Makesensemess
An annual celebration of sensemaking
Every year the Sensemakers Club gathers people who care deeply about understanding messy problems and helping others see clearly.
Makesensemess is our annual online event where sensemakers share stories, insights, and practical wisdom about navigating complexity in real work and real life.
This is not a conference about polished answers.
It’s a gathering about the process of figuring things out together.
Expect thoughtful talks, brave stories, and meaningful conversation with people who care about making sense of the world. It’s been touted as being “the nerdiest party of the year” since 2021.
What happens at Makesensemess?
Makesensemess brings together a community of practitioners working across information, content, data, design, research, leadership, and education.
During the event you can expect:
- Inspiring, honest talks from invited speakers and community members
- Stories from Brave Sensemakers sharing real experiences
- Conversations about navigating messy situations led by peers
- Opportunities to connect live with other thoughtful practitioners
Why Makesensemess?
Sensemaking work is often invisible.
People who help others find clarity are usually working behind the scenes. We are often the ones untangling complexity, connecting ideas, and helping teams move forward.
Makesensemess is a moment each year to bring that work into the open and celebrate the people doing it.
It is also a chance for the community to pause and reflect on an important truth:
Change takes time. Clarity takes care. And sensemaking is something we do better together.
We use this event to give back.
Each speaker that is invited to share at Makesensemess chooses a charitable organization or cause they want to support through their story. We donate to each organization in lieu of paying speakers for their contribution. It has been noted as a favorite part of our speaking experience. This is the growing list of organizations we are proud to have had past speakers of Makesensemess support with their storytelling over the last five years.
Who attends Makesensemess?
Makesensemess is designed for people who regularly face complexity and ambiguity in their work.
Attendees often include:
- Information architects
- Designers and researchers
- Content Designers
- Knowledge management professionals
- Data and governance practitioners
- Product and organizational leaders
- Educators and facilitators
- Curious thinkers who enjoy understanding complex systems
If your work involves helping people understand complicated things, you’ll feel at home here.
2026 THEME:
Placemaking in Sensemaking
Providing a sense of place is a primary objective of any good system or environment. But what does it actually take for a sense of place to feel authentic and true for those it is intended to serve?
It is the combination of sensemaking and placemaking that makes a place feel of value to potential inhabitants.
Where sensemaking influences interpretation, placemaking influences relationships. Sensemaking is the empathizing and modeling, placemaking is the arranging and realizing.
This year our Makesensemess celebration will highlight placemaking as sensemaking’s as-old-and-as-wise sibling.
Interested in speaking this year?
We are looking for a handful of brave sensemakers to share the virtual stage at Makesensemess on October 30th 2026.
This year we are prioritizing speakers of all levels of experience who have sensemaker stories where “creating a sense of place” was a major focus.
But don’t get it twisted, neat and tidy case study results are NOT what we are after! We want to hear about the struggle, which we know is real. We want to hear about the journey, and what it takes to make sense of real messes — with all the bumps and (ego)bruises along the way.
Also you don’t need to be “done” with the story yet to tell it. We want to hear messy, raw stories from real sensemakers who are still mid-mess, not just hindsight-full, reflective stories from real sensemakers post-mess.
- Each speaker will have 5 to 7 minutes to tell their story.
- If invited to speak you will work one-on-one with Abby Covert on presenting your story in a short talk.
- As a thank you for your efforts and time we will make a donation to a charity or cause of your choosing.
- Applications are open until September 6, 2026
New to Public Speaking?
If this might be your first time speaking publicly, we would be so honored to be the first to introduce your voice to the world. We are looking for a variety of levels of speaking experience, with an aim to highlight new voices and diverse perspectives. We have a proven track record of being able to make new speakers comfortable.
Apply to SpeakIs Makesensemess recorded?
Yes! If you can’t attend live — or life simply gets messy — don’t worry. We record the event and make the recording available to all ticket holders.
Many people also enjoy revisiting talks from previous years. If you’re in the mood to nerd out, you can explore our growing archive of past Makesensemess events on demand.
pst… when you buy a ticket, we send you a discount code for past year recording.
2021
Before The Sensemakers Club officially launched, the very first Makesensemess celebrated the 7th anniversary of How to Make Sense of Any Mess.
The theme was “7.” Abby shared seven reflections on sensemaking and the journey that book had taken since its publication. She invited a few folks to join her on stage, and labeled them The Brave Sensemakers. The name stuck, and an annual tradition was born.
The video from this original event is still available for FREE on Abby’s personal website.
2022
The theme was “Diagrams help when we feel stuck.”
Sensemakers from different backgrounds shared stories about diagrams that helped them move through difficult moments in work and life. The event also featured a delightfully nerdy world premiere: Stephen Anderson presented what may be the world’s first video book foreword for Stuck? Diagrams Help.
Buy the Recording2023
The theme was “Reality is subjective.”
Looking back, this event feels almost like a time capsule. Many of the tensions explored that year have since become even more visible in the world around us. Dave Gray opened the event with a thoughtful keynote about his lifelong interest in cataloging visual frameworks — and how subjective that pursuit can be.
Buy the Recording2024
The theme was “Change takes time.”
Speakers shared brave stories about long, difficult journeys of change — moments when progress required patience, persistence, and the occasional pause to catch one’s breath. Erin Malone also spoke about her work tracing the influence of women in the fields connected to interaction design.
Buy the Recording2025
The theme was “It’s hard to shine light on the messes we face.”
This year featured some of the most vulnerable talks the event has hosted. Sara Wachter-Boettcher delivered a powerful keynote on sensemaking through the storm, while Abby reflected on the risks of outsourcing our sensemaking to others.
Buy the Recording