Don’t Let the Robots Win: Prototypes without Prompts - Workshop

Calgary UX is excited to welcome Randall Herd, Vice President of Marketing at Arkhet, for an in-person workshop. Bring your laptop and prototype with us! The Calgary UX community is very grateful to Platform Calgary for sponsoring this space and serving as a hub for people to learn from one another. There is no shortage of jargon these days, and it can often feel like text prompts are being applied to everything. The rush to develop new solutions can distract us from focusing on what truly matters. We will begin with a brief overview of “tools” versus “products,” then dive into a practical UX challenge. Whether you’re creating your first prototype or experimenting with new ideas, we'll discuss fresh perspectives and what's possible in 2026 and beyond. Participants can “bring their own” UX challenge or use the provided one. As this is a hands-on session, participants will require a computer, power, and internet access. Ideally, the space can be configured for tables/desks for easy workshopping, a la sprint/hackathon. This session is designed for participants of all experience levels. Come as you are and bring your ideas! Speaker bio: Randall Herd built a career of integrating humanity and technology. He is a passionate advocate for inclusive design, psychological safety, and believes strongly that tools should empower and extend human capabilities, rather than argue with or replace them. Randall is now part of a small team of builders at Arkhet, where he brings his years of experience in global markets and diverse user experiences to the challenges of emerging technologies and user experience. Throughout his career, he has sought (and at times succeeded) to extend what is possible for teams and leaders. His work with global brands includes Apple, Nintendo, the NFL, and the NBA. He works with feedback loops and data.vg When he is not building (and breaking) things at Arkhet, you can find him and his young family in a book or in the forest.