We'll open the doors a little early and let folks in. Sometimes, we have surprises, sometimes, we play music, sometimes it's a little quiet. Get there a little early to be ready for kick-off!

Starting the event!

Keynote Session TBD

Jane Ruffino

Jane is a research-driven UX content design consultant who has worked across a range of industries, including fintech, healthcare, mobility, HR tech, enterprise SaaS, travel tech, and retail, with clients across Europe, Asia, and North America. She’s been a journalist, documentary producer, and professional development educator. She is passionate about storytelling, plain language, and strong collaboration. With her one-person content studio, Character, she specializes in workshops and facilitation, but she'll also happily write the words and stories that make your software go.

Jane is also pursuing a PhD on the contemporary archaeology of the undersea fiber optic cable network, giving Character a strong foundation in infrastructure-related projects, and extremely niche information. Originally from Boston, Jane spent much of her early career in Ireland, and currently lives in the Stockholm suburbs with her partner, an epic daughter, and adorable dog, Lusse (pronounced LOOS-seh).

15 minute break.

From Ordinary to Outstanding: Delivering Quality UX With Everyday Office Tools

Who says you need specialized software to create exceptional user experiences? Often overlooked, everyday tools like spreadsheets or word processing docs can be your gateway to better collaboration, cross-functional engagement, and even innovation.

Join us to discover how simple office tools can revolutionize your design work, making complex tasks like user journey mapping, ideation, and prototyping not only possible but remarkably effective. Cut down on learning curves, and give partners like product, tech, and legal a seat at the table. Unlock a world of creativity with the software you already have.

In this session, we will:
• Challenge preconceived notions of “design tools” and embrace the extraordinary potential of everyday software
• Illustrate how a humble spreadsheet can be a powerful ally in building out user journeys, communication strategies, and aligning cross-functional teams
• Demonstrate UX concept creation and “conversation prototyping” using decks and documents
• Provide practical templates for you to adapt for your practice
• Explore strategies to use these tools to expand your influence, impact, and even advance your career

Shannon Leahy
Shannon has worked at the intersection of words, strategy, design, and people for almost 15 years. Currently, she is a senior content design manager at Adobe.

Shannon calls Richmond, Virginia home, and organizes meetups for the local content and UX communities. When she’s not exclaiming about error messages, you can find her snuggling up for movie night with her family and two dogs. Shannon’s favorite neutral is leopard print. Her superpower is asking questions…lots of questions.

15 minute break.

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15 minute break.

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15 minuted break.

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15 minute break.

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Wrapping up the day.