Austin is a thriving entrepreneurial community with a number of workshops and events aimed at startups, but few focus specifically on design strategy. Design BIG is a series of workshops created to help Austin entrepreneurs apply user-centric design thinking to their product and service concepts. Developed by the team at Austin-based industrial and interactive design firm Pushstart, the first weekend design workshop was held in June 2013. Since then, Design BIG has had the privilege to present at a number of events, including Refresh Austin, Tech Ranch, and Austin Startup Week.
Brands are defined by experiences; good ones build customer loyalty, while bad ones erode trust. User-centric design thinking has proven to be a successful framework for rapidly focusing and improving products and services of all kinds. Good design decisions, whether focused on usability or brand, are based on good data. The foundation of the design driven product development methodology is anchored in research. Despite its utility, so often research gets overlooked in the design process, resulting in ill-defined problems and questionable solutions.
Design BIG was created by Pushstart's founders, Adrian Taylor and Aaron vom Eigen, experts in their respective fields of interactive and product design. Adrian and Aaron have a long history of collaboration, dating back to the mid-90s when they both attended Rhode Island School of Design. In 2011, they launched Pushstart, a fully integrated consultancy designed to help marketers, product managers, and entrepreneurs design experiences to delight their audience.
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Sponsor an event: We’re always looking for food and drink for events, printing support, hardware and equipment, and other types of sponsorship.
Host an event: Our team enjoys working with other great local startups. If your Austin startup is interested in hosting a Design BIG event, let us know.
Share your knowledge: Are you an experienced design professional? A startup/funding expert? Consider participating as a Design BIG mentor, panelist, or presenter. Email for more information.