(short) presentation I gave at DIBI Conference on April 28 in Newcastle, UK. It's a bunch of "How?" and "Why?"'s on how to prepare for the next 10 years as a designer.

2. Mom told me to always start with something funny to break the ice

3. Via http://twitter.com/cabel

4. 2020
same desk, same work, same rate, same clients

5. wish you could do something more interesting

6. What went wrong?

7. YOU

8. YOU →
a sleeping primate

9. ↑ OTHERS
at the top of their game, hired staff, bigger/better clients, exciting sideprojects

10. what are we gonna do to prevent this?

11. I’m going to give you an imaginary MONOLITH
What’s a MONOLITH?

12. “[...] the monolith was instrumental in awakening
intelligence, and enabling the transition of the ape-men
to a higher order, with the ability to fashion crude tools
and thereby be able to hunt and forage for food in a
much more efficient fashion.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Book
In short: A mental reminder that you gotta wake up
A combination of “why?”’s and “how?”s
Whenever you feel like you’re asleep, think about your MONOLITH

13. Not just for you, if you see others asleep, tell them about the monolith, don’t be a selfish
monkey

14. Tools

15. This is how we design a website today

16. Our tools are very primitive
No matter if you’re using PS or FW, they’re all awful tools that do a lousy job
but...

17. Imagine the tools we’ll have in 10 years

18. I’m sure it won’t look anything like what we have today

19. I’m sure some team of developers will come up with the killer app

20. because right now there’s a huge gap, waiting to be filled

21. there might be apps out there that you’re more comfortable working with
playing with new apps might inspire you

22. Browsers & Devices

23. Browsertesting will soon be a thing of the past

24. even the worst browsers are starting to become acceptable
design for browsers released in the past 3 years, and don’t look back

25. Webkit
Windows Mobile 84%
16%
especially when you look at mobile devices
(smartphones, iPods, iPads...)
84% uses webkit as their default browser

26. instead we’ll have device testing

27. we need to study the different kinds of interactions
buttons? touch? size of the screen?

28. clients will start asking for websites that work on all devices
and more and more they’ll want a native application or their website has to look native

29. as an interface designer, you are obliged to have a collection of devices
study their interface, their default apps
don’t try to change the world, blend in with style

30. Reinvent
yourself

31. we cannot predict what’ll work in 10 years

32. for all we know, we could be drinking our food out of different boxes through a straw

33. you might have killer wicked skills now, but that doesn’t mean you can sit still for the next 10
years, you’ll look like an idiot

34. and then you’re screwed

35. you need to keep learning new tricks
swim hard or drown (or fall off the ceiling)
either horizontally (more variations) or vertical (be the best in one area)

36. you need to keep learning new tricks
swim hard or drown (or fall off the ceiling)
either horizontally (more variations) or vertical (be the best in one area)

37. Keep things fresh

38. Take a look at things from a difference perspective

40. Get inspired by everything BUT a CSS DESIGN SMASHING MAG GALLERY TOP TEN LIST SITE

42. Things don’t have to make sense, or don’t need a purpose

43. You need to experiment more
Did this at 2AM. Because I wanted to prove myself I could do it

44. Think
Different

45. Life without Apple
imagine Apple wasn’t around pushing boundaries and kicking ass

49. we need people to push the boundaries and come up with new and better ways
and that’s not gonna happen by having meetings, but by doing it

50. Don’t
be a
douche
(this is a joke)

51. story about farting in an elevator

52. In space,
no one can
hear you whine
(unless they have Twitter up there, which means they also know what you
had for dinner and how bad you can hold your liquor)

53. Being a designer can often feel lonely

54. You might think you have company, but realize it’s all just through a screen

55. Even if you’re working for an agency, you still have to defend your work
You need to be a fighter

58. the only way to survive the next 10 years is by taking means in your own hands

59. monolith is a reminder when you need it
i’ve just summed up a couple of tips
go out and share, add ideas

60. Text

84. don’t tell people what to do, teach them how to think, we’re not machines

85. Questions
Answers
All screenshots taken from “2001: A Space Odyssey” © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
don’t tell people what to do, teach them how to think, we’re not machines