Speaking at FOWD

Back in may I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to speak at FOWD (The Future of Web Design), at the Brewery in London.

I was asked to take part on the 'rising stars' track, which is (although a flattering title) the smaller second track at the event, which was perfect for my first time speaking. It was great to be able to take part and really find out what speaking at events like this is all about.

A selection of my FOWD slides

To be totally honest, I wouldn't say I'm the most confident public speaker, but this felt like the right time and place for my first chance at conference speaking. I wanted to try and get out of my comfort zone, but I wouldn't have gone ahead if I felt I didn't have something valuable to get across.

The topic of my talk was 'designing for startups'. For the last couple of years I've been working with USA based startup companies and noticed how different it is from 'normal' client or agency work. The opportunities that it offers are great, and often missed out on by designers who aren't really sure what to expect from working with new companies in another country. The overall aim of my talk was to share some of my experiences, shed some light on what it is like to work for a startup company in the US and hopefully encourage others in the web design community to try it out.

A few more of my FOWD slides

Overall I was pleased with the way everything went, it was really nice meeting up with some new and familiar faces and being able to take in some great talks. I was admittedly a little nervous, but by the end my nerves had settled and also had the opportunity to take some questions from the super friendly attendees.