With 6 days remaining until midVentures’ third monthly DESIGN+DEVELOP Series, we will be running another short series of interviews about the two companies involved: Pathfinder and AKTA. More specifically, we want you to know about the people behind the companies, and what they have in store for the participants.

First up, Michael Walkden from Pathfinder. From brewing his own beer to playing bass guitar, Mr. Walkden has many talents. At this month’s DESIGN+DEVELOP Series workshop, Walkden will be using his unique product development and user experience talent to discuss what happens ”when inception goes awry” in a project incorporating user experience design. As the Vice President of Product Development, Walkden utilizes agile and lean practices to help clients deliver exceptional software products.

midVentures: Without giving too much away, what can participants expect from the “Incorporating UXD into an Agile Project Inception” workshop? What will registrants hear from you about UX that they might not hear from someone else?

Michael Walkden: We have been integrating UXD and Agile for so long that we don’t even have to discuss it internally anymore – its in our DNA and is a core competency now! I’ve launched many apps so I’ve tried different approaches and have seen both good and bad.

Thanks to the success of Apple, consumer and business products are waking up to the power of stylized design and effortless customer experience as a key competitive strategy. This is good for all of us. The challenge is that we must now incorporate good design into all new products we create.

A Pathfinder Team

mV: What do you get out of this workshop personally? Professionally?

MW: Personally, I really enjoy sharing my knowledge and hope that I can keep listeners from repeating some of the same mistakes that I have made.

From a professional level, Pathfinder is always looking for top talent and I hope that I can meet people like that at the talk.

mV: Can you tell our readers a bit more how you got into UX and why you are so passionate about it? What has your journey been?

MW: I started my career as a developer, and asked way too many questions! I, then, helped IBM build onDemand product offerings in the early 2000s. Throughout my journey, I’ve always thought computers should be ubiquitous and act like personal assistants. I’ve really enjoyed watching computers evolve from magical devices for a few people to ubiquitous and mostly hidden from view.

Currently, I’m interested in how different generations of users approach technology. I live in a three-generation house, and have been able to observe how my family members use technology differently.

My favorite example is how the approach to watching a movie is so different: grandma sets out to just watch a movie, parents prefer to watch a recorded movie, while kids want to download a movie they have just seen in the theaters … right now! These observations say a lot about how technology should be created for those who have recently come to know technology vs. those who have grown up with technology in all aspects of their lives.

mV: Any upcoming news that you’d like to share with our readers?

MW: I’ve been really busy lately because of a surge of interest in mobile applications. In the future, look for Pathfinder to launch a few of its own products and incubate some startups.

mV: Thank you Michael! For our readers, there is still time to register. Click here to buy your ticket!