Every year SXSW opens potential topics up for public vote. This year I am expanding on the technology/caregivers/Alzheimer's talk and combining forces with my longtime collaborator and pal, Evan Carroll from The Digital Beyond. We are hoping to talk about Fringe Design: Tackling Disability and Death. Here's our overview:
Who gives a f*ck about techies? We don’t.
We prefer to consider those at the fringes of life. Yes, we’re talking about incapacitation and death. It’s not fun. It’s not sexy. And it certainly won’t inspire the next wave of thoughtful design. Or will it?
Every stage of life, planned or unplanned, has its unique set of challenges, yet our focus is on the average, the repeatable and the “target audience.” What would happen if we considered audiences at the fringes of life, with real problems that are typically ignored?
Creativity flourishes when we dismiss the status quo and attack a problem with a different set of challenges. How can technology help us prepare for death? How can it help the disabled live more normal lives? And how can it help us retain our identities, even when we can’t express them anymore?
Join us to learn how designing for the fringe gives us a different perspective to unlock our creative potential. As you know, we’ll all join the fringe sooner or later.
See more on the SXSW Panel Picker. If you proposed a talk, I'd love to hear a little bit more about you --- and your topic.
And if you have an example of someone using technology to kicking the ass of a disability, I'd love to hear more about them. Right now, I'd like for you to learn more about my friend Patrick. He has ALS and is making a documentary about his life inside ALS. He's an ass-kicker.
