Opening Remarks
Summary
On behalf of the curation team and Roosevelt Media, the host welcomed attendees to the final day of Civic Design 2022, recapping the previous days' themes: decade cycles, shifting power structures in design, and physical environment interactions beyond screens. The host emphasized navigating the virtual schedule by adjusting for time zones and encouraged participation in sponsor sessions, which offer free, high-quality content complementary to the main program. Significant thanks were extended to sponsors such as Fable, Novel PVC, Blacks in Civic Tech, and others whose contributions make the conference possible. Attendees were encouraged to join the vibrant Slack community, with 653 active members engaged in ongoing discussions, and to ask speaker questions in designated threads to avoid losing them in the general chat. The conference librarian Louisa Scholar, affiliated with Georgetown University, was recognized for curating resources supporting social safety net access through Civic Design. The host reminded participants of the conference’s code of conduct to maintain kindness and respect in the virtual community, emphasizing safety and inclusivity. Overall, this talk served to orient participants, highlighting resources, engagement opportunities, and community norms vital for a fruitful conference experience.
Key Insights
-
•
Adjusting the conference schedule to your local time zone reduces confusion amidst multiple parallel sessions.
-
•
Sponsor sessions are free, high-quality, and occur during breaks without interfering with main program content.
-
•
Slack is a central platform for active engagement, with over 650 participants discussing and sharing resources.
-
•
Placing questions for speakers in their designated Slack threads ensures they are noticed amidst fast-moving chats.
-
•
The conference librarian, Louisa Scholar, curates and manages a rich repository of Civic Design research and resources.
-
•
Cohort participation is a key element of the conference, fostering smaller group connections within the larger event.
-
•
The digital swag bag replaces physical conference goodies, offering virtual perks via QR codes and URLs.
-
•
Code of conduct enforcement stresses kindness and respect to maintain a safe virtual community space.
-
•
Sponsors contribute not only financially but also with expertise, enabling the conference’s quality and accessibility.
-
•
There’s no need for attendees to take notes as session notes, videos, decks, and resources will be shared post-conference.
Notable Quotes
"You don’t want to miss out on the sponsor sessions — they’re free and high quality, not sales pitches."
"Slack has over 650 people actively talking and sharing experiences right now."
"If you have a question for a speaker, put it in the thread for their talk, not in the general chat."
"Adjust your conference time zone setting depending on where you are to avoid confusion."
"Louisa Scholar saves us a lot of work by curating the Civic Design library and digital benefits hub."
"Please read our code of conduct — even though we’re virtual, we are a community obligated to kindness and respect."
"If you have problems with Slack or the conference experience, please contact the help desk customer service."
"Cohorts are one of the favorite parts of the conference, so really participate if you’re in one."
"Because this is virtual, we have a digital swag bag with goodies you can access via QR code or URL."
"We have session notes, sketch notes, resource lists, videos, and decks — no need to take notes yourself."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Building strong relationships with marketing requires mutual respect and regularly following up on their insights."
Joanna Vodopivec Prabhas PokharelOne Research Team for All - Influence Without Authority
March 9, 2022
"Onboarding often felt like trial by fire—go to the meeting and hope you understand something."
Louis Rosenfeld Lashanda Hodge Senongo Akpem Chris HodowanecBecoming a Civic Designer: Making the Move from Private to Public Sector
November 17, 2022
"We are back and we are right on time. Eight o'clock on the dot."
Bria AlexanderDay 3 Welcome
September 25, 2024
"Manuel Herrera is a visual thinker and illustrator whose energy always blows me away."
Uday Gajendar Louis RosenfeldDay 2 Welcome
June 5, 2024
"I’ve nearly bought products in my sleep because I memorized the key presses from consistent checkout flows."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
June 7, 2023
"If you really care about success, you define it first and hire against performance, not just experience."
Russ UngerOnboarding: The Ecosystem, not the Afterthought
November 7, 2017
"Physical prototyping is a tool to explore interaction modalities and physically connected environments beyond all things digital."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"Bespoke UI can generate interfaces on the fly based on immediate need or intent."
Josh Clark Veronika KindredSentient Design: New Postures for AI-Mediated Experiences (2nd of 3 seminars)
January 29, 2025
"It was a tax I had to pay my entire career — balancing the work and trying to lift my community."
Dantley DavisLeadership & Diversity—A Fireside Chat with Dantley Davis
September 17, 2020
