Conceptual and abstract design is great, but sometimes, for users to get their jobs done in the most efficient way, why reinvent the wheel?

In this talk, Ryan explores the roots of common UI patterns, and their physical origins, and how this has helped him in his design journey, being neurodivergent. He then expands this into marketing strategies, product design and a real example of his award winning Service Design of the UK’s first paperless mortgage experience.

We begin by explaining the concept of literalism with real examples like car dashboards, UI components like accordions & carousels, and iconography like floppy disks!

Taking it up a level, Ryan talks about product-level literalism, and how companies/products like Lyft, Google Sheets and FaceTime have embraced it to their advantage for adoption and showcase 2 real case studies:

1. Jones Knowles Ritchie’s work with Dominoes pizza to redesign the product of packaging, using user research to inform the design using literalism.
2. Ryan's own, award-winning, design whilst at NatWest, of the UK’s first paperless mortgage experience.

Finally, we close with some future concepts, on how we can reverse modern technology, to embrace literalism, to bring back nostalgic dopamine from days of old.

Cassandra will explore how design can secure an equal seat at the table alongside product, engineering, and other disciplines to drive growth and impact within organizations. She will discuss the typical tensions that arise between design and other departments and how to overcome these challenges to foster collaboration and innovation.

Designers and developers work on different timelines—designers look to the future while developers build from what’s already been designed. They speak different languages and follow different processes. How can we bridge these gaps and build a more collaborative development process? In this talk, we will explore the integration of modern techniques and AI-driven tools to enhance design systems, fostering improved communication between cross-functional teams. By leveraging artificial intelligence, we can not only boost productivity and innovation but also create a more harmonious and efficient workflow for both designers and developers

Social media can be a game-changer for breaking into UX or expanding your network. However, we know that having productive discussions about our work online can be challenging.

Today, everyone is expected to be a thought leader in the public space, and controversial opinions often attract the most attention. In this session, we’ll slice through some of the misconceptions about UX to better understand them and reduce the pressure they can put on us and our careers. 


It’s a serious topic but we promise we’ll keep it light and lively!