Design was supposed to be The Answer

Ash was raised in the strict tradition of Swiss graphic design. Yet, she’s now a product and brand designer, illustrator, essayist and award-winning author—as well as the knitting/soapmaking/weaving/cooking woman you’d want to run your post-apocalyptic commune.

In searching for silver bullets, how are we messing up our work and the world? Let’s go on a journey together and examine the pitfalls of focus. There will be fun pixels, quotes and pleasantly scratchy pencil marks on the way.

Swimming to The Shore

For Professional Creatives, who you are and what you do are intertwined. You identify with the culture of creativity, and are defined by the outcomes of your work. Your status, income, social life, and wellness can be dependent on your ability to create–and create well. Your work is judged and critiqued by others, who determine whether it's “good”. Some people can wall themselves off from their work, but many suffer from issues of self-worth, anxiety, depression, and other issues that make compartmentalization impossible.

Many creatives–including musicians, actors, writers, artists, and designers–are overwhelmed to the point of breaking. Some do break, and are lost. It takes courage to face these issues head on, knowing that there is no cure and little understanding. Many people who don't understand mental illness can be frustrated or coarse with suffering colleagues or loved ones, which only makes the problem worse.

In this raw and powerful talk, we'll share what it's like to have mental health issues while working as a creative professional. Through stories of struggle and perseverance, we'll help you identify ways to help yourself and others. Then, we'll uncover how our industry can help the creative community through courageous vulnerability.

Science Says You're Addicted To Being Right

If you're human, then you're addicted to "I know." We get a high in our brain every time we experience being right. But like any drug, this can impair our judgement. It can embed you in your own confirmation bias. How do we make sure our addiction to being right doesn't blind us to what's wrong with our company, our projects, our decisions? We have to check that ego. We'll talk about the benefits and methods of critique, and how to invite it into your workflow for inclusive results that are bigger than your personal experience. You know something, but you don't know everything. Great feedback can come from anywhere. It won't always be easy to digest. Divine messages have come through asses, and even Twitter trolls speak truth once in a while. Join us for an interesting dive into our psyche, the nature of our ego, and the pitfalls of confirmation bias.

Making Chaos & Ambiguity Your BFFs: How to Stop Worrying & Start Working the Problem

As project asks get bigger and more ambiguous, learn how to better manage the chaos through key research, synthesis, and ideation activities that can help small teams produce products, services, and experiences that truly drive success for clients.

Topic: Agency World

Title and description coming soon