Design Thinking & Project Management

I just attended a multi-disciplinary tech conference named Abstractions in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA USA and it was awesome!

The Abstractions conference brought together 1,500+ individuals involved in modern software development, including: software developers, software architects, UI/UX designers, DevOps, QA testers and community leaders, with the purpose to teach, learn, and connect. I was one of the few project managers (or management types) in attendance, but I have to tell you that I returned from the conference with a much broader horizon of the field.

While the primary focus of the conference was software development, the sessions covered a wide variety of topics and I found many tracks that sparked my interest and intellect. 

Here are select session topics that I attended during the conference:

• Machine Learning (ML) in Healthcare 
• Quality and security issues in the Internet of Things (IoT)
• Kubernetes: Building the next generation automation tools
• Conversational User Interfaces (CUI) - e.g. Siri, Echo, Cortana 
• Designing for Virtual Reality
• Style guide best practices
• How Micro-interactions can elevate your UX
• You too can become a sketching machine!
• Free Software, Free Society (Open Source Initiative)
• Overview of npm (package manager for JavaScript)
• Why we need to bring back apprenticeships, and how to make it happen
• Don't Fear Failure
• Three easy steps for changing the world
• Building a (self-sustaining) culture of learning within your organization

Conferences are an important professional development opportunity. Most provide best practices, innovation tracks and terrific networking. 

After this recent experience, my advice is to use conference attendance to your advantage. Don't limit yourself to PMI-only conferences. Seek out a multi-disciplinary conference to attend and be prepared to broaden your horizons!

I welcome any feedback or comments on this article. 

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