UX Edmonton - The Only Path to Innovation is Work

Technology has created an infinite canvas upon which we all sketch. Focusing feels like an overwhelming request that often paralyzes the organization, forcing them to leap into fads. Unlimited choice continues to be the greatest obstacle in allowing the brain to focus on solving fundamental problems, as we mindlessly go about fixing issues.

In a talk that is designed to engage the mind, the audience and the heart, Jeff Parks will use the stage as his canvas to share experiences, theories, and lost arts while inviting the audience to step up and participate ...No slides. No videos. No apps.

Drawing inspiration from Chuck Klosterman, Kevin Ashton, Daniel J. Levitin, Yuval Noah Harari, John Brockman, Vera John--Steiner, Neal Brennan, and conversations with over 200 thoughts leaders from the past decade — in addition to insights gleaned from his own 20 year career — Jeff will demonstrate that there are no short cuts. The only true path to innovation is work.

Transcript

1. The Only Path to Innovation is Work *Jeff Parks *There were no slides used in the delivery of the closing keynote at UX Edmonton. What follows is an overview of my talk and notes as requested by participants attending the event on October 21st, 2017. The notes were not a speech. They were part of a process for thinking and sharing ideas throughout my talk. www.kinaole.ca
2. INTENT: Develop a creative way of telling stories that demonstrate the need for everyone in the UX industry to stretch their thinking beyond tools and processes. APPROACH: Draw on inspiration from a variety of sources outside the design world by sharing ideas that run in unison and in tension with current thinking in design. RESEARCH: Over the past decade I’ve gotten into the habit of writing everything in notebooks (pen and paper). Reviewing the last 2 years of notes, 18 books (not all of which I mentioned), and 20 years of experience I strung together 6 stories over 4 weeks. Knowing the audience would present with a wide range of experiences and interests, I did my best to provide ideas that would be of value to all. SET UP: Place 5 microphones across a stage with the central microphone ahead of the other four. This central mic represents the key point - the only path to innovation is work. FEEDBACK: I asked the audience to provide me feedback about ideas as I walked from mic to mic as they do in poetry slams. If they liked the idea shared, they were asked to snap multiple times. www.kinaole.ca
3. MIC 1: Experiences. Share personal or professional experiences over my career / life. This provides context for current theories on where we are as an industry / society. These could be questions, ideas or perceived patterns. MIC 2: Theories. Drawing on the experience discussed, expand this view and how that experience has evolved my frustration, excitement, or concern towards the development of innovation today. MIC 3: Lost Arts. Pulling together both experiences and theories I propose arts humanity appears to be losing that are our greatest assets in our drive towards innovation. These are also potentially our greatest “stumbling blocks”. MIC 4: Step Up to the Mic! Here, I invited 3 audience members, 10 audience members and then all of the audience onto the stage to culminate the first three stories shared by demonstrating the ideas in a short exercise focused on audience participation. MIC 5: The Only Path to Innovation is Work. There are no short cuts. The thousand mile journey begins with a single step. That’s 2,000,000 steps. Get steppin’! (Get to work) www.kinaole.ca
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20. Thank you! www.kinaole.ca