Between the people I met at IBM Research, grad school, conferences, and then all the papers read, I recognized most of the names on the list. There are times I miss the chummy, heady world of academia: when a good design gets thoughtlessly overruled in a design review, when there’s no time to really think about a design problem, when the folder of articles I’d like to read becomes a dumping ground.

That said, I love making products that people actually use. As much as I enjoyed school, it’s just practice for the real thing. Furthermore, and sadly, the seepthrough from the knowledge produced in the academic world at conferences, symposia, etc. into the world of digital product design is pretty insignificant. Few academics really speak the language of design, and, thrilling as I found a lot of that to be now, I generally find myself more inspired by elegant design solutions (even if from completely different domains) and conversation with other designers.

This post isn’t meant to end on a sad or bitter note. Academia’s a great place, and school was a home for a while, and people often have conflicted and complex feelings about formative places. I read The Corrections when I was back in Iowa a couple weeks ago. Same idea.

Also, after too long just admiring the brilliance that is del.icio.us, I’ve started occasionally posting. If I keep up, I may do that linklog thing here – we’ll see.

Finally, as a show of good faith that I haven’t given up blogging entirely, here’s a bauhauriffic mockup I did about a month ago on the ride home from Google.

There’s a news section on the DIS website with an RSS feed, for everyone who can’t make it. Laptoppers at the conference can find me over AIM/iChat at cthornton251; hopefully we can get some decent SubEthaEdit sessions going on.

Other thesis news: next Friday (12/12) from 2-5 I’ll be presenting a poster, along with the other 2nd year design grads, as we give updates on our thesis projects – we’re now halfway through. My poster will be on “Social Awareness, Presentation, and Connection” and will present findings, insights, design implications, and concept sketches based on interviews I’ve been doing with first-year undergrads on their use of instant messaging. It’s still too early to go a horn-tootin’, but there’s a couple of nice bits in there that could have potential for prototypes in the spring. Anyhow, stop by if you’re around and I’ll do my best to entertain and inform. It’s being held in the hall outside the grad studio, on the second floor of Margaret Morrison.

Maybe if enough people ask nicely they’ll put up the archives online…

From InfoDesign

I won’t be blogging the conference, but I will have my Hiptop/Sidekick, so drop me an email (in the sidebar to your right) or AIM (cthornton251) if you want to make plans to meet up.

The list of presenters may be very well be even more impressive: Douglas Engelbart, Brewster Kahle, Kevin Kelly, Mitch Kapor, and with Bruce Sterling, Hunter Lovins, Howard Rheingold, and others who have yet to confirm.