Speaking
I talk at conferences live and online, about UX, UI and accessible design. My current focus is on creative accessibility
My mission is to educate the people who build the modern web to use design as a force for good. I talk about designing for conversions because I find that people relate to that more. It’s my way of persuading you all to be accessible, and to offer your clients and their customers better experiences.
I am as comfortable on a real stage as I am online. I have presented, hosted, and led uncountable webinars, talks, conferences and other online events both live and recorded. As a Cloudways Maverick Opens in new window, speaking publicly as a design advocate host and speaker was my primary focus.
In 2021 I organised an online conference, called Design for Conversions Opens in new window, where I interviewed every speaker (bar one). You can watch the highlights Opens in new window to get a good idea of my interviewing style. The second edition of the conference will take place on 16-18 May 2023.
I would be delighted to be your accessible design advocate, as a host or a speaker. Let’s talk. Opens in new window
“Piccia’s session is a perfect example of how to talk about accessible design while keeping business development in mind”
Alice Orrù
UX and Inclusion Writer Opens in new window
“Piccia’s WordCamp Europe 2022 session Design for Conversions Opens in new window is a perfect example of how to talk about accessible design while keeping business development in mind. Putting people first as soon as you start designing a new project is key. Piccia delves into this concept with excellent practical cases, brilliant storytelling, and entertaining anecdotes.
This is a must-see talk for those beginning to explore the topic of accessible design. But I also find it invaluable for more experienced professionals who need a breath of fresh air and solid arguments for negotiating with their clients.”
What a fantastic talk by @Piccia, some incredible reflections, a real pride of the #WordPress community in Spain: "Stop thinking about users and think about people" 👏 #WCEU pic.twitter.com/JgcFywOpGZ
— Wajari Velásquez (@wajariv) June 4, 2022
So many good #a11y tips in @piccia's talk that I have lost count. One or the best talks of the whole #WCEU weekend. Will definitely refer back to the slides of the talk later on. #WCEU2022 #WCEU22 pic.twitter.com/dCVIGY1rRi
— Roni Laukkarinen (@rolle) June 4, 2022
Fantastic talk about accessibility and design by @Piccia, as always!! #WCEU2022 pic.twitter.com/Qdn4Squ4ce
— imjuliánruiz (@imjulianruiz) June 4, 2022
Color is an opinion
…And don't let anybody tell you that their opinion is better than yours. This talk opens up a liberating perspective on colour, providing practical information on how to use it in a way that makes it possible for everyone to enjoy the products we build. With the very welcome side effect of getting your clients the conversions they want – by using colour accessibly.
This was me on stage at WordCamp Asia 2023, Bangkok, Thailand Opens in new window
Design for conversions: how to be more profitable by putting people first
How important is design in your agency? Do your website and product builds start from putting users at the centre?
Your agency can be more profitable with an approach that follows the basic principles of human-centred design. We’ll see how you can increase sales and conversions by building sites that are focussed, first and foremost, on helping out the human beings that use them. Making sure that we include all of those beings: creating products that are accessible and inclusive.
This is my most recent live talk, on stage at WordCamp Europe 2022, Porto Opens in new window
Fantastic talk about using Gestalt principles in Web design by @Piccia.
— Zuzana (@zuzana_kunckova) April 14, 2018
Flashbulb moment just happened!
If you ask me in 5 years time, I'll probably tell you that this was one of the defining moments in my career.
Thank you, @Piccia ❤️#WCLDN pic.twitter.com/bimL3ugfM4
Brilliant talk on #colour by @Piccia #WCBTN #accessibility pic.twitter.com/KIUzRDwn71
— Shake It Up Creative (@ShakeItCreative) August 17, 2018
COMPLETELY fascinating talk (and comments!) on colour on the web: colour theory and accessibility – thank you @Piccia 👏#WCBTN #webcolour
— Anwen (@hello_anwen) August 17, 2018
@Piccia Thanks for the excellent talk yesterday on #UX For Everyone #WCLDN pic.twitter.com/29o8u8Zsfo
— Cosmik Carrot (@cosmikcarrot) April 7, 2019
Many thanks @Piccia for her fabulous talk on #ux #WCLDN
— Chris McMahon (@verysimplechris) April 6, 2019
Visual perception and memory
We all know that 3 seconds is all it takes to lose the attention of visitors to our web pages. But there’s hope yet! We can all win on the web by leveraging the brain’s strengths and limitations. An understanding of how the human brain processes visual information can greatly help us win our visitors over and keep them where we want them, instead of losing them to cyberspace.
By knowing how the brain (and people!) interpret visual language, we can create designs and graphics that communicate clearly and are effective on a cognitive as well as an emotional level. This will lead to better UX and better sales for our clients.
This talk gives a brief introduction to this fascinating topic, with practical, actionable examples accompanying the theory.
On stage at the WordPress London Meetup in January 2020. This was meant to be a rehearsal for this talk, which I was going to present on stage at WordCamp Asia 2020 Opens in new window – but, as you can imagine, that WordCamp never happened.
WordPress London Meetup
UI that ROCKS: A practical introduction to Gestalt principles applied to web design
This introductory talk shows how the application of simple principles of Gestalt psychology can greatly enhance the design of WordPress websites. Most of us probably use some of those principles intuitively already.
However, consciously adopting a Gestalt-driven approach helps us hugely towards creating a more meaningful, efficient and improved experience of our websites for our end users. And by the way: it’s not necessary to be an expert to use these principles. The talk covers a selection of the Gestalt principles that have a real, practical role in the designing of web pages. Plenty of examples of real-world applications will be provided.
On stage at WordCamp London 2018 Opens in new window
Colour on the web – colour theory, usability and accessibility
Colour is an essential design element. When we design for the web, we’re sometimes conditioned in our colour choices by the colour palette of the brand we’re building the site for. However, usability and accessibility must be the first consideration in our choice of colours and their application. This talk gives practical guidance on how to approach and use colour in your web designs, with a few touch points on colour psychology and theory.
On stage at WordCamp Brighton 2018 Opens in new window
UX for Everyone
Think that the UX process is only for big agencies with big clients and big budgets? Think again! UX research and methodology can, and even must, be part of any web project, no matter the size. It’s possible, and I’ll show you how. In fact, you’re probably doing UX research already in some form, and you don’t even know it.
This talk demystifies UX and shows you how to make it an integral part of your web design process. The improvement is guaranteed: for you, your clients, and your clients’ clients.
On stage at WordCamp Nordic 2019 Opens in new window. I also gave this talk a much-improved version of this talk at WordCamp London 2019 Opens in new window, but as far as I know the video was unfortunately never posted online.
Would you like me to speak at your event?
I am always beyond honoured when anyone asks me to talk.
I am comfortable speaking in English, Spanish and Italian.
If you think my contribution would be valuable for your event, either online or off, please let’s talk. Opens in new window
Other ways to get in touch
Email Piccia Opens in new window
Piccia on Twitter Opens in new window
Piccia on Linkedin Opens in new window
