Local entrepreneurs, developers and tech-curious laypeople will have the opportunity to learn from one of Silicon Valley’s top User Experience (UX) designers next month.

Red River College and North Forge Technology Exchange are proud to host Willy Lai — an industry leader with over 20 years experience at top tech companies including Apple, Samsung and eBay — for a two-day workshop at RRC’s ACE Project Space on Jan. 18 and 19, 2018.

Lai will lead hands-on exercises, lectures and discussions focused on developing a strong UX across multiple platforms. The visit will mark Lai’s first time hosting a workshop in Canada and is currently the only Canadian stop on his world tour.

“It’s a little known fact that I was born in Canada (in Halifax, Nova Scotia), so I’m excited to have the opportunity to share my expertise and what I’ve learned in Silicon Valley with Canadian businesses, entrepreneurs and developers for the first time,” says Lai, who currently serves as Chief Design Officer for e-commerce site Haggleland.

“I’m looking forward to meeting with the tech and business community in Winnipeg, and to help facilitate connections that could continue to grow long after the workshop ends.”

UX design is the process of creating products that provide meaningful and personally relevant experiences across different platforms. This involves the design of both a product’s usability and the pleasure consumers will derive from using it. Lai’s workshop will cover:

• How to design great UX across devices through hands-on team exercises
• All phases of the UX design process, and all layers of UX
• The business value and return on investment of UX design, including case studies and statistics
• Design thinking, strategy, user-centred design, and industry proven principles, concepts and methodologies
• How to strategically align user desirability, business viability and technology feasibility
• Creating successful cross-functional collaboration, including leadership and influencing skills

Lai’s UX workshop lends itself well to the sort of collaboration taking place in the ACE Project Space every day. In its first year of operation, the Space has paired students with entrepreneurs and SMEs to provide solutions for bottlenecks that occur when starting a new venture or growing an existing business.

“At Red River College, we are committed to the idea that shared knowledge and shared experience will help us grow,” says RRC President Paul Vogt. “Mr. Lai’s knowledge and experience in the tech design industry is significant, and this workshop will spark a new kind of thinking that aids in the growth of our students, our industry partners and Manitoba’s technology sector.”

The workshop is made possible through the strong partnership between the College and North Forge, a development agency focused on fuelling Manitoba’s innovation economy.

“We are very excited for this incredible opportunity to learn about UX design from a top industry expert,” says North Forge President Jeff Ryzner. “Regardless of the size of your business, great UX design is mission-critical to attracting and retaining customers.”

For more information or to register for the event, visit: northforge.ca/uxwinnipeg2018