Speakers
At this years WDC Event we have the following speakers…
James Box
A self-confessed ‘user experience professional’, James works for Clearleft in the jolly seaside town of Brighton, England. Part information architect and part interaction designer, when he’s not crafting sandcastles on the beach, James crafts websites that are fun and easy to use.
Thinking about who he’s worked with makes him feel old and grumpy. But give him a few drinks and he’ll prattle on about his work as a Government agent (DirectGov and the HMRC), his telly-box contacts (like the BBC and Channel 4) or how he remembers when all these social networks were just fields…
Patrick H. Lauke
Patrick currently works as Web Editor for the University of Salford[1]. In 2003 he single-handedly implemented one of the first web standards based XHTML/CSS driven UK university sites.
He has been engaged in the discourse on accessibility since early 2001 — regularly speaking at conferences and contributing to a variety of web development and accessibility related mailing lists, websites and forums — and is co-lead of the Web Standards Project Accessibility Task Force (WaSP ATF)[2].
Published works include a chapter in “Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance”, released by Friends of Ed in 2006[3], as well as various articles for .net magazine[4], where he sits on the advisory panel.
In his spare time, Patrick pursues his passion for photography and does the occasional spot of presenting and web/design consultancy[6].
An outspoken accessibility and standards advocate, Patrick favours a pragmatic hands-on approach to web accessibility over purely theoretical, high-level discussions.
“I’m an idealist by nature, but a pragmatist by trade. I’d never class myself as an expert and I certainly don’t have all the answers…I’m just an opinionated guy eager to find real world solutions ‘where the rubber meets the road’.”
[1] www.salford.ac.uk
[2] www.webstandards.org
[3] http://www.friendsofed.com/book.html?isbn=1590596382
[4] www.netmag.co.uk
[5] www.splintered.co.uk
Chris Garrett
After just over 2 years working as a freelance digital designer, Chris has worked with some of largest players in the new media scene, from the BBC to CNET. Working from his rural base in the scenic Cotswolds, Chris leverages his background in user-experience design to produce engaging web applications which combine a refined graphic sensibility with modern code and a strong emphasis on interaction.
Chris recently took the role of Co-Founder in Podchains Ltd, a think tank dedicated to producing innovative and web-enabled products dealing with video content. Along with his partner Craig Hellen, Podchains Ltd is now producing and distributing video content for a range of clients in a variety of intriguing and innovative ways.
