Articles learning

From the NA team and guest contributors. RSS.

A time for imagination

Simon Collison | January 2020

Last year’s conference could have been a one-off reunion. It was a challenging project, but the event itself was probably our best yet, and the response overwhelming. It’s your positivity that brings us together for the fifth time.

Q1: book recommendations

NA team | January 2020

We asked our speakers, volunteers and organisers a few questions to help you get to know them. Firstly, we asked them to each recommend two books: one relating to our industry or their work, and another about something else.

Q2: advice for an uncertain industry future

NA team | January 2020

We asked our speakers, volunteers and organisers: can you offer one piece of advice to help others anticipate or navigate an uncertain industry future?

Q3: what common fallacy should we wake up to?

NA team | January 2020

We asked our speakers, volunteers and organisers: what common fallacy — design, tech, or anything else — do you think more of us should wake up to?

Q4: What gives you hope?

NA team | January 2020

We asked our speakers, volunteers and organisers: what gives you hope?

The future of education

Christopher Murphy | January 2019

For our 2013 publication, educator Christopher Murphy addressed the broken state of formal design education, highlighting the boundaries that exist between academia and our industry. Now, six years on, he suggests a radical rethink for design education itself, proposing a model that combines immersive and digital approaches.

A shared future

Christopher Murphy | January 2013

The landscape of interactive design is one characterised by constant flux; it’s changing and evolving at a rate we have never experienced before. Few, if any, industries reinvent themselves yearly, monthly, weekly, etc. Ours is one of these industries.

Creative flow and the state of discomfort

Sam Hampton-Smith | January 2013

I find myself once again, devoid of ideas. I sit and wrack my brain for a creative solution to a user interface problem posed by a client, and there’s nothing there; no suggestion of even an ounce of creativity flowing through me.

Your journey and mine

Mark Boulton | January 2011

Growing up as an architect’s son, I was encouraged to walk around with my eyes open. Quite literally: he told me to always look up as you miss all the detail at eye level.

Critiquing academia

James Willock | January 2011

I am sat, staring into middle distance, totally aghast. It’s Friday afternoon on the first week of university and we’ve just been given an assignment. “You must produce a portfolio website, derived from these templates, which will house your work for the following three years.” I’m sorry — what?