4 ms·

The best badges I've ever had the pleasure of wearing were at Srccon (a conference for news nerds). They were highly legible and simple. Here's an example: http

The best badges I've ever had the pleasure of wearing were at Srccon (a conference for news nerds). They were highly legible and simple. Here's an example: https://media.opennews.org/img/uploads/article_images/emily_erik_westra.jpg https://media.opennews.org/img/uploads/article_images/emily_... At first I was a little dismayed that they omitted the company name, but I came to really like that. It made it a lot easier to have conversations with people if you remove the barrier of status that a company might infer, probably wrongly. It was a great equalizer to know the folks at the smallest college dailies had the same problems as the largest news outfits in the country.

ghaff 8y ago
A fair number of more casual events I attend omit company info. You mostly want it at big shows where the employer is probably paying and many people are directly representing their employer in some way. But when there's a more diverse group where individuals' attendance isn't necessarily as tied to specific "tribal identities," it's not clear that affiliation is as big a deal. (And, as you say, may actually be a negative.)
ken 8y ago
That looks nice and simple, but also comically large to me. I'm surprised by the remark in the article that 4"x8" is a recommended size. Anything bigger than a postcard and I'll be wearing it as little as possible. How much I like a badge is pretty much in proportion to how small it is. A large badge optimizes for the wrong thing: I may (try to) read tens of names, but you're asking me to wear the badge all day every day. If I got a badge like this, I'd either throw it in my bag (and only take it out for proof of registration when required), or cut it off right below my first name. (Putting badges on lanyards seems an odd choice in the first place. Why not, oh, an arm wrap which attaches just below my shoulder? Then at least it won't bounce around and flip backwards and get in my way all the time. You're a tech conference! You really have nobody here who can think of how to improve on a piece of paper looped around your neck with a piece of string?)
twic 8y ago
The best badges i've had are at various low-rent unconferences, where you get a sticky label and a sharpie on arrival, and you can write your own. Want to chat but be a bit anonymous? Just write your first name but big! Want people to be able to find you after? Full name and twitter handle! Primarily known by a pseudonym online? Write that! Proud of where you work? Add your company name! Tired of being mistaken for a designer? Use your job title! Prefer certain pronouns? State xem! Impressive title? Prefix in your neatest calligraphy! Burning passion for a particular subject? Jot it underneath your name! Hiring, raising, jobhunting, looking for someone to play baduk with? Put pen to label! Mad art skills? Throw down! No lanyard length quandaries, cheap and easy to supply, usually end up around eye level, don't poke awkwardly when sitting, and they don't flip round!
manigandham 8y ago
They were way too big and annoying and flipped around all the time. They also certainly should've added at least the category of company you were from, if omitting the name, as too often networking ends up in a conversation that is not going to be productive. The one good thing they had was color-coding the lanyards to express your interest in being photographed.

ghaff 8y ago

A fair number of more casual events I attend omit company info. You mostly want it at big shows where the employer is probably paying and many people are directly representing their employer in some way. But when there's a more diverse group where individuals' attendance isn't necessarily as tied to specific "tribal identities," it's not clear that affiliation is as big a deal. (And, as you say, may actually be a negative.)

ken 8y ago

That looks nice and simple, but also comically large to me. I'm surprised by the remark in the article that 4"x8" is a recommended size. Anything bigger than a postcard and I'll be wearing it as little as possible. How much I like a badge is pretty much in proportion to how small it is. A large badge optimizes for the wrong thing: I may (try to) read tens of names, but you're asking me to wear the badge all day every day. If I got a badge like this, I'd either throw it in my bag (and only take it out for proof of registration when required), or cut it off right below my first name. (Putting badges on lanyards seems an odd choice in the first place. Why not, oh, an arm wrap which attaches just below my shoulder? Then at least it won't bounce around and flip backwards and get in my way all the time. You're a tech conference! You really have nobody here who can think of how to improve on a piece of paper looped around your neck with a piece of string?)

twic 8y ago

The best badges i've had are at various low-rent unconferences, where you get a sticky label and a sharpie on arrival, and you can write your own. Want to chat but be a bit anonymous? Just write your first name but big! Want people to be able to find you after? Full name and twitter handle! Primarily known by a pseudonym online? Write that! Proud of where you work? Add your company name! Tired of being mistaken for a designer? Use your job title! Prefer certain pronouns? State xem! Impressive title? Prefix in your neatest calligraphy! Burning passion for a particular subject? Jot it underneath your name! Hiring, raising, jobhunting, looking for someone to play baduk with? Put pen to label! Mad art skills? Throw down! No lanyard length quandaries, cheap and easy to supply, usually end up around eye level, don't poke awkwardly when sitting, and they don't flip round!

manigandham 8y ago

They were way too big and annoying and flipped around all the time. They also certainly should've added at least the category of company you were from, if omitting the name, as too often networking ends up in a conversation that is not going to be productive. The one good thing they had was color-coding the lanyards to express your interest in being photographed.