Conference & Workshops

Madison, WI | August 23 - 24 | 2018

Join us Aug 23-24, 2018

Memorial Union // Madison, WI

Get inspired by practitioners using thoughtful design to make things better for projects, people, and our world. Join us in pushing the boundaries of design while soaking up sparkling lake views, local microbrews and cheese, and the vibrant collegiate traditions of Madison, Wisconsin.

Early bird conference ticket: $349

Early bird non-profit conference ticket: $299*
*When you register, please use your work email address so we can verify your organization’s non-profit status–think .gov, .edu email address.

Workshop details and registration will be released soon.

Previous Speakers

Haley Van Dyck

Co-founder, United States Digital Service

Haley Van Dyck

Russ Wilson

Director, Cloud UX, Google

Russ Wilson

Tobias Ahlin

Lead Experience Designer, Minecraft

Tobias Ahlin

Sophia Voychehovski

Founder and Lead UXer, Rewired

Sophia Voychehovski

Karl Groves

Accessibility Advocate + Expert, Web Developer, Tenon.io

Karl Groves

Meena Kothandaraman

Experience Strategist at twig+fish

Meena Kothandaraman

Meghan Louttit

Deputy Editor, Digital Design, The New York Times

Meghan Louttit

Moira O’Neal

Senior Researcher & Director of Interpretation, FrameWorks Institute

Moira O’Neal

Quotes From Past Attendees

“Meeting people was so easy. It was incredibly natural (yes, I am an introvert so I do appreciate this a lot–it can be stifling sometimes otherwise–and I would come back!). It seemed to draw in creative people who are building things for people and this is where working with technology needs to be.”

– Attendee, Better by Design 2016

“The strength of the presenters, and the great food – you make it easy for people who are looking for specific less common options. In general, this is a very well-run conference. It amazes me that this is what it looks like already in only its second year.”

– Attendee, Better by Design 2017

“This is an easy-access conference that brings in great speakers/facilitators. Because it is local and relatively inexpensive it’s easy for my supervisor to say yes to. In addition to giving me new ways to think about my work, it also gives me connections to others that I don’t find in other ways.”

– Attendee, Better by Design 2017

Memorial Union

This year Better By Design is at the historic Memorial Union Terrace overlooking University Bay. Drink a brew and soak up the sun, listen to free music or catch a film by the water, and enjoy some Babcock Dairy ice cream. What’s not to love?

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