IxDA Toronto

I hear this a lot, "why start a new IxDA group in [my town]? there is
already [this org]."

Most large cities already have some sort of UX group. What that
phrase doesn't take into account is that one of the primary reasons
for a face-to-face group to exist is to bring the virtual into the
real.

That is to say, that there is a global virtual community called IxDA.
Many of these people are probably in Toronto (in this case). They feel
a connection to that virtual community but want to bring the feeling
of that experience to a more real environment. The fact that there is
an existing group no matter how similar or separate exists, can never
address this big reason for creating a new local group.

Now, that doesn't mean that new groups and existing groups can't
figure out ways to cohabitate, coordinate, cooperate, consolidate,
etc. etc. Cities like Portland, LA and Silicon Valley (ok, a region
not a city) have done variations on this themselves.

Now, I'm completely and utterly biased here, but I do want to say
that there is something different about IxDA for me. I'm in other
communities and value them, but IxDA is just different. It's
combination of speaking from the perspective of Design while focusing
on the discipline and practice instead of on the practitioner, and
dealing specifically with that aspect of the discipline known as
interaction has created a special community that has not been
repeated elsewhere virtually, or from what I can tell locally.

I have tremendous respect for good organizations on the ground in all
the cities of the world, but after now 4 solid years of existence, I
feel confident that every city that wants one should and could have
its own local face-to-face organization and that does not mean that
it intrinsically is competing. It is just doing what is the next
natural step. Being real and true to itself.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://gamma.ixda.org/discuss?post=21743

Totally viable ... Let's see how it falls out. Reach out to the original
poster. Put him/her in touch w/ Irregulars, etc.

What I personally (not speaking as a board member) feel is that UX != IxD
and thus if someone wants a specialized IxDA group it probably means they
agree with that.

BTW, there are so many software companies in Toronto and agencies, etc. It
is the largest city in Canada, no? I mean if Chicago (a comparable sized
city) can have 4 or 5 groups then so should Toronto.

- dave

On 10/22/07, Matthew Nish-Lapidus <mattnl at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I agree that an IxDA specific group is a great idea ... and in some
> cities there are probably enough people interested to support multiple
> groups, but so far in Toronto I haven't seen it. The one existing
> group isn't very big, and I think the overlap between it and an IxDA
> group would be 100%.
>
> I'm not sure the Toronto IxD/UX community is large enough to support
> multiple groups... unless I'm just totally out of the loop.
>
> Now, maybe the existing UXIrregulars group could become the local IxDA
> outpost ...
>
>
> On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 14:09:46, David Malouf <dave at ixda.org> wrote:
> > I hear this a lot, "why start a new IxDA group in [my town]? there is
> > already [this org]."
> >
> > Most large cities already have some sort of UX group. What that
> > phrase doesn't take into account is that one of the primary reasons
> > for a face-to-face group to exist is to bring the virtual into the
> > real.
> [snip]
> > I have tremendous respect for good organizations on the ground in all
> > the cities of the world, but after now 4 solid years of existence, I
> > feel confident that every city that wants one should and could have
> > its own local face-to-face organization and that does not mean that
> > it intrinsically is competing. It is just doing what is the next
> > natural step. Being real and true to itself.
>
> --
> Matt Nish-Lapidus
> email/gtalk: mattnl at gmail.com
> ++
> LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mattnl
> Home: http://www.nishlapidus.com
>

--
David Malouf
http://synapticburn.com/
http://ixda.org/
http://motorola.com/

Thanks for organizing this! Any of the locations is fine with me, but
I'll put my vote in Future Bakery.

JoAnne

JoAnne Wang
Principal User Experience Architect
tandemseven

773.710.5409 mobile

http://www.tandemseven.com

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of
Parth Upadhye
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 2:02 PM
To: discuss at ixda.org
Subject: [IxDA Discuss] IxDA Toronto

I have received a few responses to this thread, and interest in a Face
to Face.

Face 2 Face

Date: Tuesday October 30, 2007 (6:30PM)

Topic: "Interaction Design :: User Experience"

Location:Pick one of below
1. Spadina and Queen [Lettieri Cafe] (subway & streetcar) 2. Bloor
[Future's Cafe near Spadina] (subway) 3. Little Italy [Cafe Diplomatico]
(bus) 4. Danforth and Pape (subway)

I look forward to hearing from everyone.

Cheers

Parth Upadhye
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I think there is room for different kinds of groups in Toronto, and
other cities like it. At one time, Toronto Interacts (UPA), TorCHI (ACM
SIGCHI) and the Toronto UXIrregulars all co-existed I believe. I've been
to events here where 30-40 people in the industry showed up -- it's all
about finding the topics people want to discuss, and the right format to
discuss them in. There are more people out here than you think!

As for groups in the city, Toronto Interacts seems to have fallen off
the radar, and TorCHI has all but done the same (and isn't doing itself
any favours by advertising its events a mere two days in advance,
sadly).

Then there's UXIrregulars, which is great, but the get-togethers are by
natural very informal -- they seem to be friends catching up with each
other and gabbing about the industry. (I haven't been able to make it
out for quite some time though, so if I'm wrong someone please correct
me!) The group has its place, and I would come out more if I could, but
I feel there's room for more.

My point is that I completely agree with Dave. I feel a connection to
IXDA, more than any other organization I've been a part of, and I'm
interested in extending that into a face-to-face discussion. Perhaps it
could be something slightly more formal and organized than UXIrregulars,
but less organized and academic than TorCHI, which generally presents in
a lecture format where people barely even speak to each other.

I'm interested in the formats other IXDA F2Fs have been using -- do you
just chat over drinks about random things, have a round-table discussion
about a particular topic, or have a lecturer present on a topic? I
haven't paid much attention so far because I knew I couldn't attend!

Meredith