We hope the following questions can help guide you:
There’s a lot to do to improve the world.
We just want to take a different tack. Less shock, fear, and guilt. We’re keen to offer attendees more hope than they arrive with. To help them realise the many ways they can help. And build the belief that they can. That’s where you come in.
We’re looking for content from the community that looks forwards with an optimistic lens. One of hope. But not naive hope. We’re looking for informed inspiration. Progressive positivity. Built on practical foundations for better, more preferable, futures.
How are you using IA approaches in modern work across new technologies and new design contexts?
Eg, Immersive Tech, Multimodal Interfaces, Policy Design
How are you building foundations for the future that can adapt to an ever changing world?
Eg, Dynamic data models, system models, multi-channel design systems
How are you slowing down teams to reshape worlds and anticipate unintended consequences?
Eg, speculative design, systems thinking, selling structured thinking
How are you fusing IA with other practices and disciplines to create a stronger practice for your work?
Eg, Architecture, service design, business strategy, content strategy, product management
Join us for some Hope (and more!) this September
SUBMISSION DEADLINES
The deadlines are as follows
Workshop proposals — Sunday, March 1st at 23:59 CET (GMT+1)ClosedTalk proposals — Sunday, April 26th at 23:59 CETClosed
All submissions will be blind reviewed by a panel of volunteers drawn from the EuroIA community. Depending on their recommendation, the co-chairs will undertake a second blind review to decide if the session is a good fit for 2020. This determination is based on several factors, detailed below.
For depth talks and workshops, please note that the final decision on inclusion will be made with knowledge of the submitter’s identity and track record. This is due to the importance of quality for these sessions in the schedule.
OUR KEY CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Volunteers will review submissions using the guidance outlined below. They will not have any information about the identity of the people who are submitting.
These criteria will help to ensure degrees of consistency. Our co-chairs will then work through the shortlist to build the programme.
We will prioritise submissions that are diverse, optimistic, practical, relevant to IA, unique and clear
Selection Criteria
Diverse
We will prioritise a diverse programme beyond sex, gender, and colour. So it may not be obvious as we go deeper beneath the surface. We will seek different viewpoints, beyond the typical echo chamber. Across cultures, and thinking styles. And a mix of new voices amongst more experienced figures.
Optimistic
We are keen to ensure that messages are progressive, positive, and inspirational. Not overly-critical and negative.
Practical
We are keen for attendees to learn things that they can take into their work.
Relevant to IA
We are keen to promote practices of Information Architecture. These can relate to other fields of practice, if they are aligned with IA.
Unique
We are keen for unique perspectives. Your stories. Your experiences. Many attendees will have heard a range of generic talks about the hot methods before. Whether Lean UX, Agile, Jobs to be Done, they may have even heard it from someone who literally wrote the book. If you’re covering something popular, bring it to life by connecting to your perspective.
Clear
We will judge submissions based on how clearly they get across the messages of your talk or workshop. We know this can be hard, but it is important as attendees will be choosing between sessions.
SESSION FORMATS
- Practical half-day workshops
3–4 hours of in-depth practical learning by doing. We will be emphasising the importance of activity over presentation. Previous experience of similar or the same workshops will count in your favour. Workshop leaders will receive 1300 Euros, and a free ticket to the conference. - 40–60 min Keynote Plenary sessions
The co-chairs will be leading the selection of Keynotes. We may choose a keynote from standard submissions. Keynote speakers will be paid a nominal fee to cover travel, accomodation and their loss of earnings. - 30–40 min Depth talks
These talks will come from the community, and be peer reviewed by our volunteer reviewers. With a longer session, we would expect more colour, examples and stories to reinforce several key messages and/or frameworks around a singular topic. - 15–20 min Overview talks
These talks are designed to be upbeat, energetic, but concise overviews of a topic, tool, or case study with a limited number of key messages – usually 1–3. - 10 min Lightning talks
These talks are high energy, sprint teasers through a topic, focusing on one clear message, with a clear, compelling and engaging narrative.
GUIDE TOPICS AND CONTENT
People and paths
Focus on individuals and their development inside and outside of a team. From reflection, through to developing skills and qualities. From progressing yourself to nurturing healthy teams.
Practices and disciplines
Explore the boundaries of practice and how they challenge, strengthen and benefit from Information Architecture. From service design to systems thinking. From organisational design to futures design, embracing strategic design, speculative design. From research to practical ethics.
Connection and collaboration
Help others find ways to tackle the most complex challenge — other humans. From stakeholder management, to persuasion. From co-design of multiple actors (user, citizen, customer, agent) to building capabilities in others to scale practice.
Thinking tools
Share new ways to help people work through challenges. Offer new and classic lenses, frameworks and models to structure thought and action.
Taming technology
Highlight how you are taming emerging technology. Embracing the new, but rigorously reinforcing the right execution to make solutions that are appropriate to the important challenges we face.