Van UX Awards 2023

Part of working for a design company is to keep ourselves abreast with the latest technologies and trends. One way to do that is to attend events such as the Vancouver UX Awards. On Mar 29, 2023, I attended my first Van UX Awards gala happened in Hollywood Theatre in Kitsilano.

Keynote Speaker:

Famke van Schnoonhoven

Femke is a design lead at Gusto who started her career at tech giant Uber working on payment experiences for drivers before joining the UberEats merchant team. Most recently she worked at Canadian FinTech Wealthsimple on unified experiences.

You can often find Femke creating videos on YouTube, creating pottery or hiking and mountain biking around BC Femke currently lives in Vancouver Island, Canada. You can check out Femke’s YouTube channel which is chaled full of incredible UX resources. We’re excited to to have her at the event!.

2023 Judges

Gordon Ross

Owner, Vice President at OXD

Irina Belova

Director of Product Design at Clio

Annie Wong

Senior Interaction Designer

Jai Djwa

Digital Strategist | User Experience | UX for the Everyday | Creative Technologist | Workshop Facilitator | Arts Strategist

Garima Sood

Service Designer, Design Researcher

Silas Hooper

Senior Consultant. Technology and Government. Service Design, User Experience, Strategy.

Deanna Young

Director, Service Design at Ministry of Attorney General, Province of BC

Manuhaia Barcham

Strategic Designer & Futurist

Awards Criteria

Elegance

How cohesive and refined does the solution feel? How seamless and consistent are users' interactions with the solution.

Clarity

Some interconnection section are complex in nature - how does the experience support clear mastery of the task at hand, while minimizing friction?

Innovation

What's new, different, or exciting about this work? How does it stack up to current conventions and patterns we use today?

Impact

What results can be attributed to the user experience of the solution? What measurable ways has it impacted business and people?

Emotion

How does the work create an emotional connection between the user and its intent? Emotion can range from joy and delight to empowerment and a desire to take action.

New Awards Criteria:

Objectives and strategies are the new awards criteria which are critical components of any organization's success. Objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals that an organization sets for itself. Strategies, on the other hand, are the plans or actions that an organization takes to achieve those objectives. Here are some reasons why objectives and strategies are important:

1. Provides direction: Objectives and strategies provide direction to the organization. They help the organization to focus its efforts on achieving specific goals and guide decision making processes.
2. Sets priorities: Objectives and strategies help an organization to prioritize its activities and allocate resources accordingly. This ensures that the organization is using its resources effectively and efficiently.
3. Measure Progress: Objectives are measurable, which means that progress can be tracked and monitored. This allows an organization to determine whether it is on track to achieve its goals and make adjustments if necessary.
4. Helps with decision-making: Objectives and strategies provides a framework for decision-making. When faced with a decision, an organization an refer to its objectives and strategies to determine the best course of action.

Overall, objectives and strategies are crucial for an organization's success. They provide direction, set priorities, motivate employee, and help with decision-making.

Winners:

Waniskaw-Foundation by Waniskaw for Jury Award: Best UX

Autozen - Sell your car the zen way! by Autozen for Best Retail or e-Comerce Experience.

PrecisionOS surgical platform by PrecisionOS for Best interface Experience.

BC Parks Digital Products by BC Parks for Best Public Sector Experience.

Waniskaw Foundation by Waniskaw for Best Non-profit Experience.

Deal with it: Building Legal Capability Through Website Design by People's Law School for Best Content Experience.

Our Dinner Table by Emily Car University of Art + Design for Best Student Project.

Wait List Notifications by Jane for Best Digital Product Experience.

Winners that caught my attention:

I personally had an experience with Autozen, I forgot to have a daily permit when the first time their inspector visit my SmartFortwo, but she's relaxed and just arrange a separate meeting the next day. The inspector notified me that she will be late by 30 minutes.

The way they handle everything beyond how they design their website is amazing. Not to mention the notification that I receive when they post my car for bid.

Ways that Acorn can support these winners:

Our customized remote work style can be helpful as we keep on finding ways to be productive and leverage various Agile mythologies/techniques and customize those exercises by our homegrown FEDS role which means Fun and Engagement Designer Strategist.

Please feel free to reach out to use by clicking here.