UX CAMP: The Concept

UX Camp CPH is built on the BarCamp concept, which is a user-generated conference form, that has a self-organizing character, relying on the passion and the responsibility of the participants. If you’ve never attended a UX Camp before, the concept might seem a bit confusing. But there’s no need to worry – It is actually fairly simple:

• No spectators, just participants: A successful camp requires active participation from everyone.
• When you come, be prepared to share you knowledge with the other barcampers.
• When you leave, tidy up after yourselves and be prepared to share your post-camp experience with the world.

There are many ways you can be an active participant and ensure that we all have a fantastic UX Camp: You could give a presentation, facilitate a workshop, write a blogpost, share your experiences on social media or take part in the many interesting discussions and conversations on the conference – This is called participation and sharing and we like it!

Note: We have sharpies and notebooks for all attendees. There are VGA and HDMI connections in all the rooms. If you need any other equipment like post-its, you will need to provide your own.

Are you interested in doing a session or is the concept still not clear? Then read a bit more about it below or visit the wikipedia page about Barcamps in general.

5 ways to make a great session

Sessions are a cornerstone of the camp. During Saturday there will be four session slots. This is your chance to share your interest, experience or knowledge within the field of UX. This is a community event organized by people who love UX for people that love UX and are all participants (not spectators).

There are 7 session rooms and 4 session slots adding up to a total of 28 sessions to be hosted. Each session lasts for 45 minutes and must be held in English. We hope that many of you will show up and conduct a session. The topic is up to you – and so is the format. Here are 5 tips that will help you to make a successful session.

1. Sell your session well
Saturday morning it’s time for session planning. You will get no more than 1 minute to convince your fellow campers to go to your session. Think about rehearsing your 1 minute in advance so that you say what you want to say. Your opening sentence and final sentence need an extra focus if you want to sell well.

2. Sell to the right audience
There is only one thing that is more important than to attract a lot of campers… attract the right campers. Who would be interested in your topic? Perhaps you should make it explicit: “My session is interesting if you….” In the case you oversell or give a too broad session description there is a risk that some of the people that show up will be disappointed. No one wants that.

3. Involve the participants
Sessions that involve the audience tend to be very successful. Perhaps you have an interesting method for idea gathering or a great way to find the right structure for a web page. It could also be a session on a sketching technique. Perhaps you are already a master of the technique you want to present – or perhaps you want to explore it with the participants.

4. Have something in your pocket
A session slot has a duration of 45 minutes. A great session can be spoiled if you don’t wrap it up in a good way. The last five minutes of your session is like topping on a cupcake. Use your smart phone to remind you when you have 5 minutes left. Or ask a person to make a small wave when it’s time to sum up the session.

5. Turn your session into a firework
Let’s get to the core of your session. Find a subject that really interests you. The audience will for sure be more interested in your session if the starting point is something that turns you on. Cause there’s a spark in you – You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine.