2011 marked my fifth consecutive year of travelling to Austin for SXSW Interactive. Southby (as it’s affectionately known) has been, and arguably still is the single biggest design, technology and media conference in the world with nearly 25,000 people in attendance this year, a number which significantly surpassed 2010’s exponential growth.
Here’s the thing though—with more than 2500 panels to choose from this year, the quality of the conference sessions hasn’t exactly kept up with the pace of growth. A paradox of choice has resulted from the need for additional locations and sessions. What to see? Which talks will ultimately prove worthwhile?
Finding those winners has always been hit or miss. I’ve found it was sometimes better not to choose at all and instead go with the flow and instead engage with friends, peers and the design community at large over coffee or some chocolate bacon.
Nevertheless with solo talks and group panels covering design and branding, content strategy, user experience, entrepreneurship, communications and social media, along with project management and much more, there are always a handful of gems. In the case of 2011, a few choice picks were:
Aside from the conference sessions themselves, the social aspect of being there in Austin, surrounded by many of the “best of the best” in their respective fields is a significant draw, proven by the rise in attendees foregoing a conference badge entirely and instead travelling to Austin solely to participate in the grassroots and social activities often arranged by small groups of like-minded peers. A perfect example being the annual Found Type Photowalk, started three years ago by my friend, designer, Dan Rubin, and which has otherwise been coordinated by fellow type nerds Grant Hutchinson, Luke Dorny and myself the last two years.
Since I started attending I’ve made countless friends, and the opportunity to see them in person every year, if only at this one event, is inspiring and invaluable. Every year more friendships are forged, ideas are bounced around and breakthroughs happen.
Will I go again next year? Almost certainly. But will it be more for the value of the community aspects of the conference or for the conference itself — that remains the question.
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