Not long ago, technology was framed up linearly--as an end in itself. Now, what we're finding to be more interesting is technology (a) viewed through the lens of design thinking, globally and at home, (b) as fuel for the creative economy, and (c) in service to achieving creative, humane, beneficial, profitable outcomes. This session features Maine's pioneers in digital, new, and social media -- designers, developers, connectors, and creators of compelling relationships between people and the interactive systems they use. Taken together, these perspectives, stories, ideas, and experiences form a gorgeous mosaic, like sparks of light on water that takes our breath away. Learning Objectives (1) explore how design thinking is an integral part of the creative economy and how it plays itself out in the realm of digital, new, and social media in Maine (2) understand how technology--from computers to mobile devices to kiosks to kiosks to appliances--serves as an enabling factor and fuel for the creative economy (3) see how Maine's burgeoning community of designers and developers using digital, new, and social media are connecting people with people with communities with businesses with civil society, in service to creative, beneficial, profitable outcomes. Outcomes Participants will learn more about part of the global and Maine-based community making contributions to Maine's creative economy through design of many stripes—visual, interaction, web, games, software, graphic, industrial—and stretching across the frontiers of web, social and new media, mobile, collaborative technology, human-centric IT, information design, agile and nimble programming, and more. Panel Participants This session features 5 of Maine's pioneers in digital, new, and social media. They are designers, developers, connectors, and creators of compelling relationships between people and the interactive systems they use. My bio Susan Doran, information architect and experience designer from Portland, has been working to infuse the internet with greater humanity to serve as a tool for social change and transformation, collaboration, creative learning, healthy communities, and ethical design since 1989. Susan spends half her year working on improving the user experience of large complex web sites of an array of clients, and the other half of the year volunteering her time to community projects. She is founder of MaineUX (a statewide network of people "contributing to the creative economy by way of doing cool things on the web and with software"), and now co-chair of Maine IxDA (a chapter of the Interaction Design Association), which convenes inspirational events and activities to Maine's interaction desiogn community. In 2007 she was techMaine's Volunteer of the Year, is a 2009 graduate of the Institute for Civic Leadership's Collaborative Leadership Intensive, and serves as Trustee for Portland Trails.

42. CONTRIBUTING ENABLING FACTORS

43. Maine's intrinsic AWESOMENESS “ I could do what I'm doing elsewhere but I want to live here because of the lifestyle, outdoor activities, and community" - Steve Hand, KNOW Technology, from Moving to Maine: Essential Guide to Get You There and What You Need to Stay (Victoria Doudera, 2007)

64. CAPITAL funding... $ Small Enterprise Growth Fund $ Maine Angels $ Maine Technology Institute $ Libra Future Fund $ Maine Arts Commission Good Idea Grants and support... Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board (etc)

66. COMMUNITY

71. TECHMAINE

75. A Community OF DESIGNERS...