The Hanson team takes a selfie at SXSW interactive 2014

Recapping SXSW Interactive 2014

The 2014 SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin concluded two weeks ago, and you might call it a Hansonite’s paradise. Several members of our team were among the 30,000 that gathered to talk about a range of industry topics. Read their recaps.
Mindy Withrow
Mindy Withrow, Director of Content Strategy
Panelists at SXSW 2014 session on "Should brands be part of the real-time conversation?", photo by Mike Osswald

SXSW 2014: Should Brands be Part of the Real-Time Conversation?

I started my SXSW 2014 Interactive experience in the AT&T Conference Center at the University of Texas where MediaPost’s OMMA hosted a panel titled “Should Brands Be Part of the Real-Time Conversation?” In our continuously-connected society, there’s no answer to me other than: yes, most brands and businesses must be available on-demand to intersect with consumers at a moment’s notice.
Mike Osswald
Mike Osswald, Vice President, Experience Innovation
photo of Josh Clark at SXSW 2014 "Mind the Gap: UI Design Between & Among Devices" Session

SXSW 2014: Designing for Every Screen, No Screen and Between Devices

Designing for our multi-device world was a big theme at SXSW 2014. According to Kerry Bodine, a panelist at the “From Every Screen to No-Screen: Next Gen Responsive” session, approximately 1.5 billion people have PCs, 1.5 billion people have smart phones, and 425 million people have tablets. So it’s no surprise that we’ve all become comfortable with the concept of responsive design for websites, ensuring that the display of our content adapts to be usable on different sized screens. But we shouldn’t get so comfortable with the concept that we stop looking at what’s next on the horizon.
Photo by Jenny Jacob taken at the SXSW 2014 session on Workplace Redesign

SXSW 2014: Redesigning the Workplace for Talent Development

The size and scope of SXSW has become enormous. But one session I found extremely thought-provoking this year was “Workplace Redesign: The Big Shift from Efficiency,” presented by John Hagel, Chairman of Deloitte Center for the Edge. Recognizing that talent is central to business success, this session explored how companies need to go beyond attracting and retaining talent and focus more on talent development.
Jenny Jacob
Jenny Jacob, Chief Operating Officer
The "Generation Mash-up: Y Bother?" panel at SXSW 2014. Photo by Melanie Christian.

SXSW 2014: Managing the Generation Mash-Up

As someone who manages a team, one of the most interesting sessions I attended at this year’s SXSW Interactive was “Generation Mash-Up: Y Bother?” The discussion was about bridging the gap among the generations as they collide in the workplace – highlighting how they are different and what you can learn and appreciate from each.
Melanie Christian
Melanie Christian, Senior Vice President,
Client Services & Strategy