This weekend, I was honored to be an invited speaker at the IDSA North-east Division's regional conference, which was held at the Rhode Island School of Design. Woot! It's always nice to revisit College Hill -- I went to Brown, so I get all nostalgic about my theory-head SGML-coding 21-year-old self, who I think would be surprised but not disappointed to learn that the SGML has turned out to be at least as important in my life as the theory.
Highlights of the bits of the conference I was able to attend:
- Hearing Jon Kolko tell an audience of industrial designers and ID students that the really cool new design job to aim for was something called "information architect." I am so telling all my ID colleagues.
- Allen Chochinov of Core77's line "if you're as smart as you bill you are," which I am, I warn you all now, stealing.
- The conversation I had with three-fourths of the IxDA lunchtime panel members on the ride up, which was at least as enlightening as their pretty terrific panel was.
It was all really interesting, and it would have been nice to stay, but it was, I have to admit, even nicer to have an excuse to visit Harry and his fantastic crew in their New England digs. I was treated to a performance of Mona's "Peter Rabbit" musical ("Stunning!" - The New York Times) and a trip to the town fair. Isabel even demanded to sit next to me at dinner, which I hope means we are no longer archnemesises.
But that was not the high point. Oh, no. The high point was, after a twelve-year battle over which was the correct version of the song, getting to sing "Little Rabbit Foo-Foo" with Mona Teasley as her dad weakly attempted to insist that it was supposed to be "Bunny."
"You are wrong, Daddy," said Mona.
"This just gets better and better," said Harry.
"And Michele is right. Girls rock, and boys do not."
She's a genius, I tell you. A genius.
.