Design Slam This Saturday

The local BarCamp phenomenon doesn’t stop with DemoCamp (see this entry about the last one). The next event takes place this Saturday: Design Slam, or SlamCamp!

If you’ve got friends in the black turtleneck crowd or move among their number, you’re probably familiar with the concept of a poetry slam: a live event in which poets read or perform their work, which is then rated by the audience.

A design slam is something along the same lines, except it’s about technology rather than poetry. Attendees will be randomly grouped into “agencies”, who will then be presented with a problem by a fictitious company. They’ll be given a set block of time to design and pitch their idea to the company, who will then choose the winning proposal.

As with DemoCamp, there a few rules and they are simple:

1. Bring your brain. You’re going to need it.
2. No computers! This is about design, not implementation. Real design, as the design slam web page astutely notes, is done with your brains and your peers.

Here are the details:

• Date: Saturday, February 25, 2006
• Time: 2:30 – 6:00. awards ceremony to follow. Drinks afterwards for those so inclined.
• Location: Navantis, Inc. 21 Randolph Avenue, Toronto, ON
• Expected Attendance: All are welcome! Please add yourself to the Attendees list below so we have some idea of the size of the crowd.
• Format: 30 minute Client Presentation, 2 hours of Slamming, 1 hour of Team Presentations
• Drinks, snacks and Lunch Provided:
• Sponsors: We need sponsors for things like the Slam

  consumables – flipchart paper, markers, etc as well as prizes for the

  top teams. Email mmilan at gmail.com if you think you can help out with any of these.