MK Geek Night

#25 Jun 7 2018

We're really excited to have these fantastic speakers present at MK Geek Night in June 2018.

MKGN #25 will be held on June 7th 2018 - doors open at 19.00 with our first speaker on stage around 20.00. The talks usually finish around 22.00 to 22.30, but do hang around for drinks and chat.

Topics, speakers & schedule

Timings are approximate

Westley Knight

Developing Empathy

Listen back on SoundCloud

Being able to understand your users is critical to the success of your digital product. Generating empathy can be largely undervalued by those who don't engage with their users on a regular basis. Westley will take a look at the tools that UX designers use everyday, and how these can be used to help those further removed from the user to generate empathy and create a real connection, resulting in a better product for their customers.

About Westley

Westley is a digital product designer - which is really a blend of front-end developer and user experience designer, with a little bit of UI design thrown in for good measure - based in Northampton. He’s worked in both agency and in-house environments, and has now jumped ship from full-time employment into the world of contracting. He's currently plying his trade at a large financial institute, spending time with his family and friends (and Netflix) in his free time, and somehow writing his first book in between.

Westley Knight

Anna Sexton

Give Me Five: The Crux Of Great Content

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The digital world is so busy banging on about disruption and game changers and growth hacking and transformation that maybe it's forgotten the fundamentals.

Why people communicate and why content matters.

And what really gets them laughing, bitching, sharing.

What gets them LOLing to incontinence, bellyaching like severe PMT, or spreading s**t like Monty Don with a new pitchfork and fresh manure.

We too easily forget that it is great content – in its many forms – that often makes the digital world go round. Because content is more than king.

Anna will be taking you through the five fundamental features of great content and how you can apply them in your work. By the end, you'll have found your own inner content geek, and will be ready to unleash it in all you do.

About Anna

Anna is a content marketing specialist who draws on her background in journalism and analytical work to produce content that inspires action. 

A fan of talking with people, not to them, Anna believes today's content is both an art and a science and she loves how technology helps her achieve this.

She hates the misuse of the word 'leverage', would have margherita pizza as her last meal, and is prone to saying 'I can hear you Clem Fandango' when a caller queries the phone line.

Anna Sexton

Dan Goodwin

I made a video which a million people have watched. And you could too!

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Five years ago, Dan *helped* to make a film (he's slightly misled you with the talk title, sorry / not sorry). And a few months ago 1 million people had watched it. And more people are watching it every day. Dan's a user researcher, so being involved in the creation of widely shared marketing video has left him with a case of imposter syndrome. In this talk Dan will share the story of how he got to this point and how you could too (spoiler: there are no magic secrets). Hopefully he'll show you the video too (it's really short).

About Dan

Dan is the user experience director at fffunction and loves bringing users into the design of anything and everything. He likes good coffee, good beer, and good and bad flapjacks.

 Dan Goodwin

Tom Jenkins

Expand your "Repository"

Listen back on SoundCloud

Tom will discuss why it's vital we all expand our toolset, and go outside of our comfort zones. He'll demonstrate with working examples, where expanded knowledge has enabled him to improve relationships with clients and developers alike.

About Tom

Tom Jenkins is a Solution Specialist based in Nottingham, and is now in his 8th year at the Award-winning Digital Agency JH. Tom's a specialist in strategising to make sure clients get the best eCommerce project, aligned with their overall business goals. Magento agency JH delivers end-to-end solutions, so every day Tom works with Designers and Developers internally, and his clients, to make sure the website delivered exceeds requirements, delights customers, and in turn drives sales.

Tom Jenkins

Martin Pett

Eyeware - Using immersive technologies to create more inclusive and accessible designs, spaces and services

Listen back on SoundCloud

Whilst working on a research project with the Royal National Institute for Blind people (RNIB), Martin and his team created a visual impairment simulation called Eyeware. Using a smart phone and a Google Cardboard, Eyeware simulates 7 of the major eye conditions, helping users to better understand the mobility challenges faced by people with reduced visual performance. Martin and a few colleagues have just formed a new spin out company call Theia Immersive that will be taking Eyeware to market, providing a suite of tools that will support academia/education, staff training, interface design and Architecture.

About Martin

Martin has worked across the industries championing user centered design and human factors. Whilst working at the Transport Systems Catapult in MK, he has built a Visualisation Laboratory showcasing the very latest advances in Immersive Technologies (Virtual/Augmented Reality). His small team of Human Factors consultants, 3D Modelling and Unity/software developers have been focusing on delivering innovative solutions and application of immersive technology for the Transport Industry, with a particular focus on how they can be used to assist decision making, conveying complex data/ideas and supporting stakeholder engagement.

Martin Pett
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