2027 speakers
keynotes
God damn it, you’ve got to be kind
Suddenly we’re all working alongside machines pretending to be people, and people pretending to be machines. Now what? Dan Hon argues that the future of design starts with remembering what it means to be a person with a point of view.
working relationships, values, staying human
Get paid vs. be good: It’s not that clear cut
Prove your value doing evil corporate things—or live your values and become unemployable? Torrey Podmajersky joins us to talk about why that’s a false binary—and how to navigate these tensions instead.
values, careers in transition, repositioning UX
Main stage speakers
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Megan Blocker
Senior director of research and insights, Justworks
Ambiguity is our superpower. Let’s not waste it.
Topics: user research, repositioning UX, AI transformation
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Natalie Dunbar
Founder and CEO, The Content Practice Architect
The original LLMs: What marginalized communities already know about AI
Topics: inclusive design, responsible AI
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Rosa Vieira de Almeida
UX content designer, Moodle
Staying with the tension: What UX cannot solve
Topics: open source, user trust, repositioning UX
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Venessa Bennett
Global director of UX, Dye & Durham
Topics: design leadership, user research, repositioning UX
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Caitlin Steele
Narrative futurist, Thoughtful Apes
Topics: futures methods, storytelling, product strategy
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Dan Brown
Principal, Curious Squid
From boxes and arrows to puddles and streams: IA in the age of ambiguity
Topics: information architecture, evolving design methods
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Ryan Hansz
Senior designer and researcher, Nava PBC
AI, public benefits, and me: Designing for ambiguity at every level
Topics: public sector design, responsible AI, co-design
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Michaela Hackner
Senior director of UX, Indeed
There was no playbook, so I wrote my own
Topics: design leadership, careers in transition, AI transformation
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Uday Gajendar
Principal strategist, Critical Design Ventures LLC
Spiral to compass: Naming the AI and SaaS forces pulling you apart
Topics: repositioning UX, responsible AI, design leadership
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Lena Shyryna
Head of content design, Kyiv Digital
Designing through war: What still matters when everything falls apart
Topics: public sector design, designing for crisis
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Katie Kovalcin
Distinguished designer, Gusto
Talk title to come
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Natalia Marmolejo
Design lead
Talk title to come
the panel: Exit Interview
“Maybe I should just quit UX and become a plumber.” If thoughts like this have crossed your mind, you’re not alone. Hear short talks about what “leaving UX” has looked like for three different designers, plus a lively panel discussion designed to help everyone remember their options—whether you choose to stay or go.
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Vinay Patel
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Yoko Sakao Ohama
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Tali Dolsten-Kuhel
Then: UX and content
Now: LMSW psychotherapistValues-aligned career: Insights from a therapist who left UX
Topics: values, burnout, careers in transition
Workshop facilitators
Workshops will be held on Friday, February 5.
These interactive, deep-dive sessions are capped at 40 people each, and tickets must be booked in advance.
They will never get UX. You’re gonna win anyway.
repositioning UX, design leadership, influence
Moving upstream: Systems design for business operations
systems design, repositioning UX, evolving design methods
Critique is the craft: Leading AI model design with a UX lens
AI model design, evolving design methods, responsible AI
storytelling, influence, design leadership
Sophia Prater
Ryan Rumsey
Founder, CDO School
UX strategy consultant and coach, OOUX
Kyle Alexander
Designer and writer. Head of design, stealth startup
Sara Wachter-Boettcher
CEO, Active Voice
Throughline co-host