HOW Design Conference: An Insider’s Guide
Author of this post: Bryn Mooth | About Blog Authors »
Since the folks at Notes on Design have asked me to contribute a few posts previewing the upcoming HOW Design Conference, I wrestled with where to start. So I figure I’ll begin with a few of the presenters I’m most excited to see in Boston. Namely:
• Debbie Millman. She’s flat-out one of the brightest, most talented, nicest people I know. We’ve invited her to do a live version of her “Design Matters” radio show, where she can interview a major-league designer of her choosing. Her pick? Michael Bierut. This will be unlike any other HOW Conference session to date (except maybe the one in New Orleans where Ann Willoughby chatted with her mentor, Milton Glaser).
• Stefan Bucher and John Foster’s presentation on “Arriving at Creativity.” Stefan is wildly creative himself—see all the buzz about his new book, “100 Days of Monsters”. I’m eager to learn how he does it. And there’s never a dull moment with John. They’ve promised to pull back the curtain on their creative processes.
• Two rock-star designers who share a history and who haven’t made a HOW Conference appearance in years and years: Charles Anderson and Joe Duffy. Both of these guys have had a lasting influence on the aesthetics and practice of design.
• Justin Ahrens, another one of my favorite people [who just happens to be a Notes on Design contributor. Ed.] owns a design firm called Rule29 just outside of Chicago. Couple of years ago, Justin learned some tough lessons about what it means to run your own business. He regrouped, reopened and repositioned his firm so it better fits with his personal life. He’s got great advice to share in his session called “Designer Sobriety.”
Like most conference-goers, I find myself sort of overwhelmed by all the options and stressed out trying to fit in everything I want to see. So I’ll try to spotlight some of the best picks in upcoming posts. And if you’re planning to attend HOW this year, know that the early-bird deadline is this week, March 28 – you’ll get a nifty deal if you register now.
