Here are the slides from my closing plenary at WebExpo in Prague, Czech Republic on 22 September 2012. A few rants, a few truths, a few goofy opinions, but backed up with a little experience, too.

1. Beyond responsiveness
Observations
Stories
Lessons
Eric Reiss
@elreiss
WebExpo
22 September 2012
Prague, Czech Republic

2. “There is nothing left to invent…”
Charles H. Duell
U.S. Patent Commissioner, 1899
(Urban myth)

3. But there was much reason to
believe that this was true…

5. Could there also be too much
complacency in our industry today?

7. Can we put our work into
historical perspective?

8. First commercial
automobile
First series-produced Wall St. crash
automobiles
First assembly line
1895 00 05 10 15 20 25 30 1935
1993 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 2001
First commercial
CMS
First commercial Dot-bomb
websites
First commercial
web browser

9. So, we’re somewhere in the 1980s...

10. < 1989
2012 >

11. Lessons I have learned
� Don’t respond to the device
� Don’t love the technology
� Don’t worship the form
� Don’t become a slave to process

12. Lessons I have learned
� Don’t respond to the device
� Don’t love the technology
� Don’t worship the form
� Don’t become a slave to process

13. re·spon·sive
adj
1 : responding, reacting
2 : quick to react

17. Responsive design?
Responsive content?
Mobile first?

19. I’d like to suggest a new term:
Proactive Design

21. Proactive design...
1. Is situationally aware
� Location-based services
� Motion-based services
� Time-based services
2. Recognizes patterns
3. Predicts needs

22. Users

23. Anticipating needs
(the problem)

24. You can’t be everything to everybody.
You end up being nothing for anybody.

25. < Official website for the city of Prague
91 links
0 focus

26. No clicks – everything is in play

27. 1st click – is there a preference?

28. 2nd click – this could be a pattern

29. Third click – yes, there’s a pattern

30. Fourth click – time to zero in

31. Fourth click – time to zero in

32. Eric’s life-lesson #1
Don’t respond to the device.
Anticipate the needs of those
who will use the device.

33. Lessons I have learned
� Don’t respond to the device
� Don’t love the technology
� Don’t worship the form
� Don’t become a slave to process

34. People
Technologies
Processes

35. Eric’s life-lesson #2
Don’t love the technology.
Love what the technology can do.
Keep your goals in focus.

36. Lessons I have learned
� Don’t respond to the device
� Don’t love the technology
� Don’t worship the form
� Don’t become a slave to process

37. Source: Standard screen patterns by Theresa Neil

38. Design patterns are not design!

39. Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

40. Chicago San Gimignano
Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

41. Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

42. Chicago San Gimignano
Photos by Isabella J. Fortino

46. Eric’s life-lesson #3
Don’t worship the form.
Embrace the content and context.
If content is king, context is the kingdom.

47. Lessons I have learned
� Don’t respond to the device
� Don’t love the technology
� Don’t worship the form
� Don’t become a slave to process

48. Scrum – not an agile process!

49. ag·ile
adj
1 : able to move quickly and easily
2 : mentally quick and resourceful

50. The three Scrum questions
1. What did you do yesterday?
2. What will you do today
3. What is blocking your progress?

52. Imposing Scrum on Columbus:
1. What did you do yesterday?
I sailed west.
2. What will you do today?
Sail back to where I was yesterday.
3. What is blocking your progress?
These fucking Scrum meetings!

53. My Favourite Process
DWYNTDTGTSD*
Do What You Need To Do To Get The Shit Done
* pronounced “dwyntdtgtsd”

54. Eric’s life-lesson #4
Don’t become a slave to process.
Break the rules. Accept the unexpected.

55. Bonus lesson!
� Don’t sacrifice your users for the benefit
of your employer

56. Count Helmuth von Moltke
No battle plan
survives contact
with the enemy.

57. What’s your plan when you visit Amazon?
Make Jeff rich? Or buy a book?

58. Eric’s life-lesson #5
Don’t sacrifice your users for the
benefit of your employer.
No business plan has ever
succeeded without customers.

59. Bad design causes bad results

60. Good design wins customers

61. You CAN
change the world!
So get on with it!

62. Děkuji!

63. You can (usually) find Eric at:
The FatDUX Group ApS
Strandøre 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77
Mobile: (+45) 20 12 88 44
Twitter: @elreiss
er@fatdux.com
www.fatdux.com