Design Open Mic on January 25, 2012 featured two presentations. First up, we heard from Architecture for Humanity's Alix Ogilvie, T. Luke Young, and Delphine Luboz. They presented their experiences from Autodesk University 2011 in Las Vegas where participants were offered hundreds of classes on Autodesk software and could hear about the latest advancements in the company's products. Here's a sample of the software they discussed:
- Sketch Book Pro and Designer - a powerful new tool halfway between Photoshop and Illustrator that allow the user to import images and easily sketch right on top of them. These drawings can subsequently be imported into AutoCAD.
- 123D – various programs involving various quick and easy 3D modeling tools.
- Showcase – An easy and simple to use presentation tool for designers.
For the second presentation of the day we heard from Dean Jutilla, Founder of Demo:60. His company produces 1-2 minute animated videos that help companies, both big and small, explain what they do and the problems they solve. Given today’s short attention spans and the massive amount of ‘noise’ out there, Dean said, the importance of telling one's story clearly and succinctly is absolutely necessary.
Dean touched on several issues, such as viewer abandonment and why Demo:60's viewer attention spans beat out the industry average. He listed a few key components of a strong marketing video, including focusing on what problems a company solves rather than what they do. This helps Demo:60’s target audience relate to the videos.
For more from Dean, check out a clip from his open mic session:
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