My Experience at UXPA Boston 2021
October 8, 2021
This post was written by Lauren Haynes, User-Centered Design '23.
Through the Brandeis Graduate Professional Program (GPS), I had the opportunity to attend UXPA Boston 2021. UXPA Boston is an annual full-day conference that brings together UX professionals from varying experiences and industries. During the conference, attendees can participate in a series of presentations, lunchtime table topics, mentoring, raffles, and “speed” networking.
The week before the conference
A few days before the conference, I was granted access to Hopin—the virtual event platform. Through Hopin, I was able to personalize my profile and plan my conference itinerary. In addition, I was able to read the bios of the event speakers and see other professionals attending the event.
The day of the conference
The day started with a welcoming address delivered by the UXPA Boston President, Bob Thomas. Following the address, the conference continued with presentations delivered by seasoned industry professionals. The presentations spanned topics including career development, strategy, design, user research, strategy, and UX in society. Several 45-minute presentations were scheduled concurrently, so attendees had the option to choose between sessions or bounce in between.
I planned out my day accordingly and chose sessions that were of interest to me. There were so many great sessions to choose from, it was hard to decide. I ultimately attended the following presentations:
- Design for Users Everywhere – How to Craft a Meaningful International UX
- Stakeholder Relationships: Leading UX researching to greater success and impact
- Give me the Quick Version! Using one-pages to communicate research findings far and wide
- The Indispensable Principles of Designing Complex Interfaces
- Build for Action, not Distraction: Five practical steps you can take to build successful UI
- Over-complicated? Over-simplified? The UX Efficient Frontier
- Designing Meaningful Visualizations: A case study in connecting users to their data
During lunch time, there were also “table talks” where you can discuss hot topics moving the industry. I participated in the Design for Behavior Change group where we discussed how to avoid dark UX/UI patterns.
Takeaways
I had a great experience at UXPA Boston 2021 and would love the opportunity to attend again. There was content appealing to all experience levels — whether you’re looking to transition into the field to seasoned vets. The presentations were relevant and informative, and I most certainly obtained takeaways that I can apply to my current role.
For more information on the User-Centered Design program or networking opportunities at Brandeis GPS, please visit brandeis.edu/gps.