A Creative Evening: My Experience at the Vierter Stammtisch of Kreativ Kammerl Österreich
On November 29, 2023, I attended the Vierter Stammtisch, an event hosted by Kreativ Kammerl Österreich (KKO). It was a relaxed and friendly gathering where people from the creative industry came together to share ideas, stories, and enjoy some drinks.
What is KKO?
The idea behind Kreativ Kammerl Österreich is simple:
What if creatives could meet without the stress of work and just enjoy talking to each other over a cup of Glühwein?
From this thought, four professionals in the creative field built a platform for connection and conversation. KKO aims to bring together not only experienced professionals but also students and newcomers eager to learn and grow.
In an industry where schedules often clash and meetings are rushed, KKO offers a rare chance to meet others in a relaxed and informal setting.
The Evening’s Highlights
The Stammtisch was full of engaging conversations and a great exchange of ideas. Attendees ranged from seasoned professionals to students just entering the creative world. Topics covered industry challenges, creative trends, and personal experiences.
For me, this wasn’t just about meeting new people – it was a real opportunity to gain insights that connected with my academic work. As I’m working on my thesis, Developing the UX Playbook: A Research-Driven Approach to Optimizing Digital User Journeys, I saw strong parallels between the event’s goals and my research questions:
- How can a UX Playbook serve as a practical tool to bridge the gap between designers and stakeholders?
- The Stammtisch reflected how important it is to have open, informal spaces for dialogue. This mirrors the need for UX Playbooks to act as a shared language between designers and stakeholders, fostering better understanding and collaboration.
- What are the key steps in a research-driven UX design process?
- Hearing how other creatives approached problem-solving gave me valuable insights into their processes. It reinforced the importance of collaboration and user-centric approaches, two pillars of a strong research-driven UX methodology.
A Suggestion for the Future
One idea discussed during the event was to host future gatherings in English. While most conversations were in German, having an English option would make the event more inclusive for international creatives in Austria. This simple step could broaden the scope of conversations and invite diverse perspectives, much like how UX research benefits from a range of user inputs.
Final Thoughts
The Vierter Stammtisch was a fantastic experience, both personally and professionally. It showed me the value of community and the role that open conversations play in bridging gaps – whether between professionals in a room or designers and stakeholders in a project.
I left inspired and excited about the next steps in my thesis and the potential of future KKO events. Whether you’re a creative professional or just starting, I highly recommend joining these gatherings. Let’s continue building a more connected, collaborative creative community.
