Opening Remarks
Summary
On behalf of the curation team and Roosevelt Media, the host welcomed attendees to the final day of Civic Design 2022, recapping the previous days' themes: decade cycles, shifting power structures in design, and physical environment interactions beyond screens. The host emphasized navigating the virtual schedule by adjusting for time zones and encouraged participation in sponsor sessions, which offer free, high-quality content complementary to the main program. Significant thanks were extended to sponsors such as Fable, Novel PVC, Blacks in Civic Tech, and others whose contributions make the conference possible. Attendees were encouraged to join the vibrant Slack community, with 653 active members engaged in ongoing discussions, and to ask speaker questions in designated threads to avoid losing them in the general chat. The conference librarian Louisa Scholar, affiliated with Georgetown University, was recognized for curating resources supporting social safety net access through Civic Design. The host reminded participants of the conference’s code of conduct to maintain kindness and respect in the virtual community, emphasizing safety and inclusivity. Overall, this talk served to orient participants, highlighting resources, engagement opportunities, and community norms vital for a fruitful conference experience.
Key Insights
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Adjusting the conference schedule to your local time zone reduces confusion amidst multiple parallel sessions.
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Sponsor sessions are free, high-quality, and occur during breaks without interfering with main program content.
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Slack is a central platform for active engagement, with over 650 participants discussing and sharing resources.
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Placing questions for speakers in their designated Slack threads ensures they are noticed amidst fast-moving chats.
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The conference librarian, Louisa Scholar, curates and manages a rich repository of Civic Design research and resources.
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Cohort participation is a key element of the conference, fostering smaller group connections within the larger event.
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The digital swag bag replaces physical conference goodies, offering virtual perks via QR codes and URLs.
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Code of conduct enforcement stresses kindness and respect to maintain a safe virtual community space.
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Sponsors contribute not only financially but also with expertise, enabling the conference’s quality and accessibility.
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There’s no need for attendees to take notes as session notes, videos, decks, and resources will be shared post-conference.
Notable Quotes
"You don’t want to miss out on the sponsor sessions — they’re free and high quality, not sales pitches."
"Slack has over 650 people actively talking and sharing experiences right now."
"If you have a question for a speaker, put it in the thread for their talk, not in the general chat."
"Adjust your conference time zone setting depending on where you are to avoid confusion."
"Louisa Scholar saves us a lot of work by curating the Civic Design library and digital benefits hub."
"Please read our code of conduct — even though we’re virtual, we are a community obligated to kindness and respect."
"If you have problems with Slack or the conference experience, please contact the help desk customer service."
"Cohorts are one of the favorite parts of the conference, so really participate if you’re in one."
"Because this is virtual, we have a digital swag bag with goodies you can access via QR code or URL."
"We have session notes, sketch notes, resource lists, videos, and decks — no need to take notes yourself."
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