Lift Conference 2009: Sessions

Failure as an investment: What can we learn from the predictions that did not happen to better imagine the future?

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 09:15

What can we learn from the predictions that did not happen to better imagine the future? Why did some "futures" fail to happen? What remains constant over time in people's desire for the future? How can this help us to design for the future?

  • Roh Soh Yeong
    Director Coming from South Korea Working at Art Center Nabi

Solidarity: how technologies such as mobile devices reshape the rules of living together

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 14:15

One of the subtle change in the last fifteen years revolves around how collective action and solidarity have changed. Ramesh Srinivasan and Juliana Rotich, two speakers from different parts of the world, will address this issue and illustrate it with their own experiences. They will show how technologies such as mobile devices reshape the rule of living together. Then Florence Devouard will give us an update about the situation of the Wikipedia.

Towards a "long here": How the recombination of our physical environment leads to unexpected changes

Thursday, February 26, 2009 - 16:00

As half of the world is now living in cities, it's undeniable that the recombination of our physical environment through technological advancements will lead to unexpected changes, problems but also new opportunities. Carlo Ratti, Dan Hill and Anne Galloway will discuss how our relationship to space will change through various new technologies and examine the main challenges of this field.

Stories: inspiring stories from people with extraordinary projects and lives

Friday, February 27, 2009 - 09:00

Our traditional session dedicated to inspiring stories from people with extraordinary projects and lives:

  • Designer Matt Webb will talk about the relationship between science-fiction and design
  • Jörg Jelden, a trend analyst from Trend Büro who will address the importance of fake products and services in the near future
  • Web veteran James Gillies will tell us his perspective on the history of the Web
  • New media artist Natalie Jeremijenko will discuss the opportunity for social and environmental change that new technologies provide
  • Jörg Jelden
    Trend & Transformation Consultant Coming from Germany Working at JeldenTTC
  • Matt Webb
    Principal, Schulze & Webb/Interconnected
  • natalie jeremijenko
    Professor Coming from USA Working at UCSD
  • James Gillies
    Head of Communication and CERN's spokesman Coming from Switzerland Working at CERN

Design thinking for the future: What's the role of design thinking in creating more meaningful futures?

Friday, February 27, 2009 - 11:00

Beyond the engineers and business' discourse about the future, what is it designers can propose? What sort of alternatives are they envisioning? What's the role of design thinking in creating more meaningful futures?

Love in the 21st century: How technology is changing the way we love, share and meet

Friday, February 27, 2009 - 14:00

The way we love, share and meet has been profoundly changed by technologies. Yaoundé-based sociologist Baba Wamé will show us how the Web has been appropriated by cameroonian women. Then Frank Beau will give us a speech about "metromantics": internet messages about romantic encounters in Paris' metro.

New frontiers: Meet those who are pushing the envelope, and reinventing their fields

Friday, February 27, 2009 - 16:00

Meet those who are pushing the envelope, and reinventing their fields in the process. Melanie Rieback will discuss the evolution of security with regards to RFIDs. Creating the future is also a matter of methodology, Clive van Heerden from Philips Design will show how they employ past technological failures to develop disruptive futures. And finally, Vinton Cerf will show us his perspective about the Internet of the future