# Home

Celebrating Information Architecture in Des Moines since 2014

## Welcome to World IA Day Des Moines

Whether you're a student exploring UX, a seasoned professional, or simply curious about how information architecture shapes digital experiences, World Information Architecture Day brings together designers, content strategists, developers, and educators from across Iowa.\
\
Features Speakers:

**Kayla and Ryan** - Increase Alignment, Reduce Rework, & Boost Efficiency with OOUX

**Cindy Rhodes** - The Map Collective: 
5 Maps to Navigate Chaos

**Keith Kmet** - Understanding journey management

**Valerie Downs** - AI for IA - Interactive prototypes for deeper insights\
\ <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-ia-day-2026-tickets-1981075084908" class="button primary" data-icon="tickets">Reserve your Free tickets</a>

***

### 📅 World IA Day 2026 - March 7, 2026

World IA Day is returning to Des Moines! Join us on March 7, 2026, for a day of learning, connection, and community building. Des Moines hasn't had a World IA Day event in years, and it's time to rekindle that spark.&#x20;

<a href="/events/des-moines-2026" class="button secondary" data-icon="arrow-right">Learn about Des Moines 2026</a>&#x20;

***

### Event history highlights

* **2026:** World IA Day returns to Des Moines
* **2014:** First World IA Day in Des Moines

[View our complete event history](/events/all-events) →

***

### :e-mail: Contact & connect

**General inquiries:** <desmoines@worldiaday.org>

***

*World IA Day Des Moines is part of the global World Information Architecture Day celebration.* [*Learn more about World IA Day worldwide*](https://www.information-architecture.world/worldiaday) *→*


# All events

Explore the history of World IA Day Des Moines. Browse past speakers, topics, and community highlights from our WIAD events.

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Event year</th><th>Date</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a data-mention href="/events/des-moines-2026">Des Moines 2026</a></td><td>March 7, 2026</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/events/des-moines-2023">Des Moines 2023</a></td><td>March 4, 2023</td></tr><tr><td>Des Moines 2020</td><td>February 22, 2020</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/events/des-moines-2019">Des Moines 2019</a></td><td>February 23, 2019</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/events/des-moines-2018">Des Moines 2018</a></td><td>February 24, 2018</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/events/des-moines-2017">Des Moines 2017</a></td><td>February 18, 2017</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="/events/des-moines-2016">Des Moines 2016</a></td><td>February 20, 2016</td></tr><tr><td>Des Moines 2015</td><td>February 21, 2015</td></tr><tr><td>Des Moines 2014</td><td>February 15, 2014</td></tr></tbody></table>


# Des Moines 2026

We're planning World IA Day Des Moines 2026!

World Information Architecture Day is a one-day annual celebration hosted by the Information Architecture Institute and held in dozens of locations across the globe. Our celebration in Des Moines will be the 8th World IA Day held here.

We are a community of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts who share the common goal of practicing, learning, teaching, and shaping the future of information architecture and user experience. We share our thoughts, ideas, and work within an open and welcoming environment. Everyone is welcome and our celebrations are always accessible to all.<br>

<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-ia-day-2026-tickets-1981075084908" class="button primary" data-icon="tickets">Register</a>

## Date and time

Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 9:00am

## Venue, parking and transit

World IA Day Des Moines will be held in Meredith Hall at Drake University. It is accessible within the city by car or public transit (several DART Local Routes stop immediately near the venue) and is a short hop off of Interstate 235.&#x20;

***

## Program/Schedule

**Program**

There is a mix of presentations and workshops on topics drawing from the worlds of information architecture, user experience design, content strategy, product strategy, marketing, and more. We'll start the event with a keynote, and from there, you can choose sessions throughout the day.

**Schedule**

**Kayla and Ryan** - Increase Alignment, Reduce Rework, & Boost Efficiency with OOUX

**Cindy Rhodes** - The Map Collective: 
5 Maps to Navigate Chaos

**Keith Kmet** - Understanding journey management

**Valerie Downs** - AI for IA - Interactive prototypes for deeper insights\
\
Interested in speaking? Submit a talk!\ <a href="https://forms.gle/Br9mjKuiE5VQNqr77" class="button primary" data-icon="arrow-right">Submit an Idea</a> <br>

**Our Sponsors**

World IA Day is a free event thanks to the generous support of several sponsors. We truly appreciate their support.

**Accessibility**

If you have any questions or concerns about the accessibility of the venue space or program content, please contact us immediately at <desmoines@worldiaday.org> and we will do our utmost to assist.

## Our team

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Valerie Downs</td><td><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerielemaster/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerielemaster/</a></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FJrX9g8SSqCmcIcS2ymu1%2FCleanShot%202026-01-20%20at%2020.51.09%402x.png?alt=media&amp;token=947496b7-a5c7-4210-ace4-dbb12a5711cd">CleanShot 2026-01-20 at 20.51.09@2x.png</a></td></tr><tr><td>Ryan Young</td><td></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FXtgymbENjnio95p9k0Hc%2FCleanShot%202026-01-20%20at%2020.49.47%402x.png?alt=media&amp;token=68a7758c-fb9e-4356-8335-61bbb230a38d">CleanShot 2026-01-20 at 20.49.47@2x.png</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


# Des Moines 2023

World IA Day Des Moines 2023. Explore past content.

{% hint style="warning" %}
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### **Join us at the Forge for World IA Day, March 4th!**

The team at Experiencing UX is now bringing back World IA Day right here in Des Moines! This global event brings together information architects, designers, researchers, and other professionals to share their knowledge, experience, and insights about information architecture and user experience. This will be our *first in-person* event since 2020, held at The Forge in downtown Des Moines.

**We invite you to join us at the Forge at 9:30 AM on Saturday, March 4th**.

We are finalizing an amazing line up of speakers for the event with a Keynote by Scott Kubie. We have a mix of in-person and remote presenters.

Lunch will be provided.

Connect and network with other UX and IA professionals here in Des Moines and the Midwest. The event is open to anyone who is interested in IA, UX, Product or Technology. We look forward to seeing you there!

<details>

<summary>FAQs</summary>

**Will food be provided?**

Yes, pizza and beverages will be provided free of charge to attendees.

**Does it cost anything to attend?**

No, the event is free.

**Do I have to be a UX practitioner to attend?**

No, anyone from the public interested in information architecture or design is welcomed to attend.

**Where can I park?**

Metered parking is available on Locust Street, as well as several parking garages nearby. Download the ParkDSM app on either your android or Iphone device to pay. <https://www.dsm.city/departments/engineering_-_division/parking.php>

**Is there public transportation?**

Des Moines offers the Dart Bus to get around downtown DSM and the surrounding area. <https://www.ridedart.com/>

**Is the event wheel chair accessible?**

Yes, although we will be located on the 2nd floor, there is a ramp on the west side of the building and an elevator to those who need it.

**Is this event online?**

This event is only in person although we will have a mix of in person speakers and remote speakers.

**Will I be required to wear a mask or be vaccinated?**

No, masks and vaccine status is optional.

**How can I get involved or volunteer?**

If you would like, email us at <desmoines@worldiaday.org>.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I join Experiencing UX?</summary>

Experiencing UX Meetup: [Join our MeetUp](https://www.meetup.com/experiencing-ux-dsm/)

Slack: [Join our Slack channel](http://goo.gl/forms/S2cct1ZmrJ)

Twitter: [@experiencingUX](http://twitter.com/experiencingUX)

LinkedIn: [experiencing UX Group](http://www.linkedin.com/groups/8410176)

Facebook: [Experiencing UX](https://www.facebook.com/experiencingUX/)

</details>

## Venue

Forge by Accenture 1420 Locust St, Des Moines, IA 50309

<https://goo.gl/maps/RFCvYpdEnyM2Pmjr8>&#x20;

***

## Schedule&#x20;

Socializing  *Start at 9:30*

Welcome and Intro *10 min*

**Sarah Price (The Way of Cards)&#x20;*****30 min***

&#x20;Coffee break 15 *min*

**Quentin Dietrich (Context for Everything)&#x20;*****30 min***

Raffle Giveaway *15 min*

**Jeremy Burton (You are here: Why your design artifacts and team spaces need wayfinding too - Jeremy Burton)&#x20;*****30 min***

LUNCH - 12:15 - 1:15 pm

**Crystal Olig (How to Build Executive Support for Your Projects & Teams)&#x20;*****30 min***

&#x20;**️**Coffee Break *15 min*

**Laura Formanek (Finding the Way to Sharing Your “Why”: Growing Your Video Infrastructure)&#x20;*****30 min***

Coffee Break *15 min***️**

**Kristin Wesner & Raquel Sweet (Holistic Measurement of Customer Value)&#x20;*****30 mins***

Raffle Giveaway *15 min*

**Scott Kubie - keynote (The Cause of Clarity)&#x20;*****45 mins***

Wrap up and thank you  &#x20;

***

## Program

#### The Way of Cards - Sarah Price

Have you ever gotten lost on a website and thought maybe there's a better way to organize it? Or maybe you think tomatoes are a fruit but everyone else says they're vegetables? On this particular journey, we'll discover a method for discovering your user's mental models so that you can better organize your navigation and content. You'll learn what exactly is card sorting, all the different variations of it, and how to analyze your results so that you can get to the bottom of the tomato debate.

#### Context of Everything - Quentin Dietrich

The reality about IA and UX work is that you never actually start from zero. You always begin at some point, in some place, with some thing. In this talk, you’ll learn a flexible framework to help you examine levels of context for a multi dimensional view of projects.

#### You are here: Why your design artifacts and team spaces need wayfinding too - Jeremy Burton

Opportunities to change a product’s IA are full of promise and peril. Aspirations to make things clear and coherent quickly meet a messy behind-the-scenes reality: No one owns the IA, and everybody is a stakeholder. Though we talk about “the IA” as a whole, its parts are all in the hands of different teams responsible for their own feature sets and product areas.The only way through this mess is to turn your IA lens inward. This talk will explore how orientation and wayfinding techniques were applied to design artifacts and team spaces for a major IA project at Mural, resulting in greater participation, more buy-in, and better outcomes.

Jeremy Burton is content design manager at Mural.

#### How to Build Executive Support for Your Projects & Teams - Crystal Olig

Crystal will give a presentation centering on growing your influence and support within an organization and senior leadership, in your role as an individual or leader. It will focus on using metrics and great storytelling to build advocacy and sponsorship based on proven business impact. This will cover topics like team expenses, headcount, budget allocations and exposure to broader business challenges.

#### Finding the Way to Sharing Your “Why”: Growing Your Video Infrastructure - Laura Formanek

Have you been thinking about delving into the world of video? In 2023, the use of video is continuing to grow as a medium for sharing information in an engaging and impactful way. But sometimes, getting started with video might feel overwhelming. Whether you’re in brainstorming mode or you're well on your way to being the next YouTube star, we’re breaking down process and best practices to help you along your path. How do you determine what to share when creating video? How will you store all that data and what systems can you use to keep it organized? We’ll be using both sides of our brains during this session to tackle conceptual and practical considerations, as well as resources and tips, for building a video infrastructure into your organization’s tool belt to reach your users.

#### Holistic Measurement of Customer Value - Kristin Wesner & Raquel Sweet

Join us on our journey to better understand users’ experience with a symbiosis of quantitative value feedback, qualitative color, and engagement analytics. Inspired by Google’s HEART model, we’ll share how we’re marrying jobs to be done, task success, and longitudinal satisfaction metrics to create our user segmentation and persona strategies.

#### The Cause of Clarity - Scott Kubie

If design had a pantheon, Clarity would be one of its gods. Oh, Clarity! We name conferences after you, enshrine you in our design principles and voice frameworks, admonish fellow designers for forgetting about you. A thousand odes on Medium have been penned in your honor. But who are you, really? How did you come to be? Are you just the cosmic opposite of your supposed foe, complexity? (Spoiler: no.) And most importantly…how might your boons be summoned when we need them? Join Scott Kubie, content strategy’s King of Swords (it’s a whole thing, you’ll have to ask), as he shares his theory on the true Cause of Clarity, why it’s probably not what you think, and how to benefit from it more reliably in your design and IA work.

***

## &#x20;Local partners and sponsors

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Drake University</td><td><a href="https://www.drake.edu/">https://www.drake.edu/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Accenture</td><td><a href="https://www.accenture.com/us-en">https://www.accenture.com/us-en</a></td></tr><tr><td>Corteva</td><td><a href="https://www.corteva.com/">https://www.corteva.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Iowa State University Department of Graphic Design</td><td><a href="https://www.design.iastate.edu/graphic-design/">https://www.design.iastate.edu/graphic-design/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Iowa State University Human Computer Interaction</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Speakers and presenters

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Scott Kubie</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2F4byLHo2TGuTyuAkmRwGB%2FScott%20Kubie.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=3a6a51f2-bbe0-426b-9a0d-7f7a866a8da7">Scott Kubie.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/scott-kubie">Scott Kubie</a></td></tr><tr><td>Jeremy Burton</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FiCkzNaqC3RBSbRnaucjk%2FJeremyBurton.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=081ac37c-e57f-447e-b367-3a06b5a84acb">JeremyBurton.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/jeremy-burton">Jeremy Burton</a></td></tr><tr><td>Sarah Price</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FHtzH95zotbTX0kCLhocu%2FSarahPrice.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=d998bd90-c43d-44c0-803c-5859967c9675">SarahPrice.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/sarah-price">Sarah Price</a></td></tr><tr><td>Quentin Dietrich</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2F1WbnfwQuemQzz8GV8wNn%2FQuentinDietrich.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=c2d6e9af-8304-4afa-a57e-0858a2e2c40c">QuentinDietrich.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/quentin-dietrich">Quentin Dietrich</a></td></tr><tr><td>Crystal Olig</td><td data-object-fit="contain"><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FAwlZeylera7LBmczrBc3%2FCrystalOlig.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=0778e329-fc5a-4cc7-80cd-151971ed250f">CrystalOlig.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/crystal-olig">Crystal Olig</a></td></tr><tr><td>Laura Formanek</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FP9DOeFaIoaebFIlHKyao%2FLauraFormanek.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=4949d645-2557-4c2b-9a51-d224c87bace0">LauraFormanek.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/laura-formanek">Laura Formanek</a></td></tr><tr><td>Kristin Wesner</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FFMcQAAGazVaqNRMd0QWH%2FKristinWesner.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=c934530c-9813-4a51-8633-1a07e229438d">KristinWesner.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/kristin-wesner">Kristin Wesner</a></td></tr><tr><td>Raquel Sweet</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FvgkDNOflyBHoYBm00Msl%2FRaquelSweet.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=b5fabeb6-56a1-4c44-95d5-499bcd185bc6">RaquelSweet.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/raquel-sweet">Raquel Sweet</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Our team

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Edward Cupps</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FpmhViq3a2pdwHKsNx42u%2FEdwardCupps.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=080345b7-0a72-4baa-9dc6-bb794957be20">EdwardCupps.jpeg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Valerie Downs</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FZ8KPXXdjngjQPxI4FP4F%2FValerieDowns.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=b559f3ac-09ca-4fec-91e9-353ee218e28f">ValerieDowns.jpeg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sarah Price</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FHtzH95zotbTX0kCLhocu%2FSarahPrice.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=d998bd90-c43d-44c0-803c-5859967c9675">SarahPrice.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="/people/sarah-price">Sarah Price</a></td></tr><tr><td>Neil Ward</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FLCYxnLqsuhopJGTIyRRz%2FNeilWard.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=b4a212c2-bbb5-41ea-9a95-9c7a280e8420">NeilWard.jpeg</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>


# Des Moines 2019

World IA Day Des Moines 2019. Explore past content.

{% hint style="warning" %}
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**About World IA Day**

World Information Architecture Day is a one-day annual celebration hosted by the Information Architecture Institute and held in dozens of locations across the globe. Our celebration in Des Moines will be the 6th World IA Day held here.

We are a community of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts who share the common goal of practicing, learning, teaching, and shaping the future of information architecture and user experience. We share our thoughts, ideas, and work within an open and welcoming environment. Everyone is welcome and our celebrations are always accessible to all.

<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-information-architecture-day-2019-des-moines-tickets-54510152333" class="button primary" data-icon="tickets">Register</a>

***

## Venue, parking and transit

World IA Day Des Moines will be held in Meredith Hall at Drake University. It is accessible within the city by car or public transit (several DART Local Routes stop immediately near the venue) and is a short hop off of Interstate 235.&#x20;

We have several parking spots reserved near Meredith Hall for the event. &#x20;

***

## Program/Schedule

**Program**

There is a mix of presentations and workshops on topics drawing from the worlds of information architecture, user experience design, content strategy, product strategy, marketing, and more. We'll start the event with a keynote, and from there, you can choose sessions throughout the day.

**Schedule**

We're working on finalizing the schedule. Stay tuned!

**Our Sponsors**

World IA Day is a free event thanks to the generous support of several sponsors. We truly appreciate their support.

**Accessibility**

If you have any questions or concerns about the accessibility of the venue space or program content, please contact us immediately at <desmoines@worldiaday.org> and we will do our utmost to assist.

***

## Local Partners and Sponsors

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Drake University</strong></td><td>Event Sponsor</td><td><a href="https://www.drake.edu/art-design/">https://www.drake.edu/art-design/</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Visual Logic</strong></td><td>Event Sponsor</td><td><a href="https://vlgux.com/">https://vlgux.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Granular</strong></td><td>Room Sponsor</td><td><a href="https://granular.ag/">https://granular.ag/</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Dwolla</strong></td><td>Community Sponsor</td><td><a href="https://www.dwolla.com/">https://www.dwolla.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Handrail</strong></td><td>Community Sponsor</td><td><a href="http://www.handrailux.com/">http://www.handrailux.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Source Allies</strong></td><td>Community Sponsor</td><td><a href="https://www.sourceallies.com/">https://www.sourceallies.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Visionary Services</strong></td><td>Community Sponsor</td><td><a href="https://visionary.com/">https://visionary.com/</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Our team

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Ellen Bulter</td><td></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2Fe1eM0kCtM05EpjPhw1Ry%2FEllenButler.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=65107bd0-94d8-4ca6-ab21-077f3640bdc4">EllenButler.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td>Quentin Dietrich</td><td></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FF8ATJzmu63d31PCRWzRq%2FQuentinDietrich.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=0ebfb3aa-fbe3-4321-ab86-d5a6d36f1ed2">QuentinDietrich.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td>Taylor Wertzberger</td><td></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2F02NHXiQKbbDL90BkoFYW%2FTaylorWertzberger.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=8262ac1a-3819-474b-bba4-4996c9128523">TaylorWertzberger.jpg</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


# Des Moines 2018

World IA Day Des Moines YYYY, Venue. Explore past content.

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### Saturday, February 24, 2018

EMAIL: <desmoines@worldiaday.org>

TWITTER: [@wiaddsm](https://twitter.com/wiaddsm)

**About World IA Day**

World Information Architecture Day is a one-day annual celebration hosted by the Information Architecture Institute and held in dozens of locations across the globe. World IA Day 2018 is taking place in 56 individual locations across 25 countries and 5 continents. Our celebration in Des Moines will be the 5th World IA Day held here.

**Meet People in your community**

We are a community of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts who share the common goal of practicing, learning, teaching, and shaping the future of information architecture and user experience. We share our thoughts, ideas, and work within an open and welcoming environment. Everyone is welcome and our celebrations are always accessible to all.

**Program**

There is a mix of presentations and workshops on topics drawing from the worlds of information architecture, user experience design, content strategy, product strategy, marketing, and more. We'll start the event with a keynote by Scott Kubie from Brain Traffic. From there, you can choose sessions throughout the day.

***

### Venue, parking and transit

World IA Day Des Moines will be held in the Olmsted Center at Drake University. It is accessible within the city by car or public transit (several DART Local Routes stop immediately near the venue), and is a short hop off of Interstate 235.&#x20;

We have several parking spots reserved near the Olmsted Center for the event.

Drake Olmsted Center

2875 University Avenue Des Moines, IA 50311

2nd Floor

### Program/Schedule

8:00 AM - 9:15 AM

#### Registration & Coffee

9:15 AM to 9:30 AM

#### Event Kick-off

9:30 AM to 10:15 AM

#### Keynote

Keynote

*What even is a website? -*  [Scott Kubie](/people/scott-kubie)

10:30 AM to 11:15 AM

#### Sessions

* *Customer Driven Innovation* - [Mat Winegarden](https://twitter.com/MatWinegarden)[ ](https://www.worldiaday.org/node/1264)
* *Framing the Design Problem* - Tom Lindsley
* *Object-Oriented UX* - Jonna Buse

11:30 AM to 12:15 PM

#### Sessions

* *Customer Experience Journey Mapping* - [Keith Kmett](https://twitter.com/kkmett)
* *Designing for Inclusion* - Kara Pastour
* *How to Advance your Design Ideas* - Rachel McClung

12:15 PM to 1:15 PM

#### Lunch

Complimentary lunch and coffee will be provided for all who attend. We'll be having lunch boxes with a meat, veggie, or salad option. If you have any dietary restrictions or needs, please contact us and we'll do our best to assist.

1:15 PM to 2:00 PM

#### Session

* *The Psychology of Intuitiveness* - Annie Lewis
* *Practical Design Thinking* - Edward Cupps
* *Basic Introduction to IA* - Meghan Lehman & Nick Bray

2:15 PM to 3:00 PM

#### Sessions

* *Bring Your Own Seat to the Table* - Andy Vitale
* *Designing for Accessibility* - Zayira Jordan
* *Integrating UX into Agile* - Jennifer Gracey

3:10 PM to 3:30 PM

#### Closing & Raffle

***

## Our team

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Quentin Dietrich</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FF8ATJzmu63d31PCRWzRq%2FQuentinDietrich.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=0ebfb3aa-fbe3-4321-ab86-d5a6d36f1ed2">QuentinDietrich.jpg</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>


# Des Moines 2017

World IA Day Des Moines 2017. Explore past content.

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### About World IA Day

World Information Architecture Day is a one-day annual celebration hosted by the Information Architecture Institute and held in dozens of locations across the globe. World IA Day 2017 is taking place in 65 individual locations across 29 countries and 6 continents. Our celebration in Des Moines will be the 4th such World IA Day held here.

### Meet People in your community

We are a community of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts who share the common goal of practicing, learning, teaching and shaping the future of information architecture. We share our thoughts, ideas, and work within an open and welcoming environment.

People who architect information come from many professions and all walks of life. We believe the power of similarity and the beauty of difference will inspire those who work in information architecture, as well as those who may be new to it. Everyone is welcome and our celebrations are always accessible to all.

### The Program

There is a mix of presentations and workshops on topics drawing from the worlds of information architecture, user experience design, content strategy, product strategy, marketing, and more.

## Date and time

Saturday, March 8, 2026

***

## Venue, parking and transit

**VENUE**\
Des Moines Public Library\
1000 Grand Avenue,\
Des Moines, IA 50309

**DIRECTIONS**\
The Central Library is located in the heart of downtown Des Moines at [1000 Grand Avenue](https://goo.gl/maps/X87qBb8ZqC72) in the Western Gateway Park near the Pappajohn Sculpture Garden.

**PARKING**\
Street parking is available near the library and is free on the weekend in downtown Des Moines.&#x20;

***

## Speakers

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Mat Winegarden</td><td><strong>ConnectFive</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FvDssRdLrM9IkBdOd22E6%2FMatWinegarden.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=68626c08-c8c5-4275-a222-b9189979e770">MatWinegarden.jpg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matt Arnold</td><td><strong>ConnectFive</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FxsjNUHAC75PFRlzEzkd4%2FMatt-Arnold.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=acf93376-bb45-46a9-afa9-7a23c79822a5">Matt-Arnold.jpg</a></td><td><a href="http://www.inspiredbyspark.com/">http://www.inspiredbyspark.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Rachel McClung</td><td>Senior Visual Designer, <strong>Workiva</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FjIYpa8sip9pJo96N2m4t%2FRachelMcClug.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=3120def6-d84f-432a-a202-e285a7953c81">RachelMcClug.jpeg</a></td><td><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmcclung">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmcclung</a></td></tr><tr><td>Annie Lewis</td><td><strong>Workiva</strong></td><td><a href="https://content.gitbook.com/content/OGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU/blobs/ZRTEb30oem1lAMslBsme/placeholder-avatar.jpg">placeholder-avatar.jpg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Laura Christenson</td><td>Senior User Experience Architect, <strong>MedTouch</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FEeo2efOrGJHZPJpb4YVc%2FLauraChristenson.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=b05f3596-7012-4c7e-83e5-8f1bbb7bc32b">LauraChristenson.jpg</a></td><td><a href="/people/laura-christenson">Laura Christenson</a></td></tr><tr><td>Ellen Butler</td><td></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2Fe1eM0kCtM05EpjPhw1Ry%2FEllenButler.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=65107bd0-94d8-4ca6-ab21-077f3640bdc4">EllenButler.jpg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Edward Cupps</td><td><strong>Mural</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FpmhViq3a2pdwHKsNx42u%2FEdwardCupps.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=080345b7-0a72-4baa-9dc6-bb794957be20">EdwardCupps.jpeg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Heather Rhea</td><td><strong>Arkitome</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FGcRRQLRuXADr0WsTAxxm%2FHeatherRhea.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=8d67b1e0-f5d9-4451-92d1-a72fafab2fc8">HeatherRhea.jpeg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Eric Rhea</td><td><strong>Arkitome</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FhSxxxCoeC9QTdFgInRBg%2FEricRhea.png?alt=media&amp;token=05392a55-83b2-4374-ac9a-fdd5886d429e">EricRhea.png</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kurt Wiel</td><td><strong>Visual Logic</strong></td><td data-object-fit="contain"><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FHlPiCrEdIIwHOKLXnuN9%2FKurtVanderWiel.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=72fbc411-1a7d-41c6-a433-f93284edb377">KurtVanderWiel.jpg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jeremy Harrington</td><td><strong>Voce Communications</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FKp3SOTCFhJng0HMNepSN%2FJeremyHarrington.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=3ab3fa01-3cd8-42cc-a47f-5f26d6f37e2c">JeremyHarrington.jpg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kathryn Downing</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="contain"><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2Fa5aPNiHFgVBfWAr6GiNV%2FKathrynDowning.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=92465890-6a7e-4460-8430-0baa33ff69ea">KathrynDowning.jpeg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Al Martine</td><td><strong>Central Scribe</strong></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FlXL54obASRFlWppe4NHl%2FAlMartine.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=52472524-3e26-468f-9f55-b45bc9286b47">AlMartine.jpeg</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Program/Schedule

8:00 AM - 8:45 AM

#### Coffee & Registration

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

### Introduction & Welcome

9:00 AM - 9:50 AM

### An Understanding of Journey Maps and How To Use Them (Workshop)

**Mat Winegarden and Matt Arnold**, ConnectFive - An Understanding of Journey Maps and How To Use Them *(Workshop)*

9:00 AM - 9:50 AM

### Sketchnotes on Design Thinking (Workshop)

**Rachel McClung,** Workiva - Sketchnotes on Design Thinking *(Workshop)*

9:50 AM - 10:30 AM

### Information Architecture in Nature: Human memory and cognitive bias (Presentation)

**Annie Lewis**, Workiva - Information Architecture in Nature: Human memory and cognitive bias *(Presentation)*

10:30 AM - 11:20 AM

### Creating and Using Personas to Drive Design (Workshop)

**Laura Christenson**, MedTouch - Creating and Using Personas to Drive Design *(Workshop)*

10:30 AM - 11:20 AM

### Tying Information Architecture Back To Business (Workshop)

**Ellen Butler**, Happy Medium - Tying Information Architecture Back To Business *(Workshop)*

11:20 AM - 11:55 AM

### Story Mapping (Workshop)

**Edward Cupps**, Workiva - Story Mapping *(Workshop)*

11:55 AM - 12:45 PM

#### Lunch

12:45 PM - 1:15 PM

### Outside the Frame: Information and experience design in 360° (Presentation)

**Heather Rhea and Eric Rhea**, Arkitome - Outside the Frame: Information and experience design in 360° *(Presentation)*

12:45 PM - 1:15 PM

### Implications of Chat Interfaces and IA (Presentation)

**Kurt Vander Wiel,** Visual Logic - Implications of Chat Interfaces and IA *(Presentation)*

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

### UX Prototyping Tools - Adobe XD and Facebook's Origami (Presentation)

**Jeremy Harrington**, Voce Communications - UX Prototyping Tools - Adobe XD and Facebook's Origami *(Presentation)*

1:15 PM - 1:45 PM

### The Content Triangle: A strategic framework for integrating content technology, creators and development (Presentation)

**Al Martine**, Central Scribe - The Content Triangle: A strategic framework for integrating content technology, creators and development *(Presentation)*

1:45 PM - 2:20 PM

### Using Optimal Workshop to improve your navigation (Presentation)

**Kathryn Downing** - Using Optimal Workshop to improve your navigation *(Presentation)*

***

## Local partners and sponsors

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>ConnectFive</td><td><a href="http://www.connectfive.com/">http://www.connectfive.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Grand View Art &#x26; Design</td><td><a href="http://www.grandview.edu/">http://www.grandview.edu/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Handrail</td><td><a href="http://handrailux.com/">http://handrailux.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Happy Medium</td><td><a href="https://itsahappymedium.com/">https://itsahappymedium.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Visionary</td><td><a href="https://visionary.com/">https://visionary.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Workiva</td><td><a href="https://www.workiva.com/">https://www.workiva.com/</a></td></tr><tr><td>Voce Communications</td><td><a href="http://voceplatforms.com/">http://voceplatforms.com/</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Our team

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Quentin Dietrich</td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FF8ATJzmu63d31PCRWzRq%2FQuentinDietrich.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=0ebfb3aa-fbe3-4321-ab86-d5a6d36f1ed2">QuentinDietrich.jpg</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>


# Des Moines 2016

World IA Day Des Moines 2016. Explore past content.

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EMAIL: <desmoines@worldiaday.org>

TWITTER: [@WIADdsm](https://twitter.com/WIADdsm)

The Des Moines team is excited to be putting together their 3rd World IA Day event. Visit our [registration page](http://wiaddsm2016.eventbrite.com/) to learn more about our speakers, ticket types, and more.

### **About World IA Day**

[World Information Architecture Day](http://www.worldiaday.org/) is a one-day, annual celebration focused on the practice and education of Information Architecture (IA).

Our celebration brings together a diverse community including information architects, user experience designers, content strategists, product managers, developers, scholars, and students. We come together to talk about and shape the future of Information Architecture. Because of the ubiquitous nature of information, we hear stories of information architecture not just practiced by specialists, but by people holding all sorts of titles, coming from all walks of life. We celebrate these type of stories. This year, we celebrate on February 20th, 2016. Our theme is "Information Everywhere, Architects Everywhere".

World IA Day 2016 is taking place in 68 individual locations across 35 countries and six continents. Our celebration in Des Moines will be the third such World IA Day held here.

This volunteer-led, free to-attend event relies on the generosity of our business community to cover operating expenses. Please email <desmoines@worldiaday.org> for more information about our low-dollar, high-exposure sponsorship options.

### The Program

Expect a mix of presentations, workshops, and lightning talks on topics drawing from the worlds of information architecture, user experience design, content strategy product strategy, advertising, marketing, and more.

## Date and time

Saturday, February 20, 2016

***

## Venue, parking and transit

Grand View University Student Center\
2811 East 14th Street\
Des Moines, IA 50316

World IA Day Des Moines will be held in the recently renovated student center on the Grand View University campus on Des Moines' northeast side. It is easily accessibly from within the city by car or public transit ([DART Local Route 4](http://www.ridedart.com/routes/local/4-e-14th) stops immediately in front of the venue), and is a short hop off of Interstate 80 from exit 136. There is ample free parking, and bike racks if you're one of Iowa's brave winter cyclists.

***

## Program/Schedule

### Visualization Everywhere : Distilling Information from Big Data

**Steve Belknap**, User Experience Architect at Source Allies — Visualization Everywhere : Distilling Information from Big Data

**Laura Christenson**, Sr. User Experience Architect at MedTouch — Architecting Personalization

### Introducing Information Architecture to Graphic Designers

**Matt Dirkx**, Digital Magazine Developer at Meredith Xcelerated Marketing — Introducing Information Architecture to Graphic Designers

### UX Kits: Why You Need Them and How to Build Them

**Jacob Heflin**, User Experience Designer at Mittera — UX Kits: Why You Need Them and How to Build Them

#### Information Architecture: Strategic Blueprint for UX and Governance

**Jill J. Jensen**, Content Director at Geonetric — Information Architecture: Strategic Blueprint for UX and Governance

### Architecting the Onboarding Experience

**Tom Lindsley**, Senior Interaction Designer at Workiva — Architecting the Onboarding Experience

### Card-Sorting with Kittens

**Amanda Morrow**, User Experience Designer — Card-Sorting with Kittens

### Shift Your Focus to Website Users and Everyone Wins

**Maggie Wright**[,](https://www.worldiaday.org/node/1261) Senior Content Strategist and Product Owner at Geonetric — Shift Your Focus to Website Users and Everyone Wins

### World Building

**Bill Zahren**, fiction author — World Building

### Type Trials

**Rachel McClung**, Senior Visual Designer at Workiva — Type Trials

### Top Task Information Architecture: Bringing Clarity to your Focus

**Quentin Dietrich**, Product Experience Analyst at AgencyBloc — Top Task Information Architecture: Bringing Clarity to your Focus

***

## Speakers

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Steven Belknap</strong></td><td>User Experience Architect, <strong>Source Allies</strong></td><td><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-belknap-a66a513">https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-belknap-a66a513</a></td><td><a href="https://content.gitbook.com/content/OGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU/blobs/ZRTEb30oem1lAMslBsme/placeholder-avatar.jpg">placeholder-avatar.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Laura Christenson</strong></td><td>Senior User Experience Architect, <strong>MedTouch</strong></td><td><a href="/people/laura-christenson">Laura Christenson</a></td><td data-object-fit="contain"><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FEeo2efOrGJHZPJpb4YVc%2FLauraChristenson.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=b05f3596-7012-4c7e-83e5-8f1bbb7bc32b">LauraChristenson.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Matt Dirkx</strong></td><td>Digital Magazine Developer, <strong>Meredith Xcelerated Marketing</strong></td><td></td><td><a href="https://content.gitbook.com/content/OGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU/blobs/ZRTEb30oem1lAMslBsme/placeholder-avatar.jpg">placeholder-avatar.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Jacob Heflin</strong></td><td>User Experience Designer, <strong>Mittera</strong></td><td><a href="http://jacobheflin.com/">http://jacobheflin.com/</a></td><td data-object-fit="contain"><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FMqgHlrLi3GgQ25s42sbP%2FJacobHeflin.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=3df2e7c2-315d-4e37-ab94-e9653e220075">JacobHeflin.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Jill Jensen</strong></td><td>Content Director, <strong>Geonetric</strong></td><td></td><td><a href="https://content.gitbook.com/content/OGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU/blobs/ZRTEb30oem1lAMslBsme/placeholder-avatar.jpg">placeholder-avatar.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tom Lindsley</strong></td><td>Senior Interaction Designer, <strong>Workiva</strong></td><td><a href="http://tomlindsley.com/~portfolio/">http://tomlindsley.com/~portfolio/</a></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FLPhrLGf2JwCjlG2KwZU5%2FTomLindsley.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=728279b3-f7d0-4769-9623-a75b9f2de7d2">TomLindsley.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Amanda Morrow</strong></td><td>User Experience Designer</td><td><a href="http://www.amandamorrow.com/">http://www.amandamorrow.com/</a></td><td data-object-fit="contain"><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FoZSEk94mjcXIwSzJEjO4%2FAmandaMorrow_0.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=ebbd95ec-3d2a-4a7f-86f1-90852d79d1b7">AmandaMorrow_0.jpeg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Maggie Wright</strong></td><td>Senior Content Strategist and Product Owner, <strong>Geonetric</strong></td><td></td><td><a href="https://content.gitbook.com/content/OGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU/blobs/ZRTEb30oem1lAMslBsme/placeholder-avatar.jpg">placeholder-avatar.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Bill Zahren</strong></td><td>Author</td><td><a href="/people/bill-zahren">Bill Zahren</a></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FCFT73PTXqtdVncDrLL2y%2FBillZahren.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=9957431d-0eae-4da1-ba7d-21755aa476b4">BillZahren.jpg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Rachel McClung</strong></td><td>Senior Visual Designer, <strong>Workiva</strong></td><td><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmcclung">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelmcclung</a></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FjIYpa8sip9pJo96N2m4t%2FRachelMcClug.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=3120def6-d84f-432a-a202-e285a7953c81">RachelMcClug.jpeg</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Quentin Dietrich</strong></td><td>Product Experience Analyst, <strong>AgencyBloc</strong></td><td><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/qhdietrich/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/qhdietrich/</a></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FF8ATJzmu63d31PCRWzRq%2FQuentinDietrich.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=0ebfb3aa-fbe3-4321-ab86-d5a6d36f1ed2">QuentinDietrich.jpg</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Our team

<table data-column-title-hidden data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Scott Kubie</td><td><a href="/people/scott-kubie">Scott Kubie</a></td><td><a href="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2F7aT8SAJEk4M3mDvetDRI%2FScottKubie.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=51410bec-42f8-42fc-94df-19d7ff06b1e1">ScottKubie.jpg</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


# Raquel Sweet

Speaker at World IA Day Des Moines

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FvgkDNOflyBHoYBm00Msl%2FRaquelSweet.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=b5fabeb6-56a1-4c44-95d5-499bcd185bc6" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Raquel Sweet joined Corteva this year as an Associate User Researcher. She has worked with the product development team primarily by coordinating and developing participant pools. She also provides initial methods consultation on developing projects and has worked on qualitative User data analysis. Her most recent role before coming to Corteva was at Grinnell College as a professor of psychology. She received her PhD in psychology from Iowa State University.

### Community Involvement

* [Des Moines 2023](/events/des-moines-2023), Speaker

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website:&#x20;
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn:
* <i class="fa-instagram">:instagram:</i> Instagram: &#x20;
* <i class="fa-x-twitter">:x-twitter:</i> X/Twitter:
* <i class="fa-medium">:medium:</i> Medium:
* <i class="fa-bluesky">:bluesky:</i> Bluesky


# Kristin Wesner

Speaker at World IA Day Des Moines

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FFMcQAAGazVaqNRMd0QWH%2FKristinWesner.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=c934530c-9813-4a51-8633-1a07e229438d" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Kristin Wesner is the Interim User Research Manager with Corteva’s digital product development team. She has been with the Granular & Corteva team for three years, leading mixed method user research projects and supporting product team discovery efforts. Kristin holds a PhD in Social Psychology from Iowa State University and previously served as a tenured professor of Psychology and Research Methods at Clarke University.

### Community Involvement

* [Des Moines 2023](/events/des-moines-2023), speaker

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website:&#x20;
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn:
* <i class="fa-instagram">:instagram:</i> Instagram: &#x20;
* <i class="fa-x-twitter">:x-twitter:</i> X/Twitter:
* <i class="fa-medium">:medium:</i> Medium:
* <i class="fa-bluesky">:bluesky:</i> Bluesky


# Laura Formanek

Speaker, Volunteer, Organizer, Mentor, ...

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FP9DOeFaIoaebFIlHKyao%2FLauraFormanek.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=4949d645-2557-4c2b-9a51-d224c87bace0" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Laura Formanek is a creative video storyteller based out of Des Moines. After editing commercial work in Dallas and directing marketing for a cultural museum, she returned to her roots in Iowa to open a full-service production studio. Studio Process focuses on “storytelling for good,” sharing meaningful video stories about mission-driven organizations. Their work spans across a variety of nonprofit and for-profit\
clientele, such as museums, DEI consulting firms, sustainability-centered companies, and public arts foundations. As part of Studio Process’s own mission to give back, Laura recently spent time in Nakuru, Kenya shooting pro bono documentary footage for a nonprofit that sponsors students’ school fees and\
provides sanitary pads to young women in the local community.

Laura is passionate about creating meaningful work, connecting cool people to other cool people and life-long learning. She is an adjunct instructor in DMACC’s video department, volunteers on the Art Noir Advisory Committee for the Des Moines Art Center and is currently developing a public art projection installation on the Women of Achievement Bridge during Women’s Month March 2024. In her free time, Laura enjoys live music, roller skating, craft beer and international travel.

### Community Involvement

* [Des Moines 2023](/events/des-moines-2023), Speaker

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website: <https://thestudioprocess.com/>
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn:
* <i class="fa-instagram">:instagram:</i> Instagram: &#x20;
* <i class="fa-x-twitter">:x-twitter:</i> X/Twitter:
* <i class="fa-medium">:medium:</i> Medium:
* <i class="fa-bluesky">:bluesky:</i> Bluesky


# Crystal Olig

Speaker at World IA Day Des Moines

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FAwlZeylera7LBmczrBc3%2FCrystalOlig.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=0778e329-fc5a-4cc7-80cd-151971ed250f" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Crystal Olig is a digital and marketing strategist with Accenture Song, one of the largest digital agencies in the world. She supports clients across programs in product management, CRM, Loyalty and data and analytics, most recently leading a large strategy project for a national US Quick Service Restaurant client. When she's not at work, she's busy being a mom to two boys, volunteering at her church or attempting yoga or a dance class.

### Community Involvement

* Speaker, [Des Moines 2023](/events/des-moines-2023)

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website:&#x20;
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn:
* <i class="fa-instagram">:instagram:</i> Instagram: &#x20;
* <i class="fa-x-twitter">:x-twitter:</i> X/Twitter:
* <i class="fa-medium">:medium:</i> Medium:
* <i class="fa-bluesky">:bluesky:</i> Bluesky


# Sarah Price

Speaker

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FHtzH95zotbTX0kCLhocu%2FSarahPrice.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=d998bd90-c43d-44c0-803c-5859967c9675" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Sarah Price is a UX Designer at Dupaco Community Credit Union where she advocates for members to help them build lives worth loving. She is passionate about using design to help people and make their lives easier. Previously she worked as a UX Designer at John Deere on their construction and forestry team, and as a freelance front end developer and designer. She has a BA in Graphic Journalism from Grand View University and minors in English and Interactive Media.

In the past she has also volunteered with Tech Fleet as a Lead UX Researcher, UX Rescue as a UX Designer, with AIGA Iowa and AAUW Iowa.&#x20;

In her freetime she volunteers with Experiencing UX, moonlights as a pet sitter, runs a book blog, writes novels under a pen name, and does a lot of reading.&#x20;

### Community Involvement

* Speaker, [Des Moines 2023](/events/des-moines-2023)

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website:&#x20;
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn:
* <i class="fa-instagram">:instagram:</i> Instagram: &#x20;
* <i class="fa-x-twitter">:x-twitter:</i> X/Twitter:
* <i class="fa-medium">:medium:</i> Medium:
* <i class="fa-bluesky">:bluesky:</i> Bluesky


# Jeremy Burton

Speaker at World IA Day Des Moines

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FiCkzNaqC3RBSbRnaucjk%2FJeremyBurton.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=081ac37c-e57f-447e-b367-3a06b5a84acb" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Jeremy G. Burton is content design manager at Mural, where he champions clear language in support of better collaboration.

For 15 years, Jeremy has worked at the intersection of people and information — first in journalism, then in UX. At heart, he’s always an information architect, even when he might be wearing the hats of interaction designer, researcher, strategist, writer, or facilitator. Before Mural, Jeremy worked on AI products for IBM and health care services for UPMC Health Plan.

Jeremy also started and organized the very first World IA Day events in Pittsburgh, where he lives with his wife, son, and two cats.

### Community Involvement

* [Des Moines 2023](/events/des-moines-2023)

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website:&#x20;
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn:
* <i class="fa-instagram">:instagram:</i> Instagram: &#x20;
* <i class="fa-x-twitter">:x-twitter:</i> X/Twitter:
* <i class="fa-medium">:medium:</i> Medium:
* <i class="fa-bluesky">:bluesky:</i> Bluesky


# Quentin Dietrich

Speaker at World IA Day Des Moines

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2F1WbnfwQuemQzz8GV8wNn%2FQuentinDietrich.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=c2d6e9af-8304-4afa-a57e-0858a2e2c40c" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Quentin is a Staff Content Designer at Shopify.

Put simply, I try to help people, make things, and make things better. I design with teams, content, pixels, and sometimes code. My expertise is in content strategy, information architecture, and UX strategy. My strengths include leading content strategy, content development, and mentoring content designers.

### Community Involvement

* Speaker,[Des Moines 2023](/events/des-moines-2023)

### Connect

* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/qhdietrich/>


# Laura Christenson

Speaker, Volunteer, Organizer, Mentor, ...

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FEeo2efOrGJHZPJpb4YVc%2FLauraChristenson.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=b05f3596-7012-4c7e-83e5-8f1bbb7bc32b" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Specialties: User experience, usability testing, information architecture, internationalization (i18n), localization (l10n), search engine optimization, paid search engine advertising, email marketing, social media, content strategy.

Over time, I branched out from front-end development to web content strategy, search engine marketing, email marketing, social media strategy and implementation, website translation, user experience and interaction design, and web project management.

I like to make decisions based on data (I'm an analytics nerd) and enjoy an iterative design process with lots of prototypes and user testing.

### Community Involvement

* YYYY, Speaker, "[TALK TITLE](/events/template-des-moines-yyyy#hh-mm-am-pm-talk-title-speaker-s)"&#x20;
* Organizer, [\[TEMPLATE\] Des Moines YYYY](/events/template-des-moines-yyyy)

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website: <http://www.laurachristenson.com/>
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauramchristenson/>
* <i class="fa-x-twitter">:x-twitter:</i> X/Twitter: <https://twitter.com/laura_uxplorer>


# Bill Zahren

Speaker

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2FCFT73PTXqtdVncDrLL2y%2FBillZahren.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=9957431d-0eae-4da1-ba7d-21755aa476b4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Bill Zahren is a fifth-generation Iowan born in Lake Park. He graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, and worked for the *Le Mars Daily Sentinel* and *Sioux City Journal* before moving to West Des Moines where he now lives with his wife, Rhonda. Bill and Rhonda have two daughters, Haley and Jena. Bill works as a full-time freelance marketing writer when not drafting the latest adventures of Tom Kingman and Hillary Reed.

### Community Involvement

* 2016, Speaker, [Des Moines 2016](/events/des-moines-2016#world-building)

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website: <http://www.billzahren.com/>


# Scott Kubie

Local organizer, Speaker

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://865035110-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FOGpOY7oipyGVbEpmehVU%2Fuploads%2F4byLHo2TGuTyuAkmRwGB%2FScott%20Kubie.jpeg?alt=media&amp;token=3a6a51f2-bbe0-426b-9a0d-7f7a866a8da7" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

\
Scott Kubie is a designer who writes, and is the author of *Writing for Designers*. Since 2010, he's delivered over 100 public talks and workshops on writing, content strategy, information architecture, and user experience design. He organizes the Content.Events community, teaches content strategy for the School of Visual Concepts and UX writing for the School of Visual Arts, and leads the Content Career Accelerator. Scott can be found online at [kubie.co](http://kubie.co/).

### Community Involvement

* 2023, Speaker, The Cause of Clarity
* Organizer, Des Moines 2014, Des Moines 2015, [Des Moines 2016](/events/des-moines-2016),&#x20;

### Connect

* <i class="fa-globe-pointer">:globe-pointer:</i> Website: <https://kubie.co/>
* <i class="fa-linkedin">:linkedin:</i> LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/kubie/>