Opening Remarks
Summary
Bria Alexander hosts the second day of the Design at Scale 2021 conference, setting the tone for a day focused on tools for success in enterprise design, led by Kit Unger. She acknowledges the contributions of speakers, facilitators, and audience feedback in shaping the event. Bria provides detailed guidance on how attendees can navigate the conference website, make use of time zone conversions, and engage with optional, high-quality sponsor sessions from companies like Adobe, Fable, and Shopify. She highlights the importance of participation in Slack channels for live discussions, speaker Q&A, and cohort interactions. To support attendees, Bria explains the availability of recording, decks, and sketch notes created by David Nicholson and MJ Broadben, reducing the need for note-taking. Lastly, she underscores the community’s code of conduct to ensure respectful and safe participation.
Key Insights
-
•
The conference theme shifts from scaling craft to providing tools for success in enterprise design, curated by Kit Unger.
-
•
Sponsor sessions are optional but high-quality and run during conference breaks, with no sales pitches.
-
•
Time zone conversions are integrated into the conference website to help global participants.
-
•
Community interaction via Slack channels, including specific help and cohort channels, is a key pillar of the event.
-
•
Recording, deck downloads, and professional sketch notes by David Nicholson and MJ Broadben are provided quickly after talks.
-
•
A digital swag bag offers attendees exclusive sponsor deals, accessible through a QR code or URL.
-
•
The code of conduct emphasizes kindness, respect, and creating a safe environment despite the virtual format.
-
•
Event organizers monitor Slack and email channels actively to support participants throughout the conference.
-
•
Cohort facilitation receives high praise from attendees as a standout feature of the conference experience.
-
•
Sponsors range from tech giants like JP Morgan, Verizon, and Adobe to UX-specific companies like Optimal Workshop and Muriel.
Notable Quotes
"Yesterday was a lot of fun, but today is going to be even more fun."
"All of this content would not have been possible without your support and your feedback."
"If you want to take notes during this presentation, there’s really no need — we’ve got you covered."
"Sponsor sessions are incredibly high quality but completely optional; there’s no sales pitch."
"If you are not on Slack, you are missing out on one of the biggest and most interactive parts of our conference."
"Please be nice, respect each other, and carry yourself as if you were at your day job."
"We have many breaks, and sponsor sessions usually take place during those."
"The official time zone of this conference is Pacific time."
"Our cohort facilitation sessions are one of the best parts of this conference."
"You can access our digital swag bag by scanning the QR code or visiting app.everthere.co/e/d-a-s."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If you build for the next model, even if it can hardly do something now, it will probably do it well in the future."
Peter Van DijckHands on AI #3: Claude Code for UX people
October 22, 2025
"You can do everything right and still get poor results, but it’s no excuse not to do the right thing."
Johnny MichaelsenMeasure Behaviors, Not Results
April 23, 2026
"Systems thinking for enterprise UX is like doing research and design on ourselves, our colleagues, and our work."
Boon Yew ChewMaking Sense of Systems—and Using Systems to Make Sense of the Enterprise
June 6, 2023
"The head means the melody of a song."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
June 4, 2019
"Working in enterprise can feel like chaos with unclear directions and siloed information."
Nick CochranGrowing in Enterprise Design through Making Connections
June 3, 2019
"Excluding key people might save time but it often leads to surprise blockers and misaligned decisions later on."
Anne MamaghaniHow Your Organization's Generative Workshops Are Probably Going Wrong and How to Get Them Right
March 28, 2023
"Drawing a boundary was the hardest part for me, like stopping drawing the systems."
Sarah FlamionComplex Problem? Add Clarity by Combining Research and Systems Thinking
March 31, 2020
"Jackie Ho talks about how to keep teams accountable and aligned while maintaining their autonomy."
Jemma AhmedTheme 2 Intro
January 8, 2024
"Some things are up to us and some things are not. How we choose to respond is always within our control."
Brendan JarvisIt was the Best of Times. It was the Worst of Times.
September 25, 2024
