Robert Hoekman, JrOn video
To show off some of the fun I've had speaking at conferences and other events over the past several years, here are the videos from my two Ignite Phoenix talks, chosen because they're nice and short.
Frontiers of Interaction (Florence, Italy): "Question Everything"
As part of Frontiers of Interaction 2011, the premier interaction design conference in Italy, I delivered this short talk on the value of questioning and offered examples of leading design thinkers who asked some tough questions and ended up tipping over a few sacred cows as a result.
Ignite Phoenix 9: "How To Save A Stray Dog"
Held at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in 2011, this talk to over 800 people was aimed at helping people see that they can, in fact, help those poor stray dogs they see roaming the streets of their own neighborhoods. Learn to catch them and make sure they alive in just a few mimutes. Bonus: you get to see my dog, Max.
Ignite Phoenix 4: "Everything I Know I Learned From Taiko"
I've been practicing the Japanese art of taiko (literally, "fat drum") since early 2008, and I love it so much I'm now in 3 different groups that practice a total of 9 hours every week. In this talk from 2009, held at the gorgeous Tempe Center for the Arts (the best stage I've ever stood on), I share a few of the life lessons I've gained along the way to a crowd of just over 600 very enthusiastic audience members.
To this day, I am still sometimes recognized around town by people who saw the talk. And they all tell me it was the best talk of the night. Considering the high quality of the typical Ignite presentation, that's a high compliment.