TEDxSacramento is proud to announce that accomplished user experience (UX) researcher Cyd Harrell will speak at TEDxCity2.0 on September 20, 2013 (register today). Cyd will talk about hacking civic engagement through design.
Cyd is a passionate advocate for the citizen experience. She currently serves as Code for America’s UX Evangelist. Cyd is also a brilliant Twitter haiku-ist.
Cyd wants to redesign interaction between government and its citizens to create a virtuous cycle of trust. She envisions a world where civic interactions are just as inviting and rewarding as commercial ones. For Cyd, there was a "conversion moment” -- an excellent interaction with the San Francisco city government when her own very strong civic feelings made her realize how design in government matters and just how few designers are working in the space.
At Code for America, Cyd works with fellows, city officials, and community volunteers to help create inventive and cost-effective civic technology that serves the needs of real people. She uses her unique background in sociolinguistics and poetry to apply metaphorical thinking to human-centered design.
Why Cyd Codes for America
“I believe that good UX design has the potential to transform our relationship with government.”
In discussing why she's "coding for America," Cyd explains, "I’m coding for America because I believe that good UX design has the potential to transform our relationship with government – by building better citizen experiences, we can rebuild the understanding that… 'government is what we do together.'" She also hopes to inspire other creatives to do civic work.
During the course of her career, Cyd changed the face of user experience for companies ranging from Sony, Volkswagon, and EA to Rdio, Autodesk, and Charles Schwab.
Global Community Celebrates Urban Inspiration And Action
When you join us for TEDxCity2.0, you'll be part of the global community that's actively engaged in brightening the future of our cities. This includes TEDCity2.0, TED's City2.0 event in New York, and numerous TEDx organizations around the globe.
On September 20 great thinkers and doers who are making great things happen in cities around the globe will share their ideas and stories with you. Plus, you'll experience a TEDxCity2.0 tradition that is not a part of any of our other events: Action Pitches. An action pitch is a call to action for our city by our city -- by local change-makers who are trying to make a difference. Each action pitch will provide you a specific action that you can take to help support improving our cities. We invite you to join us.