Design & Development = Better Together

Many companies have designers and developers working together but most companies also have a company culture driven by one or the other. Developer centric companies and cultures value technical solutions (Microsoft) and design-centric cultures value design over technology (Apple). The best products come from the combination of the two.

This talk will cover specific techniques and methodologies of designers working with developers to solve problems and produce better products. The approach is integrated into an Agile/Scrum process and this has helped create products that both ship to market and push for design and usability excellence.

Guest Speaker

Greg Raiz

Greg Raiz founded Raizlabs in 2003 with a vision to improve lives through technology and design. The company has grown substantially over the last decade and is viewed as a leader in the Boston and SF technology, web, and mobile communities.

Greg graduated Tufts University and got his start at Microsoft as a program manager on Windows XP. He moved back to Boston and founded Raizlabs with a focus on user experience and product design. For the first four years, Raizlabs concentrated on designing interfaces for web applications. Then, in 2007, Apple released the iPhone:

“The iPhone was the perfect platform for us. We had spent years crafting experiences and designing software. Here was a platform that not only made it easy, but made it fun.” – Gregory Raiz

Our first mobile apps launched within a month of the AppStore unveiling, rocketing to the top of the charts.

Greg is active in the mobile, web, and design community, in Boston, SF and beyond. He founded DrinksOnTap.org and AltConf and has spoken on technology at many universities and events including MIT, MobileMonday, Harvard Business School, Bentley, and Olin, as well as for companies like Microsoft, Fidelity, Staples and others. He has served on the boards of BostonCHI and the usability group, UXPA Boston.

Greg is currently growing Raizlabs and working with technology leaders across the country on their mobile and web strategies.

Greg Raiz can be contacted at graiz@raizlabs.com. His personal blog, Greg’s Head, covers interface design, mobile technology, and user experience topics. He can also be found on Twitter as @graiz.

Thanks to our host this month – Alpha Loft!

Alpha Loft, a NH based non-profit, incubates and accelerates startup and early-stage companies in NH, creating an entrepreneurial culture of growing companies.

With multiple coworking locations Alpha Loft provides high value programming, events, advice, and mentoring, improving entrepreneurs prospects for successfully launching and scaling innovation-based businesses.

Learn more about Alpha Loft