Summary
On the last day of the Design Operations Summit 2021, the host welcomed attendees and expressed gratitude to the community, speakers, facilitators, and sponsors who made the event possible. Alana Washington was introduced as the curator of the day’s theme, focused on the future of design operations. Attendees were guided to the conference website to find the agenda, sponsor sessions, and details on time zones. The host underscored the high-quality sponsor sessions, which were free and optional, scheduled between main content breaks, and highlighted sponsors like Verizon Design, Mural, Fable, Miro, and others. The availability of a digital swag bag, accessible via QR code or direct link, was shared as a valuable perk for participants. The importance of the Rosenfeld Media Slack instance was stressed for community interaction, facilitating speaker Q&A, cohort discussions, and general conference engagement. Behind-the-scenes contributors such as sketch note artist MJ Broadband, note taker Key Abba, and resource coordinator Lauren Cantor (a former Wall Street executive turned design strategist) were praised for enhancing the conference experience. Finally, the virtual code of conduct was restated to ensure a respectful and safe environment for all attendees, with clear instructions to report any issues via designated Slack channels.
Key Insights
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The summit fostered a strong community with over a thousand active Slack members engaging beyond sessions.
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Sponsor sessions were offered for free during breaks, providing valuable content without sales pitches.
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Digital swag bags replaced physical conference swag, accessible via QR codes or direct links.
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Facilitators were key to highly rated cohort engagement within the conference.
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Behind-the-scenes contributors like MJ Broadband and Lauren Cantor significantly improved conference accessibility and learning.
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The agenda was carefully segmented by time zones to avoid confusion and support global attendance.
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Alana Washington curated the final day’s theme on the future of design operations.
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The conference emphasized a strong virtual code of conduct to maintain a safe and respectful environment.
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Resource lists capturing all referenced materials were promptly shared online for attendees.
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Verizon Design sponsored all workshops, showing deep investment in design operations education.
Notable Quotes
"This is our third and final day of the Design Operations Summit 2021."
"Our community would not be what it is without you."
"Sponsor sessions are not sales pitches; they’re super similar to the quality of the main conference session."
"Please, there’s no need to take notes; sketch notes, resource lists, videos, and decks will be shared as soon as possible."
"Join us in Rosenfeld Media Slack, where the party is at, in the hashtag do dash general channel."
"Lauren Cantor is a multidisciplinary strategist and former Wall Street executive who shifted focus to design."
"The conference would not be able to happen without the awesome contributions of our sponsors."
"Please read our code of conduct to ensure everyone feels like they can be their fullest selves."
"If you feel unsafe or threatened, please let us know in our hashtag do-help channel."
"Our facilitators make cohorts sing and it’s the most highly rated part of the conference every year."
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