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Our Communities.

Giving is receiving

No company is an island, and every successful business flourishes as part of local and global communities.

As designers, engineers, teachers, athletes, musicians, and volunteers, Whitespace employees naturally gravitate toward community-building activities where our impact resonates beyond the scope of our client work.

Communities we work with range from local groups, such as UX Geneva, to fully global organizations including 24 Hours of UX and the Pistoia Alliance.

Here are some of the communities and institutions we actively support.

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Events and meetups

24 Hours of UX is the world's largest UX Community-Conference. Organized by 24 Labs, a Swiss non-profit made up of local and independent UX practitioners from all corners of the world, the annual event spans 6 continents in 24 hours. Despite the fact that most of the organizers and participants have only ever met online, the event has a family feel to it. See for yourself – this is a UX festival unlike any other.

UX Geneva is one of Switzerland's largest grassroots event series at the intersection of Technology, Business, and Human-Centered Design. With nearly 2500 members from all over the region, including neighboring France and the Swiss-German cantons, this meetup has grown into a rich and vibrant community that includes professionals from the UX, technology, business, HR, government, and international civil servant fields.

Industry associations

The Pistoia Alliance is a global, not-for-profit members’ organization conceived in 2007 and incorporated in 2009 by representatives of AstraZeneca, GSK, Novartis and Pfizer who met at a conference in Pistoia, Italy. This group shared the opinion that life science R&D was changing beyond recognition, and that organizations could not afford to ‘go it alone’ in order to integrate emerging technologies and continue to deliver life-changing therapies to patients. Today, Whitespace is a member of the UX in Life Sciences (UXLS) Steering Committee and is actively involved in several key Pistoia initiatives, including Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and the 'Lab of the Future'.

The Clinical User Experience Association (CUXA) is the leading authority on user experience in healthcare. The organization provides events, training, and networking opportunities to improve the use and access of healthcare technology and services. Founded and led by Dr. Gyles Morrison, CUXA offers industry training via the Clinical UX Academy. The Clinical UX course trains clinicians, designers, and other professionals to work effectively on a variety of healthcare projects, equipping them with core competencies in Clinical UX.

The Service Design Network (SDN), founded in 2004, is the leading non-profit institution for expertise in service design and a driver of global growth, development, and innovation within the practice. Through national and international events, online and print publications, and coordination with academic institutions, SDN's member-based network connects multiple roles within agencies, business, and government to strengthen the impact of service design within the public and private sectors. SDN is a global, open-minded network, focused on knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and exchange.

DesignOps Assembly (DOA) is a global network of DesignOps practitioners at all levels, working in top Tech companies, boutique Design agencies, and everything in between. The DOA community is spread out in multiple countries and regions around the globe. Each chapter focuses on local and global design ops issues. Whitespace is a founding member of the Switzerland DOA chapter. Together with DesignOps leaders across the country, we organize events and get-togethers to share knowledge and discuss the future of DesignOps in Switzerland.

Academic institutions

Whitespace employees regularly teach courses at the University of Geneva. Founded in 1559, the University of Geneva enjoys worldwide recognition and ranks amongst the top 100 best universities in the world. A polyvalent institution, it fosters the emergence of inter- and multidisciplinary fields in both research and teaching. It constantly strengthens its links with international Geneva, whilst contributing to the cultural, social, and economic development of the region, notably through the promotion of research and its expertise in a wide range of fields.

Whitespace UX and Service Design Lead, Peter Horvath, teaches the Human-Centered Design course for the Master of Science in Applied Information and Data Science program at HSLU. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) is the university of applied sciences of the six Central Swiss cantons. More than 7,800 students are working towards a Bachelor's or a Master's degree, while an additional 4,700 participate in continuing and executive education programs. The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts is the largest university-level institution in Central Switzerland.

Whitespace employees are often asked to appear as guest lecturers at HEC Lausanne. Recognized as one of the top management and economics schools, HEC Lausanne distinguishes itself through its top-class education and excellent research. At the heart of its mission, this synergy between teaching and research has ensured the school’s success for more than 100 years.

Environmental and social causes

Van For Life is a non-profit humanitarian aid organization founded in Geneva by brothers Dimitri and Alex Montanini. The organization was born out of the Ukraine war crisis and the need to transport medical equipment to the crisis zone, as well as refugees to safety. Whitespace employees get involved by driving in caravans to affected areas in Ukraine and neighboring countries, assisting refugees who have been relocated to Switzerland, and providing technical support for the organization's digital communications channels.