5 x Design Tips for Slush

Startup and technology event Slush takes over the expo and convention centre Messukeskus Helsinki 30 November and 1 December. Here are Helsinki Design Week’s tips for design-enthusiasts visiting Slush.

1. Freedom or Safety? Giving Up Decision Making for Smarter Cities

The new technologies in mobility such as connected cars improve our safety and help us in infrastructure and traffic planning. But if algorithms are in charge of our safety, what is safe enough? Where do we draw the line? Also, which decisions should be up to individuals and which regulated by socities? What is the balance between freedom of choice and safety in mobility? Simon Levene, co-founder and partner at Mosaic Ventures asks the questions while we hope to get insights from Bruno Fernandez-Ruiz, co-founder and CTO of Nexar and Josh Mohrer, former GM of Uber New York.

What: Freedom or Safety? Giving Up Decision Making for Smarter Cities
Who: Simon Levene, Josh Mohrer
Where: Fireside Stage
When: 30.11. at 12.15

2. Designing for Use, Not Addiction

Even though the trend is obviously towards an increasing use of social media there still seems to be more and more refuseniks trying to do whatever it takes to avoid it. Many of the former enthusiasts have noticed the addictive ways in which we are lured into the online life fueled by the likes that feed our ego. Like the slow food movement that was trying to make us be aware and take control over what our bodies consume, we now need to turn to slow web and take control over what our brains consume.

What: Designing for Use, Not Addiction
Who: Tariq Krim
Where: Fireside Stage
When: 30.11. at 12.45

3. If We Started from Scratch What Would Schools Look Like?

Since schools are so established institutions what’s the best way to develop them? Can tech help us in bringing more immersive ways of learning? What’s the role of teachers in all of this? One of the speakers is Saku Tuominen, whose company HundrED tracks the best school-related innovations globally and then shares them.

What: If We Started from Scratch What Would Schools Look Like?
Who: Saku Tuominen, Marta Sjögren, Michael Bodekaer, Esther Wojicki
Where: Fireside Stage
When: 30.11. at 13.30

4. New Forms of Design – Reimagining Creativity

User interface design specialist and a design partner at True Ventures Jeffrey Veen talks about the new forms of design. The two other speakers in this event are Roelof Pieters and Alex Champandard from the startup creative.ai.

What: New Forms of Design – Reimagining Creativity
Who: Jeffrey Veen, Roelof Pieters, Alex Champandard
Where: Central Stage
When: 1.12. at 11.00

5. Preparing Our Kids for Jobs That Don’t Exist Yet

Kids nowadays might be better at recognizing TV show or game characters than actual animals. How do we reinstall the link between nature and children? Then again, even if many of the millennial’s hobbies might seem pointless or like a waste of time for us, they can actually act as a seed or a spark in the future skill set needed. Linda Liukas, founder of Rails Girls and author of Hello Ruby will lead the discussion on nurturing childhood creativity and curiosity with Zach Klein, co-founder of both Vimeo and DIY.

What: Preparing Our Kids for Jobs That Don’t Exist Yet
Who: Linda Liukas & Zach Klein
Where: Fireside Stage
When: 1.12. at 15.55