My sense is the design stream resonated so well because there’s huge interest in making sure that technology is user-friendly and accessible. In an age where it has become easier, quicker and less expensive to develop online applications and services, design is more important than ever.

To that end, being able to learn and receive insight from some of the best designers can be invaluable for anyone – whether you’re a fellow designer, developer, entrepreneur, public relations, marketing or senior executive.

We live within an online ecosystem where online competition is fierce and the attention span of many consumers is shrinking. What it means is a Web site or application may only have one shot to capture the attention of the user. If the design falls short, it’s doomed even if a company’s products/services are terrific.

Given this landscape, we’re really excited about the design stream at meshU this year. It includes:

- Ryan Singer from 37signals, whose presentation is “Value Judgements in Interface Design”
- Bruce Philp from GWP Brand Engineering, talking about “Ten Keys to a Branded User Experience”
- Luke Andrews from Dabble DB on “Responsiveness: the Perception of Speed in Web Applications”
- Joshua Porter from Bokardo looking at “Design for Virality”

If you’re interested in design and hearing from some leading voices in the business, a ticket to meshU is a solid investment. Tickets are going fast so may want to register sooner rather than later.

Tickets can be purchased here. By the way, meshU is happening April 6 at the MaRS Collaboration Centre in downtown Toronto.

More: One thing – and an important thing at that – that I forgot to mention about meshU was the terrific support form our sponsors, which include Microsoft, Edelman and the SMG Group.