99 U Conference : a gathering of pragmatic, real-world insights that transcend creative sectors
Over the course of the last two years I had a privilege to attend
and volunteer at 99U , a conference envisioned by parent
company Adobe for creative innovators which brings together
1000 creative leaders every year for 3 full days of insightful talks,
workshops and connections. Having volunteered and attended talks
and workshops for both 2017 and 2018 editions, I would
completely recommend every current and future BICster
to not miss this conference since its open for volunteers and worth
every bit of the efforts.Here’s a recap of the 2017 edition
This was a special year since it was their 9th edition , and
while the other conferences wait until the 10th for a grand
celebration , it was fitting that they celebrate the 9th year to celebrate
the theme and brand of 99U. Being associated with adobe there was
a strong visual language for the use of 9 for branding.It flowed all
through the tactile elements including the swag bags for the
speakers and attendees, the volunteer shirts as well as the OOH
banners and wayfinding posters outside the venues.
while the other conferences wait until the 10th for a grand
celebration , it was fitting that they celebrate the 9th year to celebrate
the theme and brand of 99U. Being associated with adobe there was
a strong visual language for the use of 9 for branding.It flowed all
through the tactile elements including the swag bags for the
speakers and attendees, the volunteer shirts as well as the OOH
banners and wayfinding posters outside the venues.
The conference was a melting pot of representation having had speakers, audience and partners from 661 cities across six continents. There were thought provoking talks at the main stage by the leaders at brands like Instagram , Airbnb and pentagram uncovering topics ranging from human centered design to creative thinking for disrupting brand experiences.
One talk that really stood out for me was
‘Anything worthwhile takes time’ by Debbie Millman ,
which served as a grand finale being the very last talk.
Millman emphasised on the importance of process for creative thinking
and expanded on the same through the most powerful tool for pulling
audience in - Storytelling , starting by asking the audience “What do
you want to be when you grow up? “ she narrated stories from her life
and her own journey of growing up and the process in building a career
in branding and how doing it relatively ‘late’ at 33 was something
which helped her be consistently successful. In this age of instant everything
it was refreshing to hear an honest story about coming ground up and the
importance of hard work and iterations in the world of branding.
‘Anything worthwhile takes time’ by Debbie Millman ,
which served as a grand finale being the very last talk.
Millman emphasised on the importance of process for creative thinking
and expanded on the same through the most powerful tool for pulling
audience in - Storytelling , starting by asking the audience “What do
you want to be when you grow up? “ she narrated stories from her life
and her own journey of growing up and the process in building a career
in branding and how doing it relatively ‘late’ at 33 was something
which helped her be consistently successful. In this age of instant everything
it was refreshing to hear an honest story about coming ground up and the
importance of hard work and iterations in the world of branding.
Other highlight speaker includes Airbnb’s experience design manager Steve Selzer who
emphasized on the importance of using consumer barriers for forming interesting brand
experiences . “What do we lose when we remove friction? When we remove all friction,
we remove opportunities for serendipity, confrontation, and personal growth,” said Selzer.
emphasized on the importance of using consumer barriers for forming interesting brand
experiences . “What do we lose when we remove friction? When we remove all friction,
we remove opportunities for serendipity, confrontation, and personal growth,” said Selzer.
In addition to the talks the conference also had Studio Sessions hosted by companies such
as Spotify, BuzzFeed, IDEO, Refinery29, the Upright Citizens Brigade, ustwo, Dropbox,
SYPartners, and Shake Shack of which Design Gym’s studio stood out for me. When
designing the dream team for a design sprint, the team at The Design Gym brings a variety
of perspectives. What kind exactly? Here’s an easy way to think about it that cuts across
industries: have a hustler, hipster, hacker, and heckler.
as Spotify, BuzzFeed, IDEO, Refinery29, the Upright Citizens Brigade, ustwo, Dropbox,
SYPartners, and Shake Shack of which Design Gym’s studio stood out for me. When
designing the dream team for a design sprint, the team at The Design Gym brings a variety
of perspectives. What kind exactly? Here’s an easy way to think about it that cuts across
industries: have a hustler, hipster, hacker, and heckler.
