Posted via email from Tyler says…

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. Why I hate Ignite (insert your city here)
2. Why are your blog posts so long?
3. Running in Vibrams

1. Make the application process harder. Require video or some sort of slides with voiceover. Only the very interested people would do that, and, well, that’s what people want, right?

2. Make the voting process public, but don’t let the public vote on the submissions.

3. Make it your absolute goal never to have the event in a venue that doesn’t have great cell/WiFi service ever again. Being connected online breeds better discussion during and after the event.

4. Have the after-event party at the same location as the presentation. Keeps momentum going.

5. Arrange follow-up meetings with speakers and interested audience members. Keep the fire hot.

6. Have awards, but not for entire presentations. Best Slide, Best Joke, Best Use of a Prop? Award them at the after party.

7. Have the audience vote on #6.

8. No one person can present at successive Ignites.

9. Require a prop. Microphone doesn’t count.

10. Stop taking criticism so damn personally.

Posted via email from Tyler says…

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. Why I hate Ignite (insert your city here)
2. Things I’ve learned from parties

2. It’s run by nearly the same people, giving it a similar look and feel.

3. It’s become lauded by the mainstream as a microcosm of the burgeoning geek community, when really, it’s not.

4. It doesn’t allow for any interaction between audience members during the show.

5. It’s too short.

6. It’s far, far too easy to succeed. With the entire audience on your side, where’s the motivation NOT to screw up?

7. It’s very tough to find a venue that can handle the technological needs of many of the audience.

8. It’s boring.

9. It seldom affects anything long term. Know anyone still talking about their Ignite presentation?

10. It’s the lowest common denominator for all the GeekWeekAZ activities.

For those that love it, I would really like to know why.

Posted via email from Tyler says…

PS…notice the “I” in the title. Just me. Not you. No one said Ignite sucks.

Oh, and here’s how I’d improve it.

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. How I’d Improve Ignite (insert your city here)
2. You are not your hit count
3. Why I HATE…

Posted via email from Tyler says…

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. In Crow we (dis)trust?
2. Why I HATE…
3. Social media adoption REQUIRES tech adoption

All things I’m good at.

Reports. Proposals. Statements of work.

Things I suck at.

Yet week after week and month after month, I force myself to do what I’m not good at. I EASILY spend 3x as much time on the things I’m not good at than what I do well.

I get distracted. I find other things to do. I procrastinate.

Don’t tell me to suck it up. Don’t tell me to buckle down and get it done.

Find someone who is good at those things. Ask them for help. Offer them some sort of cash reward or favor.

Then get back to kicking ass. Anything else is a waste of time.

Posted via email from Tyler says…

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. Ode to Cub fans everywhere
2. Ode to Cub fans everywhere
3. Why I HATE…

Posted via email from Tyler says…

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. Is there a Twitter rule book?
2. Is there a Twitter rule book?
3. Twitter is a medium, not a media outlet

Posted via email from Tyler says…

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. Night @zenzino’s
2. Why I HATE…
3. 140 Characters is the best Twitter book yet

Posted via email from Tyler says…

If the video doesn’t work, you can download the 440mb file.

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. Love the #140conf, but really?
2. Fouling one off at #phxdw
3. PhxDW Recap

Posted via email from Tyler says…

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. I’m running 13.1 miles tomorrow. For fun.
2. What I learned today
3. Running

Phoenix Design Week, the largest independent design fair the Valley has ever seen, was conceived, planned and executed solely by the collaboration of a large group of volunteers. PhxDW was created to showcase what makes our home a player on design’s world stage.

Spearheaded by the reclusive Mark Dudlik, PhxDW is the solution to a problem he knew affected every designer in the Valley; as a group, they needed to improve.

“In February, I wrote an open letter. It took me a month of editing and considering it, and I finally released it in March,” Dudlik said. “I said something that we were all thinking: We needed to make our city better. That message alone seemed to get people excited enough to sign up.”

And sign up they did. Agencies and freelancers from nearly every Valley city converged on local co-working spot Gangplank for weekly meetings. Egos were put aside, schedules were adapted and everything came together. Local designer Jeremy Smith had specific goals in mind: “To celebrate, and unite the ideals of local talent,” Smith said.” To do something. To be different. Get started.”

AIGA Arizona and Jim Nissen of Switch Studio lent their considerable professional presence to help legitimatize the work the volunteers had already accomplished, adding to the growing sense of community. “Before DW, from where I was, there was no community. I knew few designers and fewer who cared about a community. Phoenix has always felt like a disconnected collection of individuals,” Andrew Coppola, a freelance designer and web developer for Mezzomind, said. “I really think social media, as trendy as that is to say, is helping to invigorate the city’s communities. I was happy to discover a ton of designers and cool people through Twitter and Design Week planning.”

The week-long event kicked off with an artist reception at Kitchen Sink Studios, where a variety of posters designed by local design school students were on display. Santy Integrated hosted the second artist reception on October 21, featuring an array of writeable glass inviting attendees to leave their mark. Terralever wrapped up the last of the artist receptions on Thursday evening.

Typophile, a limited-release series of short films about typography, carried the momentum into the weekend. Over 200 people attended the showing at Madcap Theaters.

The core of the conference started Saturday, packed with two days worth of panelists and speakers carefully chosen by Dudlik and company. On the committee was Tanner Woodford, an ASU faculty associate. “We had a list of speakers who applied, another list of speakers that were suggested and a much larger list of speakers we liked as a group,” Woodford said. “In the beginning, we attempted to choose speakers who could speak to the idea of community, and who seemed passionate about Design Week.”

It didn’t end there. Saturday night culminated with a party, hosted by the Clarendon, which showcased the who’s who of the local design scene. Alliances were formed, drinks were consumed and old friends were reintroduced. “Although I really enjoyed several of the guests and local presenters, I got way more out of hallway and lunch conversations. I don’t think this is a catalyst to “fixing” anything, but it certainly made the less social people recognize that there’s a lot of talent here,” Jason Ayers, Aricosa president, said. “There were a few of us older natives that were talking about similar events/movements that happened in the past, but all agreed phxdw really has some staying power–mainly due to social media.”

The events allowed the usually shy designers an outlet to connect, share and discuss what they had experienced throughout the week. No one seemed unaffected, as creatives were finally all in one place, eager to discuss what had kept them apart thus far. Coppola was excited. “The lack of creative culture I would personally attribute to the extremely conservativeness of this city. The major corporate culture here sucks the life out of real grassroots creative culture. It has been very difficult for niche groups to flourish,” Coppola said. “Arizona is a very interesting place. Given that so many people are transplants from other more culturally diverse cities, I find it highly interesting that we have such a dearth of culture.”

The sentiment behind Coppola’s comments seemed to be shared by all those involved as they headed into the final day of the event. Even non-designers got into the action. “I learned of some new designers and design shops which are a parallel industry to my industry,” Adam Nollmeyer, a local photographer, said. “I prefer to work with great people and at an annual meeting there is a higher chance that I’ll meet new creative people that hadn’t yet come out of the woodwork.”

The last day began with a parody Phoenix tourism video, highlighting some of the downsides to living in Phoenix. Saturday’s keynote speaker Debbie Millman moderated a panel on Phoenix’s creative class, while Sunday’s featured speaker Chaz Maviyane-Davies shared his views on the controversial subject of creative defiance.

The organizers for the event would like it to be an annual affair and know they have lots of room to get better. While, nearly 400 people attended during the entire week, Dudlik knows there’s more to come. “Nothing was solved, but things were set in motion that cannot be undone. We made some real change. Now its just a matter of keeping that momentum and energy going.”

Image available on Flickr or Facebook. Please contact katie@phxdw.com for any hi-res needs.

Thanks for reading, we should high-five.

I tweet from here: @tdhurst. Lots.

Related posts:

1. Phoenix Design Week, October 21-25
2. Phoenix Design Week! Yeah!
3. Fouling one off at #phxdw