5 things I took away from sxswi 2011.

1. Example with a full-bleed image 1 SXSWi March 11-15 2011

2. SXSWi 5 days of non-stop talks, panels, meet ups, booths, shows and parties among designers, developers, artists, educators, journalists, film makers, musicians, strategists, business and social entrepreneurs in Austin, TX. Best part for me was the energy and stimulation; getting to learn about other areas, thinking laterally and seeing what I can apply. 2

3. Five take-aways

4. 1 The Game Layer will be built in the next decade like the Social Layer was built in the last. The social layer framework is Facebook. It owns the digital representation of social connections for 500 million people and has an open graph protocol so when you want to build on the social layer you build with Facebook. The game layer traffics in influence of individual motivation vs. social connections. It has the potential to be 10x more influential on our lives. Impacting our daily routines, what we buy and where we go. See: Seth Priebatsch 4

5. 2 The gap between the physical and the virtual world is closing. The virtual world will become more life-like. The physical world will become more virtual-like. The computer in your pocket will act as a bridge or translator between these worlds until there is a more seamless interface. For example, digital contact lenses are currently being developed at MIT. See: #ARSXSW 5

6. 3 A higher order purpose is critical. You have to be about something people can get behind. This came up in the context of a User Experience talk but was echoed elsewhere too. Why an organization does what they do; the change they are trying to manifest in the world is crucial to articulate and propagate. The clearer the purpose, the clearer the product. The more focused your people will be. The more satisfied your customers will be. And the better your UX will be. See: #rhjr_ux5 6

7. 4 Brands have to rethink marketing. From how to do it, to what it even is. Everything is marketing. Brands must be willing to experiment, start smaller and be more nimble. The era of year long marketing plans are over. Brands must be able to react faster. Social should be an overlay to everything brands do, not another channel. This requires a human voice that’s in the moment. See: #brandjo, #realtime, #dinnerparty, #funnyontwitter 7

8. 5 Fuck your hats. Everyone in a start-up plays multiple roles. Everyone should feel responsible for the product. Creation makes you vulnerable and requires empathy with your audience. Have faith in yourself. There is no “right” way. Work harder. Launch and learn. Be kind to one another. Business is about relationships. See: #startup, Jason Cohen 8

9. What to search on Twitter #ARSXSW (augmented reality) #realtime (real time marketing) #sxsw (SX general) #sxswi (SX interactive) #sxsw_edu (technology’s impact/role in ed) #dinnerparty (social media mannerisms) #critthink (critical thinking) #rhjr_ux5 (User Experience) #funnyontwitter (social media tone/voice) #brandeddoc (branded documentaries) #startup (lean start up) #brandjo (JWT Brand Journalism) #talkingcure (Clay Shirky) #betterdesign (Designers and developers) 9

10. Additional Resources SXSW Reviews http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/mar/15/sxsw-2011-internet-online?cat=technology&type=article http://j.mp/gXoG5A (Edward Boches, ECD at Mullen) More on Games Seth Priebatsch: Gamification & Location Stuff (LBS) at SXSW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZvcUgi8Hso Jesse Schell – game aficionado http://fora.tv/2010/07/27/Jesse_Schell_Visions_of_the_Gamepocalypse Helpful blog on games http://www.gamesbrief.com/2011/03/the-ten-rules-of-gamification/ Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world http://on.ted.com/90fm Marissa Mayer - Location, location, location! (And Google) http://www.youtube.com/sxsw#p/a/C3A543A21EEB969B/1/TIwzbZq5uyY Clay Shirky on the SXSW Keynote Stage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLsnEbY62nk&feature=related 10