An Event Apart Conference in Chicago

In the short history of professionals working on the web, there have been many stars -- some, technical gurus who have created languages and specifications that we all use today; others, design wonks who have influenced not only the visual vocabulary of the web but media of all kinds. From them, a few manage to combine an understanding of both fields. And of these, a tiny handful have the skills, passion, and interest to share the latest of what they know to advance the professional field, to improve our craft.

I'm spending two days in Chicago at An Event Apart, listening to 10 of the best in the field, brainstorming, challenging, networking, and learning -- as much from the speakers as from each other. We're rethinking the 'given guidelines' of information architecture, pushing typographic boundaries on the web, brainstorming how to make the user's experience a better one, and re-crafting website writing to better communicate, convey, and brand. I'll blog the highlights of what I've picked up here over the next several weeks, so please stay tuned.