These are all people who interest me, both in what they say and how they say it.
Below, I expand a little on why I am so interested in them.
Dan Hill
Dan has just come from Arup and is recently published in Sentient Cities . His new role at Sitra, in Helsinki places him well to talk about the use of data and information in urban and social planning. Dan is a smart theorist but also a pragmatist and we'll hear an honest appraisal of the ideas behind 'urban informatics'. Dan is a thoughtful and wise speaker - this blog post on flooding and urban planning he did was one of the best I have ever read.
Alice Taylor
Alice leads the team, making new types of toys at Makielab. Alice has great knowledge and passion for younger people and how they interact with the world through games, media, toys and anything she can make. I want to hear about her insights into what young people want from play experiences and how her new project is at the forefront of physical/digital manufacturing and design.
Timo Arnall
As well as being a researcher and designer, Timo directs the video and photography at BERG. His films are artful and communicative yet retain a human scale. I want to hear why video is such a good medium for communicating ideas and knowledge. I hope we also get to see some craft skills and hear tips and insight into his practice.
Luis Rey
I have always been fascinated by dinosaurs. I recently bought some books for my 2 year old son, hoping to nudge him towards them too. While on amazon I bought this amazing book, illustrated by Luis. I want to hear about how paleoartists involve themselves in the research and theory of this domain and draw what they could never see.
Gill Ereaut
Gill goes in to companies and listens to how they speak. Hidden within phrases, syntax and jargon are clues to their values, their weaknesses and their opportunities. I love hearing about how large companies work and Gill has seen many and has excellent stories to tell.
Tom Armitage
An experienced technologist, having worked at Headshift and BERG, Tom is currently a game designer at Hide and Seek and a writer for Kill Screen. He is fascinated by systems - how their construction allows us to access, play and understand them.
Beeker Northam
The advertising industry is changing, not just in response to technological challenges, but because of new research techniques that show us in a different light. Beeker is the Head of Strategy at DentsuLondon and is the architect of their Making Future Magic strategy. Beeker will be showing us new ways that brands need to engage with us.
John Walters
I am interested in what makes a designer successful. What makes a designer want to be a designer? I asked John to have a think about the characteristics of designers and their strengths and weaknesses. As the Editor of Eye magazine, he has met and knows many and is well qualified to answer.
Lee Coventry
Lee is a Senior Art Director at Getty Images, recently featured in It's Nice That. We had a fantastic conversation about how photos and imagery change through the ages and how commissioning work to match the zeitgeist means understanding society in all its visual complexity.
James Bridle
James is not only a great speaker but he makes stuff too. I am always impressed at how his interest in something means he needs to make it, not just to create an objet d'art but more that in order to investigate and understand he makes the thing. His works end up fascinating in themselves but the stories of their provenance are often even better.
Alan Patrick
Alan is a tech consultant and I love his blog. He is one of the few who don't drink the tech-media/PR Kool-Aid. His writing seeks to debunk fashion in favour of reality and I think this is excellent. He will be talking about the cycles of technology and why people get stupid when talking about new stuff.
(I will announce the last speaker in august - they are on holiday and we haven't spoken properly yet)
...schedule nearer the end of year but it will start at 9 and finish at 5...
