Momentum: The User Experience Professionals Association

The User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA) conference in DC was another opportunity for spinning dreams and making connections.  Plus a place to begin practicing my Spanish (Tengo que aprender español, pero yo no hablo todavía - sólo un poco!)  During the conference I met and brainstormed with three incredible folks from Latin America.  They are full of such energy and creativity!

Claudia Gutierrez is a professor in Chile and has great contacts throughout the region.  She is also the woman who leads the Spanish Translation Team for UX magazine.  She volunteered to do Spanish language coaching via Skype.  ¡Hola!

She and I also discussed a wide range of ideas - including ways to engage both academics and professionals across the region.  We cooked up the idea of a Development Consortium for Latin America that we propose to take place at next year's UXPA conference in London.  This would be modeled after Development Consortia that have taken place at the CHI conference.  We would bring key people from a region in the so-called "developing world" (at CHI, it was South Africa for one and Brazil for another) to the conference right before the conference starts. They would spend a day (or two) discussing how to build, nourish, and support a regional community - and then generate plans and recommendations for what they need from each other and from the organization to sustain their growing community.  The Consortium is a community-building activity itself but it also focuses on extending and growing community.  It's been a very successful model in the SIGCHI community and it seemed to us that it would be a wonderful event at UXPA - if the Board approves it.

At the final reception, I also met Adriana Betiol, who is the Regional Director for Latin America on the UXPA Board.  What a wonderful conversation!  Adriana is from Brazil and has been doing a great job of representing Latin America to the Board which works hard to make sure there is international input and reactions to ideas.  Adriana also oversees the Portuguese translations for UX Magazine.  

I created a proposal for the Development Consortium and submitted it to the Board the night before I left (actually, it was at about 2:30 am - and I had to be up and out by 4:30 am!)  The Board met after the conference this year, but did not get to discuss it fully.  However, I am hopeful that they will approve the proposal later this year, once the website has finally launched and other loose ends have been sorted out.

Oscar Yepez is from Peru but now works in Boston.  We spoke of ideas throughout the conference and then, brainstormed in an extremely early morning (o'dark-thirty!) cab ride to the airport.  Once we arrived, we then sat together in the terminal for more brainstorms.  Such exciting ideas - including ways we might make a Development Consortium work at UXPA if the Board approves it.

I am so incredibly impressed by these wonderful folks and can't wait to work directly with them!  I was excited before - but now I am practically flying!