SXSW Interactive 2007
I was fortunate to spend the last few days in Austin, Texas for the 2007 edition of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive conference. This was my first trip to the big show since 2003 and it was great to return. SXSW is an unbelievable experience as a conference without pretense. Not only is it probably the best value in the field at about $225 for early registration, but it’s the only design related conference I’ve been to where the panelists aren’t held on a pedestal and separate from the plebeian masses. Here you may see Jeffrey Zeldman as a panelist in one session and sit next to him in the one that follows. For the most part everyone is approachable, friendly and most of all, genuinely passionate about their little slice of the web.
SXSW is hard to describe — my head is swimming with cool things, ideas, new techniques, and inspiration. I’ve got a list a mile long of things to try and websites to visit. Every year, SXSW seems to have a flavor. Themes, memes, and fun things that seem to capture everyone’s attention. In 2003 everyone was abuzz with online communities and the power of blogs. This year the theme seemed to be Web 2.0 and especially excellent web application design. Oh and don’t forget Twitter. It seems as if every panelist mentioned his or her Twitter obsession. If you happen to twitter, add me as a friend.
I have more to write, but I need to collect my thoughts first. There is nothing like the creative high that you ride on the tails of a good design conference.