What is UX for Good?
UX for Good is a wildly ambitious effort to design systemic solutions for some of the most vexing social challenges. Top user experience designers convene to tackle problems that matter in the only design event of its kind. Assisting the designers are leading philanthropic change makers and some of the most interesting, creative thinkers we can find.
In May 2012, we convened leading user experience designers (UX designers) from across the U.S. to construct models to address two big problems facing the New Orleans music community: adapting its unique artistic mix to the digital economy and ensuring support for musicians who fall on hard times. Partnering with The Grammys and MusiCares, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative, the UX designers' unique skills and perspective were leveraged to advance the greater good - ensuring music remains an abundant and treasured resource in this great American city.
The Latest
Our Next Gotham City
Jeff Leitner
In 2011, we put out the call and UX designers descended on Chicago, tackling a broad range of social challenges, including urban violence, economic sustainability and community mental health. In 2012, we sounded the alarm and UX designers came to New Orleans, going deep to improve the lives of local musicians.
We're now planning for May 2013 and looking for the next challenge and community in distress. Shortly, we'll put out an application that organizations and communities can use to solicit our help. Ideal candidates will work closely with us to create an extraordinary event, help us line up experts and people in need to interview, and gather the goods and services we need to pull this off. If you’re an ideal candidate, follow us on Twitter to hear when the application is out. If you know of an ideal candidate, let them know.
Putting the You in
UX for Good
Jason Ulaszek
I know definitively that UX designers don't know how powerful they are. Having just wrapped our second UX for Good event, I have worked alongside some of the most talented UX designers in the country - and even they didn't know the value they bring to every challenge, including the most intractable social challenges. We don't appreciate our unique ability to actively listen, empathize, connect the disparate and visualize holistic solutions.
In New Orleans, we sketched out powerful and transformative ideas in only a few days. Now comes time to make those ideas real. Together with our rock star designers, we will be lining up more designers, technologists, entrepreneurs and foundations to help bring these ideas to life and to begin improving the lives of musicians and their families in New Orleans. If you'd like to be part of this effort - breathing life into the ideas we developed in New Orleans - please contact me and tell me how.
