Cheryl Platz is an engaging, dynamic, and witty speaker for audiences of any size or experience level.
She’s an experienced keynote speaker, workshop instructor, and emcee comfortable with live and virtual conferences, international audiences, and live translation environments. Contact her at cheryl@ideaplatz.com to inquire about bookings on design, technology, inclusion, and design ethics.
- Workshop instructor
- Keynotes & Full Length Talks (45 – 60 min)
- Featured Talks (30 min or less)
- Moderator & Panelist
- Emcee
Looking for design workshops?
Cheryl has been teaching design audiences about cutting-edge topics like voice user interfaces, multimodal design, and new product design via her design education company Ideaplatz, LLC since 2017. Her talks and workshops have appeared on five continents and in over a dozen countries.
Top workshops:
- Multimodal Design Fundamentals
- Capturing Customer Context
- Giving Voice to your Voice Designs
Top talks:
- Opti-Pessimism: Design, AI, and our Uncertain Future
- Design Beyond Websites: What is dead may never die
- The Future of Voice
example Long form Talks
The future of voice
Amuse UX 2018 – Budapest, hungary
Far from HAL or Her, the current generation of voice interfaces represents an incredibly important step forward – but the journey to the next generation of experiences is far from over.
Opti-Pessimism (Keynote)
Interaction Latin America 2019 – Medellin, columbia
In this keynote, Cheryl draws from her personal and professional experience working with large-scale, high-impact situations – from the Sims to Cortana, Azure, Alexa, and beyond – and shares the concept of “opti-pessimism” she’s used to cope with design at that level.
Example Short Form Talks
from blank page to world stage
interaction 2018 – lyon, france
Most designers are experts at improving upon existing experiences – but how does your process translate to a brand new product? What does it mean to design a multimodal product with voice in parallel with other user inputs? Cheryl shares some of the processes and techniques she used to help get the Echo Look from a blue-sky idea to a tangible, validated experience in the hands of customers worldwide.
should you build it?
Interaction 2022 – virtual conference
As designers, our power and responsibility go hand in hand. How do you know you’re on the right path? Before you start your next project, take PICS or it shouldn’t happen.
Panelist
Cheryl’s improvisational background makes her an adept choice for panels. Minimum appearance fees apply, but panel participation can also be arranged as part of a package that includes a talk or workshop.
Example video: Cheryl appears on a Digital Privacy panel as part of her speaking engagement at DEVit 360 in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2018.
Event emcee
In addition to conference talks and workshops, Cheryl is an experienced emcee and panel moderator for design topics and for gaming, performance and pop culture.
- Rosenfeld Media
- Enterprise Experience Conference 2020
- Rosenfeld Media’s Advancing Research 2020
- Seattle TheatreSports – (2008 – 2021)
- The Seattle Festival of Improv Theater
- Cupid On Mute (online theater)
Panel Moderator
As a trained user experience researcher and improvisor, Cheryl is uniquely suited to the moderator role – her active listening and curiosity help keep a panel on track and well-balanced.
- Emerald City Comiccon 2010: Leonard Nimoy, The Guild
- Shadowrunning Secrets, Emerald City Comicon 2017
- TechEd 2011 Women in Technology Panel
- GeekGirlCon 2012
