DJRDU July '25 – 🌀 Back to the UX Future

Back to UX Basics: A Refreshingly Human Design Jam with Ryan Wilson (July 25)

Author

James Gartrell
July 11, 2025

For our July Design Jam, we’re going hybrid—and we’re going back to basics. Join us Friday, July 25 from 2–5PM for an open discussion led by Ryan Wilson, Director of Product Practice at Callibrity, as we untangle the hype and re-center what makes UX essential.

In a world chasing the promise of AI, Ryan offers a refreshing—and unapologetically human—point of view. This isn’t a talk about resisting technology. It’s about reclaiming our craft: thoughtful product strategy, human-centered design, and the original vision of UX that Donald Norman laid out decades ago. We'll explore how Agile offshoots, overzealous automation, and "hallucinating HR bots" have chipped away at the UX profession—and what we can do about it.

📍 Where:
American Underground (201 West Main Street, Durham, NC)
OR join us virtually via Zoom (link provided after RSVP)
🕑 When:
Friday, July 25 · 2:00 – 5:00 PM ET

Ryan Wilson - Product Practice @ Callibrity

🎙 About Ryan Wilson

With over 20 years in Product and UX, Ryan has led cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions across both B2B and B2C domains. As the Director of the Product Practice at Callibrity, he specializes in guiding discovery, reducing risk, and helping organizations build what actually matters—for users and for business. His superpowers include simplifying complexity, mentoring teams in holistic product thinking, and aligning strategy with real-world execution.

Whether you're dialing in from your desk or joining us in person at the Underground, this one’s not to be missed.

Thanks again for making Design Jam RDU such a vibrant space for senior UX professionals to grow and share.

Be on the lookout for an RSVP post,
James Gartrell
[email protected]
Founder, Design Jam RDU

👥 Bring a Friend + Join the Community

This event is open to friends and colleagues in UX, product, or adjacent spaces. If someone in your orbit would enjoy the vibe, bring them along — just make sure they’re on the list: ✉️ Subscribe to Design Jam RDU

💬 Design Jam RDU Slack

And if you haven’t yet, jump into our Slack so we can keep the conversation going before and after the event: