Why is there a FBTB?
User experience and interaction design has finally worked its way into the companies. And with the economic downturn, the challenge for us is simple but vast: create user experiences that are the difference between success and failure.
It is the time for us as an industry to step in, step up and show them what the fuzz is all about.
It is time to become really useful to our clients and our companies.
Who is it for?
From Business to Buttons is the meeting place in Europe for interaction designers, business strategist and usability experts. If you want to expand your business, and become a leader in the UX field, there is no better place to get the tools and inspiration.
Ours is still a small community. By coming together we become bigger and better (and perhaps even more beautiful). We believe that by sharing experiences we strengthen our profession on a global level, which is good for us all.
Is this the first ”From Business To Buttons”?
No, it’s the third. From Business To Buttons had its premiere in 2007 and was a great success. The conference in 2008 was even better, so we just went on to the third.
Thanks to your suggestions after the previous conferences, we have made a number of improvements for this year. There will be more opportunities for interaction, and a higher quality of all speakers, and a nicer dog tag, and even better weather. (Gosh, did we just promise that? Hmmm…)
BTW, here’s what made the biggest impression on people at the earlier conferences (we quote):
“The good spirit among usability/IxD professionals. Met a lot of new and old friends and business contacts”
“The fact that the speakers were so great. Real interaction design-stars”
“How well people in the industry have started to understand the importance of user research and interaction design”
“The great generosity - the will to share knowledge and experiences”
Why did you start it?
We wanted to gather those who always seek new paths, rethinking and developing their way of working. A key part was also to share knowledge, insights and mistakes, something we recognize to little of. And then of course “the more the merrier”.
Shouldn’t it be “From Buttons to Business” instead?
No. Please see below.
What does “From Business to Buttons” really mean, then?
Well, it’s basically a design philosophy: business decisions and business targets comes first. They should direct the design decisions (not the other way around). Originally, it’s a catch phrase used to describe the Effect Management method of deriving the design directly from the business case.
How do you pronounce “Malmö”, by the way?
Sort of like this. However, this pronunciation is in Central Standard Swedish, spoken in the Stockholm region, and not the lovely regional variety of Swedish spoken in Scåne, the southernmost part of Sweden. The “ö” [øː] is (for you phonology buffs turned interaction designers) a front rounded vowel – a class of vowels that Swedish is distressingly rich in – and of, to be exact, the close-mid height.
That sounds... uncomfortable. How will I be able to communicate with the natives?
Don’t worry: The conference language is English. And virtually everyone you meet in Sweden will understand English and speak it without much hesitation (and actually very seldom with the accent of the Swedish Chef variety (see borkborkbork).