Emmet Connolly, Director of Product Design at Intercom, discusses the significance of tools in enhancing human abilities and creativity. He emphasizes the importance of building better tools and the role of technology in empowering individuals. The presentation also highlights challenges in team processes and the need for continuous improvement in tool design and usage.

2. EMMET CONNOLLY
DIR. OF PRODUCT DESIGN,
INTERCOM
UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS
WE USE

3. THE TOOLS WE USE EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
MAKERS

4. THE TOOLS WE USE EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
MAKERS
USE
TOOLS

5. THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN

8. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

9. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

10. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

11. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

12. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

13. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

14. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

15. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

16. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
1985
A computer frees people from much of the
menial work. Besides that, you are giving
them a tool that encourages them to be
creative.
Remember, computers are tools. Tools help
us do our work better.

17. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
1989
I think humans are basically tool builders,
and the computer is the most remarkable
tool we've ever built.
The big insight a lot of us had in the 1970s
had to do with the importance of putting
that tool in the hands of individuals.

18. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
1994
I’m a tool builder. That’s how I think of myself.
I want to build really good tools… Technology
is nothing. What's important is that you have a
faith in people, that they're basically good and
smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do
wonderful things with them.
It's not the tools that you have faith in -- tools
are just tools.

19. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
1990
We humans are tool builders. And that we can
fashion tools that amplify these inherent
abilities that we have to spectacular
magnitudes.
And so for me, a computer has always been a
bicycle of the mind. Something that takes us
far beyond our inherent abilities. And I think
we're just at the early stages of this tool.

20. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

21. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

22. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
SO WHY THE
OBSESSION
WITH TOOLS?
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

23. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

24. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
TOOLS
DRIVE
TRENDS
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

25. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

26. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

27. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

28. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

29. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

30. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

31. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

32. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

33. EMMET CONNOLLY UX CAMBRIDGE
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

34. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
“WHAT’S
YOUR
PROCESS?”

35. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
recruiting is hard
our onboarding is
ill-defined UI quality is
inconsistent
performance management
keeping everyone
in the loop
not enough context
need more focus time
collaboration across
functions

36. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS
PROCESS
IS A
TOOL

37. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

38. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

39. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

40. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

41. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

42. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS

43. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS KAIZEN

44. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
1. WHAT A TOOL IS
2. BUILDING BETTER TOOLS
3. SUBVERTING TOOLS KAIZEN
DESIGN OPS

45. EMMET CONNOLLY UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE
FINAL THOUGHTS

46. EMMET CONNOLLY
DIR. OF PRODUCT DESIGN,
INTERCOM
@THOUGHTWAX
GET THE SLIDES:
EMMET@INTERCOM.COM
UXDX DUBLIN
THE TOOLS WE USE