Disruptors Need Each Other

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”7698″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=”Shawn Nason
Eco-system Disruptor” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%23f5671a” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Last week, I had the privilege of serving as the chair for the Experience Design Week event in Denver, CO. Ever wondered what it’d be like to surround yourself with over 150 CX and UX experts from various industries around the country? That’s exactly what our team got to experience for three days in downtown Denver.

Here are some of the highlights from my closing remarks:

We climbed up to the mile-high city where the thin air created a thin space.

Where we could bring our passions, our questions, our frustrations.

Where we could be pushed and challenged and inspired.

 

Finally an experience—a conference—had been designed for us.

Someone looked at our personas and crafted a week that responded to our needs,

And our journey maps all converged in this place.

 

Why is this work so hard?

Where do all of these roadblocks come from?

Why can’t the rest of our organizations see what we see?

 

The champagne flowed, but not as much as the conversations.

Amid the bourbon and wine, we figured out that we’re not alone.

We looked around to see the people who walk this journey with us.

We can exhale. And get real.

It’s not networking. It’s creating relationships with people who speak the same language.

Screw intellectual property. Let’s help each other out.

 

One of the most significant takeaways we heard at this event underscores what we hear regularly from innovators, disruptors, and designers: we need each other. Working to affect change in an organization and standing up for the needs of the consumer often means swimming against the current and feeling like the lonely voice in the wilderness.

Thank goodness for the highly motivated disruptors we met last week who are more focused on supporting each other and sharing ideas than creating a super-competitive environment. The group was a true testament to putting humanity into human-centered design and living into a people-first approach to business.

If you are a designer who is tired of feeling alone, give us a shout. We’d love to connect you with people who share your passion and can help you overcome the roadblocks that too often get in the way of disruption and innovation.

Screw intellectual property. Let’s help each other out![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row simple_background_color=”#f5671a”][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”102px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]