Meet the Speakers: Volume 1
Shawn Spartz
Unlocking Innovation: Integrating Art and Technology for Inclusive Problem Solving
Shawn Spartz (she/her/they/them)
Shawn Spartz brings more than 20 years of experience in web and technology-focused solutions to nvisia clients, from programming custom web applications to creative direction for the user interface. She has strong expertise in experiential user-driven interfaces in both B2B and B2C solutions. Shawn has a versatile work style; she works fluidly with Marketing, Technology and Operations departments to understand their user needs and provide a full user experience workflow including: Personas, User Journey Maps or Workflow Diagrams, Market and Competitor Research, User Analytics, Content Audit, Low-Fidelity Wireframes, High-Fidelity Visual Mockups, Interactive Prototyping, among others.
Here’s what they have to say about their talk:
“Join us at DevFest for a transformative session that bridges the gap between art and technology. "Unlocking Innovation" invites technologists from all disciplines to explore the power of neurographic art as a tool for creative problem-solving and empathy-driven design. This session will demonstrate how embracing artistic methodologies can help break free from conventional thinking, fostering inclusive solutions that resonate on a deeper level with diverse user groups. Whether you're a developer, designer, or engineer, come discover how blending creativity with technology can lead to groundbreaking innovations and a more inclusive digital future.”
Allison Kittinger
Welcoming and Belonging in Open Source
Allison Kittinger (she/her)
Allison Kittinger is the Open Source Program Office Manager at UW-Madison. She received her Master of Science in Library Science from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021 and previously worked as a Scholarly Communications Librarian in North Carolina. She was drawn to the academic OSPO space due to her background in open publishing and digital scholarship.
Here’s what she has to say about her talk:
“The success of open source projects is heavily based on community and volunteer contributions. This talk takes a look at persistent barriers to participation in open source, best practices for inclusive open source community growth, and compensation models for labor in open source.”