• Jan 24, 2018 from 9:30am to 11:00am
  • Location: San Francisco
  • Latest Activity: Jul 16, 2020

Ensure you’re not wasting time developing a product that customers do not want and cannot use! Through straightforward, easy-to-undertake methods, you can bootstrap your success and avoid common pitfalls.

Join user experience design expert Gitta Salomon as she offers practical, actionable advice for creating useful, usable and desirable products. Understand why it is important to involve your customers as you develop your product. Learn how to ensure your product is meeting real user needs. Discover quick ways to ensure your product is easy-to-use.

This workshop will use real-world examples to communicate approaches, techniques and issues. During the session, participants can ask questions and explore how to apply the methods to their own products.

HERE ARE SOME TOPICS WE'LL COVER:

• What is design thinking and why should I care?

• Best practices for obtaining useful product insights.

• Common pitfalls to avoid.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Gitta Salomon is a pioneer in User Experience Design, bringing 30 years of experience applying user-centered, design thinking methodologies to defining interactive products.

Gitta originally studied mathematics at UCLA, and went on to MIT to obtain her Master’s degree from the Media Laboratory. After graduate school, Gitta worked as a Team Leader in the Human Interface Group at Apple. Her work at Apple focused on defining innovative user interfaces, and she published numerous conference papers, presented internationally and obtained several UX patents during her time there.

In 1994, Gitta took a position at the worldwide product design consultancy, IDEO. As Director of Interaction Design, she defined client engagements and undertook design work for clients such as Kodak, Steelcase, NEC and Sony.

In 1996, she founded Swim, a San Francisco-based UX consultancy that assists startups and Fortune 500 companies alike. Over the years, Swim’s work has ranged across many domains, including consumer, enterprise, aviation and medical. Clients include GoPro, Gap, Metromile, Neuropace, Boeing, and Nike.

Gitta has taught at San Francisco State University, the University of San Francisco and the Royal College of Art in London. She is currently mentoring both product managers and new design graduates in how to approach user experience design. Recently, she has been invited to speak at numerous startup accelerators and incubators, where she provides insights and tips on how to apply design thinking techniques effectively.