September 2024 Speakers

Amber Reimer

Product Strategist
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Session:
Yes, And: Coupling Behavioral Science with Design Thinking to Build More Impactful Products
With the rise of Design Thinking, we've seen businesses around the globe adopt a more human-centered mindset to product creation. This has created the standards of excellence evident across the most-loved apps on our devices today.
However, in focusing solely on what is consciously desirable from a human point of view, we leave potential improvements on the table.
Amber discusses how by coupling Behavioral Science with Design Thinking, we can create products that not only address unmet conscious needs but do so in a way that leverages the unconscious functioning of the brain to increase effectiveness.
Killeen Hanson

Assistant Professor, Strategic Design & Management, The New School
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Session:
How Combinatory Research Unearths Fresh Perspectives, Jumpstarts Research, and Challenges Assumptions
What do you do when you're stuck? How do you create a fresh perspective or reframe a challenge? Killeen will share how she uses text-image and image-image mashups to jumpstart research processes, challenge assumptions, invite productive disagreement, and work collaboratively with research teams to unearth fresh perspectives and reframe challenges.
Killeen pulls from her teaching practice at The New School, her work at the New York Public Library, and her ongoing publication project, the Sobremesa Reading Club.
Mark Buccella

Design Researcher and Strategist
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Session:
The Once and Future of Workshops: Why interdisciplinary collaborative design is relevant in a post-pandemic, AI-emergent world.
Why do we have design workshops? When did they begin and how have they evolved? What role should collaborative design methods play in a future where robots can write our problem statements, do our research, draw our storyboards, generate our designs, and write our code?
Mark looks at the history of interdisciplinary design workshops, how they've evolved and changed in a post-pandemic world, and why (and how) we should keep doing them.
Katie Iwanin

Vice President, Marketing and Strategy at Minnetonka Moccasin
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Session:
Evolving a Legacy Brand
How do you evolve a legacy brand? How do you build on its heritage and strengths while evolving it for the present day — even if the heritage is at odds with modern culture?
Katie shares her experiences building a brand while honoring and uplifting the Native American community at the Minnetonka Moccasin Company and brand building during her time at Zeus Jones, where she worked with clients such as the MN Twins, General Mills, Nestle Purina, Medtronic, Facebook (now Meta), and Target.
Nora Guerrera

Curator, Connector, Strategist, and Scholar, founder of Northome Group
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Summit Host and Serendipitist
No collection of voices and expertise lacks new insights. The question is, what will it spark for you? What will you learn, what will you think about? What will it catalyze?
Embrace the opportunity of the day by beginning with an open mind, seeking new insights and inspiration, and exploring new connections.

Independent Voices/Creative Collisions is a recurring summit that showcases brilliant thought-leaders working across the intersections of design, strategy, education, and practice. It consistently attracts a vibrant audience of interesting individuals who learn, share, and participate in this engaging half-day virtual event.

Whether you're an executive leader, freelancer, educator, or practitioner, the summit is an unparalleled opportunity to challenge how you view and use design and strategy in your efforts.