Interaction Awards is an initiative of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA), a global community of over 100,000 individuals worldwide dedicated to the professional practice of Interaction Design. Find out how to join your local group and get involved at www.ixda.org.
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Jennifer Bove
Sep 30, 2011
Interaction Awards Profiles Janna DeVylder
For the sixth profile in our series on the Interaction Awards Jury, we’ve interviewed IxDA President Janna DeVylder. Janna is a founder and principal at Meld Studios, an interaction and service design firm in Sydney, Australia. With extensive experience as a designer and researcher in the US and Australia, Janna has led design teams and large-scale projects for higher education, government, financial services, publishing and travel organisations. Janna also serves as the President of the Interaction Design Association (IxDA), where she is dedicated to advancing the discipline of interaction design by bringing together the global interaction design community online, at the annual Interaction conference, at the inaugural Interaction Awards and at local groups in over 100 cities around the world.
We asked Janna two questions, and here’s what she had to say:
1- What is your favorite product, digital or otherwise, to use, and why?
I could never pick just one – it would have to be my iPhone (which is my alarm, book, bus schedule, camera, newspaper and connector) and my Moleskine notebook, which allows me to clear my head so I can move about the day with more focus. Ultimately, both are products that augment my ability to be present.
2. What excites you about being a designer & why do you keep doing it?
One day while out walking, my five-year-old decided to put on his jacket. As he stopped to zip it up, he said, “They designed this really well!” When I asked him why he said that, he said, “Because they made it really easy for little kids to zip up.” This excites me – to be in a time where we can have a more broad awareness and appreciation for the impact products, systems and services have on our lives, and in turn we can expect, and even demand, thoughtful design. I feel fortunate to be in a position where I can see my work impact and transform how people live and work, for the better.
You can follow Janna at @jdevylder and see what Meld is up to at @wearemeld.
There are only 2 days left to enter the Interaction Awards, which are open until this Saturday October 1st. The winners of the Interaction Awards will be celebrated at Interaction|12 in Dublin in February 2012. Find out more, read about our other jurors, and submit your work!
