The most important date for 2017. From Business to Buttons 2017 in Stockholm will be held 27 April! We have talked to Johan Berndtsson COO & Founder of inUse, and organizer of FBTB.
Get your ticket now – Early Bird – From Business to Buttons 2017!
27 April, 2017! Make a note in your calender! It's the date for From Business to Buttons 2017 conference!
Here's our chat with Johan Berndtsson COO & Founder of inUse, and organizer of FBTB.
First... If there's anyone who don't know. What is From Business to Buttons?
– Odd name, isn't it? From Business to Buttons – or FBTB – is Scandinavia's premier User Experience and Service Design conference. It's held annually in Stockholm, Sweden, and takes aim at the intersection of business and digital design. We like to think of it as the meeting place for everyone who wants inspiration, and hands-on advice, on how to generate business value by creating great user experiences.
It's been ten years. What has happened since that first conference in 2007?
– Time flies... Well, a lot! The first conferences were multi-track events, with mostly Swedish speakers. A few years ago we changed to a one-track setup to give all the participants a shared experience, and we got a fantastic response. The setup with rather short talks, and "longish" breaks between sessions seems to be the perfect setup to get inspired, and share that inspiration with the other participants. We also decided to go, almost exclusively, with carefully selected international speakers. People that you ordinarily would have to travel thousands of miles to see, are now coming to us instead.
There it is. The key. Engagement.
The conference has sold out almost every year since the beginning. Why do you think that the conference is so popular?
– One answer, of course, is that the the event has grown as the general interest in User Experience and Service Design has gotten bigger. Today these topics are at the top of the agenda in every steering group and board room. Another answer, I think, is the athmosphere we create together with the participants. When we ask the participants what they appreciate the most, the most common answer is "the whole experience", and when they're asked to single out factors they specifically mention the speakers, the inspiration and the ideas they get from the talks and the discussions with their peers. Another factor that I think is important is that our setup gives every designer, product manager, et cetera acccess to top class international speakers and a world class conference experience without traveling to the other side of the world. Saving both time and money.
The first speaker is unveiled: Jaime Levy (US)
The theme for 2017. Engagement. Can you tell us a bit about that?
– Sure. UX and Service Design are now at the center of attention in all organisations. As should be. So, how do we leverage this interest and take this to the next level? How do we weave it into the very fabric of our organisations?
– Creating solutions that make everyday life easier and more fun require clear strategy, deep understanding of human behavior, extraordinary digital design skills, creative and efficient teams, great processes, and the endurance to push your team and organisation forward. We need to truly understand how to engage the customers, the users, the citizens. To know their deepest desires. We need to engage the teams, all members, to achieve great results together. And we need to engage top management, to fundamentally change the organisations that we work for. There it is. The key. And the theme for the conference. Engagement.
Engagement on many different levels, and in many different ways... As sort of a way to "unlock the next achievement"?
– Well, yes, if you want to. Or as the key for reaching the next level, when user satisfaction, or customer value, is at the core of the business, and carefully designing the intersection between business and user – is the key to success. As usual, some of the speakers will address this theme head on, and others will have topics related to UX and Service Design in general.
Finally, what are your expectations on FBTB 2017?
– That's easy. That it will be every bit as fun and inspiring as always. That I will meet lots of interesting people, both new and people that I've met before. That I get new ideas that will help me in my work, both as a designer and as someone who sells design.
Thank you! Looking forward to the conference!
– And thank you!
Get your ticket now – Early Bird – From Business to Buttons 2017!