If you read the initial interview blog post from Geekend pondering “What is a Geek?” you know some of the answers were rather surprising. Like thick black rimmed glasses aren't a geek’s favorite accessory. Shoes are (at least in the case of our first interviewee). Also, they still take time to step away from their computer and video games to venture into public and shop.

This is my follow-up post and second interview of a Geekend attendee, this time a female geek – Stephanie Farah (@stephaniesworld).

Stephanie is currently studying Design for Sustainability at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has experience as a wardrobe supervisor for film and television and as a digital media producer. She also worked as a user experience strategist for JC Penney collaborating designs for a new reusable bag made out of sustainable materials. Learn more about her below and determine for yourself if she is the “geek” you always imagined one to be.

1. What made you come to Geekend? Gain additional knowledge and my final MA project involves using digital media to promote community engagement.

2. Favorite part(s) of Geekend? The wide range of topics discussed – gaining exposure from an outside perspective.

3. iPhone or Android? iPhone.

4. Mac or PC? Mac.

5. Favorite Website(s)?

While attending Geekend for my first time this year, it got me thinking: what exactly is a geek? What are their interests? What are their habits? For those who have attended, you know the mix of people can leave you also wondering and/or confused as to the exact answer. So I thought, What better way to find out exactly what a geek is than pull two random attendees and interview them?

My first interview was Dustin DiTommaso (@du5tb1n) who not only was an attendee, but also a speaker. ("Beyond the Badge: Architecting Engagement Through Game Design") Awesome - not only did I choose a geek, but also an influential one!

Dustin is currently an experience design director at Mad*Pow in Boston. He attended Berklee College of Music and has spent nearly a decade chasing the perfect blend of form and function. His work has been recognized by respected organizations such as Yahoo!, Macworld, MITX, New York Festivals and the Boston Phoenix. His mantra: “Design is more than what I do; it's who I am and I love every minute of it.” Below is my Q & A with him:

1)   What made you come to Geekend? Supporting the Geek Nation!

2)   Favorite part...

For most, augmented reality is a far-fetched idea that only exists in movies. For Vivian Rosenthal and her brainchild, GoldRun, AR is a new avenue for marketers to connect with their audiences in a substantially different way.

During her keynote at this year’s Geekend, Vivian delved into the thought processes behind the app, the gaming aspect, and how augmented reality will soon change our world.

Once upon a time, Vivian was an architect before being seduced by technology and the promise of a digital future/reality. This transformation eventually morphed into GoldRun – a GPS based mobile augmented reality platform. But what is “augmented reality?" Simply put, AR is “a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.” (via Wikipedia)

In Rosenthal’s eyes, GPS-based AR could succeed where previous AR representations failed, such as QR codes or web cam functions, because its design negates complexity. GPS-based AR functions in real time latitude and longitude whereas QR codes require downloading an app, scanning, waiting, and then receiving content.

In her Geekend talk, Vivian said that we have become “cyborgs” in the sense that technology is now an extension of ourselves and of our self. “Science fiction becomes…science. What was once imaginary is now real. Fiction becomes non-fiction. Our dreams become reality. Creativity becomes tantamount to technology.”

She goes on by giving an example taken from Iron Man 2, where you see Tony Stark interacting with three separate technologies through his computer JARVIS:

1)   An AR layer, which is what you see

2)   Interaction through gesture based technology, such as the...

Whether or not they realize it, every consumer has been exposed to product placement in entertainment. My favorite example of this is Pizza Hut in the early 90’s. From Wayne’s World to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game, Pizza Hut had presence in all the best places. Product placement today is most prevalent in on-demand programming (Netflix), sports and movies. Did you know Iron Man had 14 brand partners?!?

During “The Importance of Branding in an Era of Payments Convergence” session, Pete Hottelet of Omni Consumer Products, shared a plethora of information on branding and product placement. One of the most interesting marketing tactics he discussed was defictionalized products. These are products that have made the leap from fiction to real life.  Products from television shows and movies are now becoming products you can actually buy.

This seems to be the opposite of product placement. Rather than putting your already existing product within a show for increased sales, take a non-existing product from a show and make it something consumers can purchase. Some examples include: Ben & Jerry’s Schweddy Balls, True Blood beverage, and Cartman’s famous Cheesy Poofs.

Another marketing...

It's that time of year again. Time for designers, creative thinkers, code monkeys and self-professed geeks to get together in Savannah for Geekend. The interactive conference kicks off this Thursday evening with an opening night reception (filled with its usual shenanigans) and a keynote talk by Cristen Conger and Jonathan Strickland from How Stuff Works.

The fun will continue throughout the weekend with speakers like Baratunde Thurston from The Onion and Vivian Rosenthal from GoldRun, along with afterparties and networking opportunities galore. While attendees will be coming in from all over the world, the annual event will put a spotlight on the region we call home, showcasing its support for creativity and technology--something we're excited about.

Involved since Geekend's inaugural event in Savannah back in 2009, BFG is proud to be a presenting sponsor of this year's conference. If you're at the event, be sure to give the BFG crew a shout and look for our handiwork. We've been busy building upon Geekend's robot-friendly themes with some 8-bit graphic interpretations on T-shirts, a super sweet conference guide, and web/social media support, among much more.