web design and development, and bits of HCI and UX. [↩]
2. I began this paragraph as a joke because my apartment is a bit cramped, but the more I think about it, the more dedicated I am to making this workshop happen regardless, if everyone involved is committed. [↩]
3. I’d happily give my workshop fee directly to David. [↩]