SIGGRAPH Keynote Speaker Joi Ito on the Intersections of Creativity

SIGGRAPH is honored to have MIT Media Lab Director (and TED speaker) Joichi "Joi" Ito as our SIGGRAPH 2015 keynote speaker.

Mirroring the 2015 theme of "Xroads of Discovery," Mr. Ito’s body of work and experience spans the science, academic and business worlds. He’s an activist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and advocate of emergent democracy, privacy, and Internet freedom.

Known for his willingness to dig deeply to find unorthodox solutions and connections, Mr. Ito is the perfect fit for SIGGRAPH’s thoughtful, innovative and curious community.

Joi Ito In His Own Words

SIGGRAPH 2015 Keynote Joi Ito

From Joi.Ito.com:

In his post “The Creativity Compass,” Ito looks at four different creative quadrants (Artist, Designer, Engineer, Scientist) and how they tend to become compartmentalized. Ito notes, “I think a lot of the most interesting and impactful creative works tend to require all the use of all four quadrants. Many of the faculty at the Media Lab work in the dead center of this grid - or as I like to call it, this compass - or perhaps they lean in one direction, but they're able to channel skills from all four quadrants.”

He goes on to add, “The tyranny of traditional disciplines and functionally segregated organizations fail to produce the type of people who can work with this creativity compass, but I believe that in a world where the rate of change increases exponentially, where disruption has become a norm instead of an anomaly, the challenge will be to think this way if we want to effectively solve the problems we face today, much less tomorrow.”

In a post entitled "Antidisciplinary," Ito writes:

"The Media Lab focuses on 'uniqueness, impact and magic.' What our students and faculty do should be unique. We shouldn't be doing something that someone else is doing. If someone else starts doing it, we should stop. Everything we do should have impact. Lastly, things should induce us to be passionate and should go beyond incremental thinking.

'Magic' means that we take on projects that inspire us. In the Lifelong Kindergarten group, researchers often describe the 'Four Ps of Creative Learning' as Projects, Peers, Passion and Play. Play is extremely important for creative learning. There is a great deal of research showing that rewards and pressure can motivate people to 'produce,' but creative learning and thinking requires the 'space' that play creates. Pressure and rewards can often diminish that space, and thus, squash creative thinking."

A true innovator, Joi Ito is changing the way we think about collaboration! We hope you join us at SIGGRAPH 2015 to discover more of his vision. 

SIGGRAPH Day 3: More Sizzle Less Sleep

 Join the Scoop team as they take you on a brief recap of all the content, activities, and action at day 3 of SIGGRAPH 2013 in Anaheim. From morning to night, there is nothing like a full day at SIGGRAPH.

Check Out SIGGRAPH 2013 Posters and New Poster Videos

SIGGRAPH 2013 Posters Coordinator Kurt Luther provides a high-level overview of the Posters Program. Posters are a convenient method for presenting in-progress research, student projects, and late-breaking work. Poster topics range from applications of computer graphics to in-depth research in specific areas. They are on display for attendees to browse at their leisure. Poster authors meet and discuss their work with attendees during scheduled Poster Presentations.

SIGGRAPH 2012 Conference Chair Rebecca Strzelec's Vision Behind S2012

Hear from SIGGRAPH 2012 Conference Chair Rebecca Strzelec from Penn State Altoona who discusses her vision behind this year's conference and exhibition at the 2012 Media Briefing on Tuesday morning.

SIGGRAPH 2012 Selects Jane McGonigal as Keynote Speaker

SIGGRAPH announces the selection of Jane McGonigal, director of game research and development at the Institute for the Future (IFTF), as keynote speaker at SIGGRAPH 2012, the 39th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, 5-9 August 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. McGonigal’s research at IFTF focuses on how games are transforming the way we lead our real lives, and how they can be used to increase our resilience and well-being.

“Jane McGonigal is an ideal keynote for SIGGRAPH 2012 as the perfect illustration of this year’s conference theme,” said Rebecca Strzelec, SIGGRAPH 2012 Conference Chair from Penn State Altoona. “Her vision, vocation, and world-renowned accomplishments truly embody the collision, juxtaposition, and interaction of art and science.”

McGonigal is a visionary game designer and futurist, using alternate reality games to conduct research, build communities, connect with markets, and solve real-world problems from curing disease to addressing issues of poverty, hunger, and a world without petroleum. She has created and deployed award-winning games in more than 30 countries on six continents and directed the world’s first massively multiplayer forecasting game, Superstruct, which brought together more than 7,000 future forecasters from 90 countries. She currently serves as the Chief Creative Officer for SuperBetter Labs.

McGonigal’s New York Times bestselling book, Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, explores the power and future of gaming and reveals how its collaborative aspects are being used to solve some of the most difficult challenges facing humanity. Her personal goal is to see a game designer nominated for the Nobel Prize by 2023.

The New York Times featured McGonigal as one of 10 scientists with the best vision for what’s coming next; she earned Harvard Business Review honors for one of the Top 20 Breakthrough Ideas of 2008; BusinessWeek called her one of the Top 10 Innovators to Watch; and Fast Company named her one of the 100 Most Creative People in business.

Check out her appearance on The Colbert Report by clicking here.

Emerging Technologies Video Now Live

Recently, SIGGRAPH 2010 posted the Emerging Technologies preview video. It has already created quite a buzz online. Click here to review. Contact brian_ban@siggraph.org for still images or more details.

Disney Research Unveils Technology Competition to Focus on Youth Education at SIGGRAPH 2010

(Chicago, IL) – ACM SIGGRAPH announces the launch of the Learning Challenge at SIGGRAPH 2010 – an open competition sponsored by Disney Research with the goal of finding new and creative ways to use technology to make learning fun for children. Based on the principle that fun and learning should not be contradictory, teams are asked to develop an engaging, computer-based learning application that will delight, inspire, and reveal key learning concepts for children ages 7-11.

The learning application must be a layered activity that moves a child from minimal knowledge to active knowledge in one or more learning concepts via entertaining interactions on computers. The subject matter should be in the areas of math, art, science, music, or reading/writing and involve at least one of 10 key learning concepts.

“Pushing the boundaries of computer graphics and interactive techniques is a core part of SIGGRAPH,” says Terrence Masson, SIGGRAPH 2010 Conference Chair from Northeastern University. “We are thrilled that Disney Research has chosen SIGGRAPH 2010 as the location for such a noble competition with a goal improving youth education through the use of technology and creativity. We anticipate a fantastic response from both the academic and professional communities.”

The competition is open to individuals or teams (from collegiate students working with faculty advisors to working professionals) who must submit work by 7 June 2010. A complete submission includes a one-page abstract, one representative image suitable for use in promotional materials, and up to six supplementary images and/or a maximum five-minute supplementary video. The submission will be judged by a jury of industry leaders and experts.

Twenty finalists will receive travel grants of $1,500 per team and free SIGGRAPH 2010 registration. The winners will be announced 28 July at SIGGRAPH 2010 in Los Angeles and will be eligible to receive a $10,000 cash prize, Disney R&D Tours, Disney Animation Tours, and Walt Disney Studio Tours.

For complete details, visit www.learningchallenge2010.com