"I was very pleased to attend the IDSA’s Western PA Chapter sold-out event "The New Experience Model" at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh on January 17. Surya Vanka and Matt Beale were a perfect duo for sharing the presenters’ spotlight because they complemented and extended each other’s views on designing "masterfully crafted" user experiences. I've been a big fan of Surya and his message about the user experience revolution at Microsoft and the critical importance of integrating design thinking into the usability equation. Matt Beale was a refreshingly relaxed and talented speaker, outlining how to integrate differing design models into a thoughtfully comprehensive model. Judging from the rapt attention of the audience and the follow-up questions to both speakers, attendees gained valuable insights, as well as made new professional contacts at the Q+A after party reception at Daedalus offices. It was a world class event, an example of an elite design presence making a tremendous impact on our lives."
Dan Martinage, Executive Director of the IDSA
The New Experience Model - Highlights from Daedalus, Inc on Vimeo.
The Western PA chapter of the IDSA recently hosted The New Experience Model, a sold out event at the Carnegie Museum of Art. It was an evening of expert talks from Microsoft’s Director of User Experience, Surya Vanka, and Daedalus’ President, Matt Beale. Each talk complemented the other, sharing experience modeling from a design and business model perspective. Almost 200 attendees gathered from a myriad of industries to learn about and honor the craftsmanship of experiences that touch our lives.
Beale generously shared his knowledge, offering one new, comprehensive design model that generates more meaningful experiences for users. The model pulls from several compelling design models that begin to guide the innovation process, but on their own, fall short of a masterfully crafted experience. Beale used product examples from various industries to demonstrate how to apply the new model in order to evaluate and create innovative, meaningful experiences people truly need.
Vanka gave an engaging talk that anchored listeners in a global context of "wicked problems," and introduced the listeners to Microsoft’s exciting business model changes that meet those challenges. From energy challenges in Africa to our smart phones, Vanka outlined global challenges and how Microsoft can makes an impact by providing the technological experience people need. Vanka gave a narrative of Microsoft’s history as a company - from the global zeitgeist when it was founded to what’s new for 2014 and well beyond. Vanka’s candor earned the trust of listening ears, outlining the inevitable mistakes of an innovating, norm-challenging mega-corporation. He also demonstrated the strides, solutions, and saving values that make Microsoft what it is today: once a ‘technology’ company, but now an ‘experience’ company.
Attendees later gathered at Daedalus for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, networking, and an intimate Q+A session with the evening’s speakers. There, Beale and Vanka fielded questions from audience members and via Twitter, loosening their ties and addressing heated topics like big brand competition, usability, brand experience continuity between company products, etc.
We want to thank the IDSA for hosting this event, for those who attended and shared their enthusiasm for the topic, and for the volunteers and sponsors who worked so hard to create this experience for all to share.
