Springbox is sending a dozen employees to this year's SXSW
Interactive festival. So we asked them: "What topics are you interested in
learning more about at SXSW Interactive?" Here are Senior Designer Jonathan Bowden’s topics of interest.
With our digital world changing at a tremendous pace, it's almost
comical to try and map out what topics, trends and themes I will be
interested in three months from now, but here it goes:
The Creative Agency
Though I have had the privilege of working at two great digital
agencies, Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Springbox, I am still very
interested in hearing from other leading shops to find out the
struggles, unique viewpoints and victories that they have discovered.
Whether it's exploring the digital pod/team concept from R/GA, a new
compensation model from Fahrenheit 212 or hopefully a dozen of other
innovative agency models and structures, I am looking forward to hearing
other's thoughts on forming and unleashing creative teams, adjusting
and finessing the creative process and evolving the digital agency in
general.
Digital in Our Daily Life
How is the ever present stream of information and connectability helping
andor hurting our lives, our relationships?, our family, our health,
our careers, our neighborhoods? What are the psychological affects of
always being connected and checking in? Specifically for me, as a new
dad and young husband, what precautions do I need to take to keep my
digital intake at a healthy ebb and flow?
Technology for the Greater Good
How can we move past shiny gadgets and time wasting games and use
technology for the greater good of our community and our world? How can
we use technology to provide basic necessities such as clean water /
food / dignity / freedom from slavery? Much closer to home, how can we
restore wonder and play to a dilapidated education system? What can be
done to improve easy access to locally grown foods? I know this one is a
bit vague, but I have a feeling that there is so much that COULD be
done, but is currently being trumped by angry birds and shiny plastic. I
mention this topic, not as one who is an expert or even currently
active in this field, but rather as an area that I want to invest more
of my time and energy into.