09:05 - 09:50

How Are New Technological Interfaces Changing What We See?

There has been a proliferation of technological developments in the last few years that are beginning to improve how we perceive, attend to, notice, analyse and remember events, people, data and other information. These include machine learning, computer vision, advanced user interfaces (e.g. augmented reality) and sensor technologies. A goal of being augmented with ever more computational capabilities is to enable us to see more and, in doing so, make more intelligent decisions. But to what extent are the new interfaces enabling us to become more super-human? What is gained and lost through our reliance on ever pervasive computational technology? In my short talk, I will cover latest developments in tech advances, such as conversational interfaces, data visualisation, and augmented reality. I will then draw upon relevant recent findings in the HCI and psychology literature that demonstrate how our human capabilities are being extended but also struggling to adapt to the new demands on our attention. Finally I will show their relevance to investigating the physical and digital worlds when trying to discover or uncover new information.

Yvonne Rogers | Professor of Interaction Design

10:00 - 10:25

Clean Cooking: Still a privilege in 2021

The presentation intends to showcase the social impact of KOKO Networks, which combines technology, capital and consumer demand. The inspiration for KOKO came when the founders witnessed first-hand the rampant environmental destruction brought on by the charcoal industry in East Africa.  Its ubiquitous use for cooking was clearly unsustainable, driving vast deforestation and land degradation, as well as unacceptable (and avoidable) death rates from indoor air pollution. From inception, to now serving more than 150k happy households across Greater Nairobi area (meaning that well over half a million Kenyans are eating food cooked on a KOKO Cooker every day), the journey has been challenging and satisfying at the same time. A key challenge (among several others) was to to serve customers who are not tech savvy and not the typical 'digital first' customer, specially when the world had to embrace 'remote' since last year.

Supreet Kumar | Design Head

10:50 - 11:15

Adapted Journey Maps: New Ways to Find Meaning in User Data

Journey maps are a powerful tool for gathering and structuring data about end users. They also help align associates from various roles and teams through a consistent perspective with the user in focus. Throughout our work on our next-generation electronic health record, Cerner’s UX and IP teams have worked together to find meaning in complex data to inform this global product. During this talk we will share our own examples of journey map adaptations and describe how to utilize each method for your own projects.

Antonia Lorz | Associate Senior User Experience Designer

& Jody Butts | Senior User Experience Strategist

11:25 - 11:50

User Experience in a redefined reality/world

We have been accustomed to a particular way of doing things. Our behaviors have been molded to follow a certain path to getting things done. However very abruptly we were prompted to re-evaluate and adopt a different way of getting tasks done. The impact of such a move is something we have to delve into and analyze, in particular looking at the psychological, behavioral implications on both a micro and a macro scale. One might asked how has this affected the existing structures of communication? Do we need to go back to the drawing board and re-define UX or should we accommodate the current situation as a temporary predicament that requires a temporary solutions? Inevitably we have to emerge with effective solutions that are relevant.

Lorenzo Palu | Product Designer

13:00 - 13:25

Toward a deeper definition of digital delight

From March 2020 the landscape of teaching and learning in SA changed irrevocably when millions of teachers and lecturers moved their practice online. As teaching and digital spaces melded into one, it quickly became apparent that nobody was having much fun. This talk seeks to explore what 'delight' means in digital products and critically interrogates how we can meaningfully expand this concept.

Morné Venter | Head of School Creative Technologies

13:35 - 14:00

Designing for and with ADHD: struggles, superpowers, and the senses

For the most part the world we live in literally has not been designed for people (especially women) with ADHD or other neurodivergent conditions. It can be a struggle to conform with the standards and expectations of the workplace (sometimes worse in a remote context), but ADHD symptoms can also be a hidden creative superpower—it’s no wonder such a high proportion of designers have it. This talk will look at the ADHD advantage in UX & design, a few coping tips, and a few amazing things being done by designers using multi-sensory design to improve the physical and digital experiences of those whose brains process things a bit differently.

Kate Van Niekerk | Head of UX

14:10 - 14:35

Psychology in UX Research: Remote interviews developed listening skills

Before Covid, we used to do usability interviews in person and watched for cues in body language etc. Now that remote interviews are the “new normal” listening has become even more important. Tone of voice, subtle cues in tone and even in silence. We became blind and adapted to listen better in our studies.

Adele Meijers | UX Researcher

09:30 - 10:15

Keynote: How to make your organisation more user centric

If we could make the organisations we work for more user centric it would allow us to do the work we really want to, and have a bigger impact on people’s lives. But organisations resist change. In this talk, we’ll look at some common scenarios, and share what has (and hasn’t) worked to open up stakeholders to change

Giles Colborne | CEO

10:25 - 10:50

Is UX a silver bullet for crypto adoption?

We’ll explore this trick question in the context tech evolutions and revolutions especially focusing on crypto and it’s future.

Badi Sudhakaran | Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer

11:15 - 11:40

Remote impact – How to adapt to remote world and influence people

Research, Communication, and productivity - 3 cases sharing and tips to handle the situation

Carol Huang | Senior UX Designer

11:50 - 12:15

Thirteen steps towards successful digital solutions

Digital solutions offer great promise to positively impact our health and wellness outcomes. Whether someone wants to drink more water or to manage a chronic condition, there are plenty of app options to choose from … But do they actually work? In this talk, we ask “Does this app have what it takes to lead to meaningful behaviour change?”. Then we go ahead and learn to answer this question.

Roxana Barbu | Sr. Cognitive and Behavioural Experience Researcher

12:25 - 12:55

The Need for Emotional Intelligence in UX

For years, the field of UX focused on methods, methodologies, techniques, artifacts, and deliverables. Today, however, we have learned that UX is no longer just about the work. The ability to interact, relate, and exchange with team members, stakeholders, clients, and leadership has proven to be, in some cases, even more important than the work. For these reasons, the importance of soft skills has become increasingly critical. This talk will provide an overview of the key factor — emotional intelligence (EQ) — including such factors as the following: The challenges and issues it can help you overcome, How it can impact your project How it optimizes relationships with stakeholders and teammates The benefits it offers for personal and professional growth Key EQ red flags that serve as identifiers for growth in self or one's teams

Darren Hood | Senior Learning Experience Designer