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webdirections | september 26-29 2006

Web Directions 06 was four days of education, enlightenment, inspiration, knowledge sharing, and networking. Over the coming weeks we'll be making the podcasts available, so make sure you subscribe, and we've already got some of the speaker's notes and slides to hand - more to come soon! You'll find all of these in the WD06 resources section of the site

Web Directions Blog

Douglas Bowman interview in Digital Web Magazine

One of my very favourite web designers, in fact thinkers, writers, and speakers about the Web is Douglas Bowman. Web Directions actually owes a lot to Douglas. He, Joe Clark and Dave Shea were all speakers at the first conference that Maxine and I helped organize, WE04, way back in 2004. We enjoyed all their company so much that we knew we had to do more conferences. So here, some years later, we have united the original contingent of international speakers, with many others, for Web Directions North.

Im particularly pleased that we have lured Douglas out of his self imposed retirement from speaking. In fact, the other organizers thought we had zero chance of getting him to speak - but through my charm, and threat to release previously unseen photos of Douglas snowboarding in New Zealand, he relented. I should have taken a side bet on whether he’d agree or not.

Douglas also very generously agreed to do an interview with me, that Digital Web Magazine is running this week. So head on over to Digital Web and hear what one of the web’s most influential designers has to say about the present and future of the web.

Posted by John on 24/01/07 at 9:48 am | No Comments »

Microsoft parties at Whistler

Let’s face it, we tech folk tend to often be indoors types, and social side of conferences is often indoor-focused parties.

That’s one of the main reasons with Web Directions North we decided to add some adventure - trips to Blackcomb Whistler after the formal part of the conference is over.

The response has been pretty amazing, so much so that we’ll be adding

extra coaches for the trip up. Don’t be afraid if you have never skied or boarded before, there’ll be plenty of people just like you, and lots of people to lend you all kind of encouragement and support.

But if you are still not convinced, how’s this?

Microsoft’s browser and web development tool teams are sponsors of Web Directions North, and in addition to all their other great support, are sponsoring the Whistler Trip. On both Friday and Saturday, the fantastic GLC bar at the base of the main ski lift will be open to WDN attendees for free food and drinks from 12 noon all the way to 6pm, when the coach will pick you up to whisk you back to Vancouver.

Most of our speakers, all of the organizers, and many of your peers will be heading up the hill. So, why not take an extra day or two and join us?

We’re doing the trip at cost, $CDN120 gets you the return coach, plus lift tickets, plus an open bar and food in one of Whistler’s best bars. The trip is only open to conference goers, just another reason to get on up to Vancouver for Web Directions North

Thanks to the Microsoft browser and dev tools teams for all your support!

Posted by John on 23/01/07 at 12:23 pm | No Comments »

Video Interviews with Web Directions Speakers

During Web Directions South, Japanese web standards powerhouse Kazuhito Kidachi, who has attended all of our conferences down under, did an interview with John Allsopp about all kinds of things, but with a strong focus on microformats. Part one of the interview is here, and part two, here in English, with Japanese subtitles.

He also spoke with web standards legend, and one of our favourite people here at Web Directions, Molly Holzschlag. Part one of the interview with Molly is here, and part 2 is here.

It’s great production values, and also subtitled into Japanese for our Japanese visitors. So go and take a look.

Posted by John on 17/01/07 at 10:57 am | No Comments »

Pricing now staying at $895! (and check out the closing night party from Media Temple)

As record snow falls continue in Whistler, Web Directions North is really heating up.

We had planned to raise the price to $CDN995 this week, but because we have had some great support from sponsors (more news on that soon) and because interest has been so strong, we’ve decided to keep the price at $895 until tickets sell out. If there are any left, we’ll have walk in pricing of $995.


So if you are keen to come and see one heck of a lineup, at one heck of a price, in fantastic Vancouver, you might like to get a move on.


But wait! If you don’t think that two fully catered days of some of the best web design and development experts sharing their know how in extended sessions (each speaker gets an hour, giving them plenty of tie to really get detailed), along with a fully catered conference reception is quite enough, how about a closing night party at a special secret location, organized by Media Temple. Media Temple really know how to throw a party, if you have ever been to South by Southwest, their now legendary closing night parties are simply sensational. They also know how to host web sites, and their upcoming gridserver looks simply revolutionary (and I thought that before they so generously offered to sponsor us).

Thanks guys for giving us such great support!

john, for the web directions north team

Posted by John on 17/01/07 at 9:25 am | No Comments »

WDN Student Scholarships

I’m very proud of this, and very much hope we can do it for all our conferences.

As conference organizers, speakers and attendees, Dave, Derek, Maxine and John have long been aware that while a good conference can be an unbeatable benefit for your career, they are definitely out of the price range of those in our industry who might benefit most — students. We strongly believe that today’s students will have an important role in the future of the web.

Throughout the planning of the conference, we’ve been working on a way to make attending more affordable for full time students in fields related to web design and development. Initially we had hoped to get a sponsor on board for this, and we had some encouraging discussions to that end, but in the time we had this just didn’t prove possible.

We all feel this is an important goal for the conference and our industry, so today we introduce scholarship pricing for students. We have set aside 30 conference seats at $195 (CDN) each for qualifying students. This covers our direct costs per person but not the overall conference costs. If your company would like to sponsor the program, please drop us a line.

To qualify you must be a full-time student in a related field (design, computer science, or a specific web development course, for example) and not currently in professional employment. We are limiting the program to 30 students, and we want to ensure that those who benefit from it are those who need it the most. Please note — when you pick up your conference badge you will be required to show valid identification with an expiry date after February 10th that verifies you are a full time student.

This special scholarship pricing of $195 gives you two days of the conference, fully-catered lunch and breaks, and two receptions - one each night of the conference. This is your chance to meet with peers, industry leaders, and many potential employers, including some of the very biggest names on the web.

To take advantage, if you qualify please use our regular registration page and enter the following code to receive your special discount:

WDNSCH

We really look forward to bringing Web Directions North to the next generation of leaders on the web. See you in February.

Dave, Derek, Maxine and John

Posted by John on 12/01/07 at 12:15 pm | No Comments »

Web Directions Discount Deadline Extended to January 14

Web Directions North is almost upon us — with attendees coming from all over the world, some great sponsors are helping to make the event even more special, and of course, a bumper snow fall is making the after-conference ski trip just keep getting better.

But that discount pricing deadline of $895CDN (about $USD770), originally scheduled to end on December 31st, is looming. Because it’s a tricky time of year, with all those public holidays, to arrange things, we’ve had some requests to extend it. We heard you, and the deadline for this pricing is now midnight, January 14th Pacific time.

And as one last holiday bonus, if you sign up by January 5th you’ll get a chance at winning either a free spot at one of our workshops, or one of two spots on our ski trip, so don’t delay, get in there and register now.

Posted by Maxine on 11/01/07 at 10:22 am | No Comments »

Mark Pesce on the iPhone

It should come as no surprise to anyone who heard Mark Pesce speak at Web Directions that he’d be excited by the iPhone. The reality, people who have beendead for several years are excited by the iPhone. Anyway, Mark is one of the web’s deep thinkers, and excellent writers, and gnerally makes me ashamed of my puerile rantings when I read his erudite pieces.

Mark concludes

While the iPhone both excites and dazzles me with its ingenuity, design and inventiveness, I am not completely satisfied with it. It is still a phone, an iPod, and an “internet communicator” rolled into one. It is not, in any true sense, wholly integrated. There is no way for my friends in San Francisco, with their iPhones, to know what my favorite songs are, or what I’m listening to at the moment, or what I’m reading on the web, or who I’m texting. It is halfway to the social device which I see as the inevitable end point. But the rest is just software. The hardware platform is there, ready and waiting, and will be disrupted by a dozen innovations that no one can yet predict

Check out the whole piece, and listen to his related closing keynote at Web Directions South 2006, Youbiquity (along with slides, and related resources).

By contrast, my puerile piece can be found here.

John

Technorati Tags: iPhone

Posted by John on 11/01/07 at 10:21 am | 3 Comments »

Digital Web/Web Directions design competition update

You’ve got until just Monday to get your designs in for the Digital Web design a snowboard competition, to win a ticket to the conference, trips to Whister on the after conference ski trip, as well as a tonne of other great prices, including 50% off for life on Media Temple’s innovative new grid based web hosting service, a copy of Adobe Studio 8, great books from Friends of Ed, New Rider, iStockPhoto Credit, a copy of BBEdit, and more.

All you need to do is design a snowboard - you can grab a blank from here, and check out the current designs for some inspiration here. They can be stylish, witty, minimal, whatever. I can see myself riding this one

a good mix of style and quirkiness - the way I ride (in my dreams, I think I just ride quirky) but there are other great designs there too.

You’ve got ’til Monday, so block out some time this weekend, and you’ll have a great shot at some greeat prizes.

A big thank you to the wonderful Digital Web magazine for putting together such a great competition!

Posted by John on 1/12/06 at 8:29 am | No Comments »

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