Matt Write's has some concerns about the choice of Dr. Don Norman as one of the keynote speakers at SolidWorks World 2008 in San Diego. The SolidSmack blog also echos a couple of these concerns.
I can understand why there might be questions about a presentation called "Emotional Design"..."emotional" being the operative word. But are we forgetting the word "design"?
Based on what I've read, Dr. Norman is a terrific choice to speak to SolidWorks Users. His credentials are impeccable - he's spent time working with design teams at Apple and Hewlett-Packard, was part of a team brought in to determine the cause of the Three Mile Island disaster (turned out to be design flaws), and in 2006 was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal for development in the field of user-centered design.
In my opinion, keynote speeches aren't necessarily designed to educate as much as they are to inspire, provoke thought, and even entertain. Sources that have heard him speak tell me that Dr. Norman will do that (and more).
I'll bet there will be plenty of emotion to go around after Dr. Norman's address - delight, awe, and surprise come to mind. I doubt that there will be any remorse, sadness, or apprehension.
Leave the tissues at home.
We'll see. I hope I'm wrong, but this looks to be on the psychology side of industrial design, not the engineering side.
I was so stoked about Woz last year, that anything would be a let down this year. I've also been reading a book about Robert Oppenheimer, and if he weren't dead, I think he would be another good choice. Still I like the Tesla suggestion.
Anyway, I know SW tries hard, and you can't please everyone, but I was hoping for some work related inspiration again this year.
Posted by: matt | October 17, 2007 at 04:29 PM
See my post about him yesterday here: http://designsmarter.typepad.com/mikepuckett/2007/10/rethinking-dr-d.html . If you have a chance, watch the YouTube video I linked. I'm interested in hearing what he has to say!
Posted by: Mike Puckett | October 18, 2007 at 04:51 PM
If I'm able to go, I'm actually looking forward to his the most. I'm actually more of a form with function guy myself.
Posted by: Josh | October 19, 2007 at 08:57 AM
Aside from the probability that most of the keynote people are not necessarily users of SolidWorks as much as purveyors of the cultural new, I think Richard is right. This is an opportunity for engineers to understand that SolidWorks is as good an industrial design tool as there is anywhere on the market, and maybe, it is time to learn how to use it in the way it was intended. Dr. Norman just might give you directions to the way.
Posted by: Michael | October 19, 2007 at 01:59 PM