Our Picks
The Cherished Halls of the Conference Center
The best part about seeing a panel at SXSW? Nobody cares if you leave to go to another.
The sessions are many, so our ideas might not jive with yours. But here’s some we like, and why we like em.
Friday, March 13th
Everything You Know About Web Design Is Wrong – 2pm – A
Forget pages, linear text and other archaic vestiges of design’s print ancestry; the separation of content from presentation has already changed everything.
My Boss Doesn’t Get It: Championing Social Media to the Man 2pm – 12AB
What works and what doesn’t when it comes to selling social media to your boss or clients.
Oooh, That’s Clever! (Unnatural Experiments in Web Design) 3:30pm – A
Find inspiration in the ridiculous. See technological quirks as opportunities. Try something previously unheard of with your site design.
Plan B: Can an Ad Guy Bring Bike Sharing to America? 5pm – B
Crispin Porter + Bogusky, one of the world’s most respected advertising firms, has joined with Humana and Trek bicycles in an audacious plan to bring bike sharing to America
Saturday, March 14th
[Full Schedule Here]
Tips For Making Ideas Happen at 18BCD
We’re here to share the “tips” and insights from our research with creative and entrepreneurial people who want to make ideas happen
Creative: Show the Path, Not the Destination at 18BCD
Three short presentations followed by a discussion on the subject of creating more involving, entertaining, successful projects by structuring them in a way that encourages the audience to be a key part of the process of discovery.
Information Architecture: Blueprints for the Web – 1:00 – Day Stage
Introduces the core concepts of information architecture: organizing web site content so that it can be found, designing website interaction so that it’s pleasant to use, and creating an interface that is easy to understand.
Opening Remarks: Tony Hsieh – 2:00 – A
At Zappos.com, Tony Hsieh has fostered a culture where extraordinary customer service is the norm. Hear him talk about how good deeds can help you leverage the power of your audience to massively extend your brand.
A Hard Sell? Social Media & Your Boss – 3:30 – Room 5B
The panel will provide actionable steps to convince your boss of the value of Social Media. We’ll cover how to: become a champion, creative ways to recruit internal proponents (including lawyers), and gather & present compelling rationale.
From Freelance to Agency: Start Small, Stay Small – 3:30 – C
What happens when your freelance business starts to grow? How can freelancers and small teams compete with traditional agencies? Hip freelancers and cool agency heads will answer questions, compare experiences, and tell their stories.
Sunday, March 15th
Is Spec Work Evil? The Online Creative Community Speaks – 10:00am – A
The web has created a new model for design that allows a freer exchange of ideas and inspiration and more ways to enter the design profession than ever before. What does social creativity look like?
Making Whuffie: Raising Social Capital in Online Communities – 11:30 – C
Get to the heart of how people interact and exchange information in online communities: through social capital, or Whuffie.
Your Personal Blog is Dead - 3:30 – 5A
Do you Twitter, Flickr, or Facebook? Then you could be guilty of blogicide. Users of those and other social networking applications are accused of helping to kill off the personal blog.
Twitter for Marketers: Is It Still Social Media? – 5:00 – 5B
Can Social Media connect companies with potential customers? Hear from some of the top companies using Twitter for marketing and branding purposes.
Monday, March 16th
Being a UX Team of One - Hilton C – 10:00am
Learn how to adapt methods of larger UX groups to a team of one with lightweight techniques for quick and effective brainstorming on your own.
The Real Technology of Indiana Jones – 11:30 – B
Learn how archaeologists are using interactive media to open their data and processes to the public; discuss the creation of an online archaeological community in Second Life; and explore ancient cities across space and time using publicly-available online tools.
Social Media For Social Good 11:30am – Stubb’s BBQ
Porter Novelli along with Jeff Pulver, Randi Zuckerberg and Stacey Monk will hold a special event at Stubb’s Bar-B-Que.
Entrepreneurship in the Belly of the Beast- 11:30 - 18BCD
Small is beautiful at SXSW. From Getting Real to starting up, the ethos is largely anti-large corporation. This attitude overlooks one of the most satisfying professional accomplishments: doing your own thing while working for The Man. This presentation uses examples to offer strategies for making the corporation work for you.
Building a Web Business After Hours – 3:30 – Room 18BCD
Many businesses are built after-hours or during odd hours of the day and night. Join us for a panel discussion by entrepreneurs who built (or are building) their Web/E-commerce/Other business while holding a day job, multiple jobs, or who are currently balancing two+ career options.
SEO For Startups – 3:30 – Hilton E
This panel will give you an understanding, dispel any myths, and provide tips on how to approach SEO for a Startup.
Bruce Sterling Session – 5:00 – A His state-of-the-cybersphere analyses are always a highlight of SXSW Interactive. Don’t miss what the veteran science fiction writer and industry pundit has to say about the wired world this year.
Tuesday, March 17th
Photojournalism in 2009 and The Big Picture – 10:00am – 10
The Big Picture has harnessed the power of still photography to evoke emotions, capture iconic moments or make an event feel closer, more real than even video in some cases.
The Future of Visual Storytelling is Interactive—Or Is It? – 11:30 – 12AB
There is no question that the way people consume content has fundamentally changed over the last several years. Whether online, on mobile phones, DVD or in physical spaces, the way we tell stories is also changing. What is the future of telling visual stories?
Universal Design for Web Applications: Web Applications That Reach Everyone - 11:30 – Day Stage
Discover how to use standards-based web technologies to develop applications for a wide range of users and a variety of devices, including the mobile Web.
Location Location Location: The Future of Mobile Advertising – 3:30pm – C
Most people groan at the thought of advertising on their mobile phone and rail against the idea as 24/7 marketing. But is it possible that mobile advertising could be something that consumers enjoy?
Building A Career In The Adult Internet Industry – 5:00pm – 5B
Do you enjoy adult material? Would you like to channel your knowledge of the Internet into creating a salary for yourself? Then this introductory panel led by two adult industry executives with a combined 20+ years experience may just be what you need.
