Conference Frequently Asked Questions

What is Doors of Perception?
Doors is a conference, website, knowledge network, and cultural accelerator. We bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, educators, and designers who want to imagine alternative futures - sustainable ones - and take design steps to realize them. A longer background discussion is at www.doorsofperception.com/FAQ/

Who should attend Doors 7 on Flow?
Designers, architects, entrepreneurs, policy makers, educators, city managers. Our participants come from up to 50 countries; the same goes for the 300,000 people who visit our website each year.

I'm not a designer. Why should I come to a design conference?
If  you ever need to devise a course of action aimed at changing an exisiting situation into a preferred one, you're designing (A definition of design by Herb Simon, given to us by Malcom McCullough).

Why do people come?
These are new times. People participate in Doors who need to imagine sustainable and engaging futures  - and take design steps to realize them. Our shared objective is to enrich our understanding and use of  the design process.

Why should my company send people to Doors?
In order to do things differently, organisations  need to see  things differently. Doors is a kind of lens which helps companies look at the world in new ways. We explore next-generation service and product concepts, and develop exploitable insights, tools, and knowledge.

Doors seems rather on the edge of what I need to do my job
We hope so. In biology they describe as 'the edge effect' the tendency for a greater variety and density of organisms to cluster in the boundaries between communities. As in nature, so too in a networked economy:  variety, density and interaction are success factors. These success factors do not occur naturally inside large companies. On the contrary: stuck in boxes, people in large companies focus on internal issues  (particularly technology, and market share) and miss important developments at the edge.

What has "flow" got to do with design?
Flow is about what it means to design in a world filling up with complex systems and technologies - on top of the natural ones that were already here, and social/cultural systems ones that evolved over thousands of years. At a basic level, devices and artefacts have to be designed. But 'design' does not just deal with things. Design also shapes the environments in which people communicate with each other.

What will I take away after the conference?
A better understanding of  the design process. Scenarios for services that meet emerging needs in new ways. New connections and capabilities among innovative people and organizations

There are hundreds of events out there. Why should I choose Doors?
We bring together different disciplines and communities that would not otherwise meet. These connections lead to all manner of new relationships and projects.

How do I get to speak at Doors?
With difficulty. Doors of Perception is not an academic conference - therefore we do not call for papers. Rather, we spend a lot of time researching our theme and checking out speakers.

Can I send in my name as a speaker?
By all means. If you put a name forward, it is added to our speakers long list, where it will be considered - but you will only hear from us if you are shortlisted as a speaker. Messages with the words "my client" or "our latest products" in them will be trashed automatically by a bot.

Do you help people who can't afford the ticket price?
Until a couple of weeks ago we offered Scholarships but the date for these unfortunately has expired.

What role do sponsors play at Doors?
We prefer the word supporters, to sponsors. Companies (and individuals) support our work for its own sake, not as part of a marketing campaign. details of how to become a Doors supporter are here.

What are the "Flow Breakfasts" ?
An opportunity for 12 people per table to discuss a topic with one of the speakers or other interesting experts attending the conference. We will announce the topics for each table and who will be there the day before. Numbers are limited so you need to book separately.

Will you publish the proceedings?
Yes. First on the website and then, in 2003, as a book. If you subscribe to our mailing list you will be informed.

What is the Club Room? Can I join?
The time and space between plenary sessions are as important as the formal presentations. The club room, which is for conference participants only,  is a place to meet, and to experience things that we will organise.

Why should I join the mailinglist?
Because it will make you a better and wiser person ;-)