I was up in Belfast last week for the annual Build conference for web designers. I’m not a pure web designer or developer, with my role falling between the two in managing the entire process but I got a lot out of the talks that were held. I’ve mentioned some of my highlights from the day below.
Kirby Ferguson drilled home the point that everything is a remix and that there’s a “myth of creation” surrounding new ideas. His video series is highly recommended viewing. Jeff Veen from Typekit and Adobe talked of equanimity (seeing with understanding) and applied it to a major effort his team had to make over the course of one weekend in resolving a major issue. He spoke with candor and real insight so I’m looking forward to watching his talk back again. The keynote speaker on the day was Ethan Marcotte who has led the charge on responsive web design. His talk reminded us that in building responsively, we can’t just build for the top devices and that developing countries are adding millions of lower-end devices each year.
It was a fascinating day of talks and I met some really smart, friendly people who I’d hope to share ideas and thoughts with in future. The last Build, organised by Andy McMillan and co, takes place in 2013. Kudos to Andy and his team for a great conference.