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Title:

Desktop Theatre: Thinking Like a Stage Director

Your vote:
Yes No
Organizer:
Kevin Stevens, Ecology and Environment
Description:
What if you treated your app like a theatre and users like the audience? A great story has a tight plot and holds everyone spellbound. Thinking like a director during the design process is a great tool for helping guide the user’s attention. Bring your popcorn and raise the curtain!
Questions
Answered:
  1. Why do people go see a play?
  2. How does that help me design my app?
  3. When will backwards thinking help me move forward?
  4. If this is a play, then who is the director?
  5. Who's in the cast, anyway?
  6. If plays have scripts, what do applications have?
  7. What can collaboration in theatre teach me about creating good software?
  8. Which do you choose, diva or character actor?
  9. What if my story sucks?
  10. Does the audience know what we missed?
Level:
Beginner
Category:
Design Thinking, Interface Design, Other / Out There, User Experience
Type:
Solo
Event:
Interactive 2010
Kevin Stevens
on 17/8/09
Not surprisingly for the first comment, I'm the organizer. I've spent ten years in both professional theatre and software engineering (with some overlap) and have been amazed by how much of what I have learned as an actor and director helps with producing good software.

If nothing else, thanks for taking a look at the idea! Hope to see you in Austin.
Kevin Stevens
on 18/8/09
Let me add a little bit more detail to the bio, now that I have a little bit more time.

First, I can virtually guarantee that I will be the only person at SXSW who:

1. Has a degree in acting
2. Has a degree in computer science
3. Worked for Siegfried and Roy

And to keep things entertaining and to show off my speaking/presenting chops; back in the day I won the Young Comedians contest at Catch a Rising Star in Las Vegas.

It's my goal to draw parallels between software and theatre, both of which needs to direct people's attention to what is important.
Andy Mehalick
on 24/8/09
This is a cool idea, you get my vote...
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Developed for SXSW by Lindsey Simon