Creativity and Collaboration: Wil Heywood. Kevin Smith. Cindi Farmer

Hello everyone,

I hope that you have had a chance to read through these posts for insight on the speakers we have lined up for the 41st Annual UCDA Design Conference.

When I started organizing this year’s event, I researched the topics from past surveys where members indicated what they'd like to learn about. Not surprisingly, at the top of the list were new technologies.We have planned programming to address everything from best practice and theory to the technical nuts and bolts of new technology. A second theme emerged from the surveys, which was basically, “how do we be creative, stay creative, and stimulate creativity” at a time when enonomic pressures have left many of us with smaller staffs and increased workloads?

Back in May, I highlighted our opening keynote, Bob Hambly of Hambley and Woolley. Bob will start the conference of with an inspiring speech on creativity. We have two more speakers that will also address this topic, Dr. Wil Heywood of Arizona State University, and Kevin Smith of Auburn University. And Cindi Farmer from ASU will tell how collaborating among designers resulted in a better photo-sharing solution.

Designers are uniquely qualified to help their institutions harness the power of creativity, technology and communication to prosper and grow, but sometimes we need a little help in how to convey our ideas, and how to collaborate with campus partners.

Dr. Wil Heywood comes highly recommended by ASU designers who have taken his course on creativity. He has an interesting background as a Clinical Psychologist, and at present his research and practice explores the role of team building, creative collaboration and mindfulness as it relates to design education and critical visual thinking.

Join Dr. Heywood for his session, “Creativity, Confidence & Collaboration.” This is a session for those who understand the need to bring more creativity, playfulness and flexibility into their work. The ability to respond creatively to new challenges is demanded by everyone, but making the switch from imitative and rule-bound behavior to creative innovation and flexibility requires a profound change in our attitudes about ourselves and our capabilities. Learn how this energy can be applied with confidence in your individual work and collaborative efforts with others.

Kevin Smith, an educator from Auburn University, will present his session, “IDEATION: Generating Idea Bubbles.” Ideation is the process of forming and relating ideas, and relating them to design which is the visual sum of these ideas. Tap into your creative juices and find out what idea generating methods are new, what methods have stood the test of time and which methods seem to work best.

In addition to teaching, Kevin also runs a small design studio, which, just like all of us, found themselves in the position of having to adapt to new technologies and online expectations. His session “Small Studio Transitions from Traditional Print Media to a Multimedia Studio,” will tell how, with limited resources, they were pressured to be more creative and resourceful in a multimedia environment. He will outline the studio’s path to become a successful multimedia studio, and the tips and tools he used to get there.

Our last speaker to be profiled is Cindi Farmer, from Arizona State University, who will present “Flickr Photo Management.” ASU struggled for years with how to manage and share a sprawling photo library at their large university. Several designers worked together to find a solution and decided the best solution for them was to use Flickr. She will share their experience, and talk about the models and processes that have worked for the community of designers at ASU. Come join the conversation.

The conference’s theme of “THRIVE” truly resonates with me. We all must do everything we can to stay on top, and the past few years for colleges and universities have been challenging to say the least. Armed with resources and knowledge, I do think that it is not only possible to survive the current crisis, but to evolve, grow and thrive.

Use what you learn in Phoenix, because you can be a great resource for your institution!