Picking events to go to

Depending on where you live, the cadence of events varies. It’s usually easier to find them in larger cities. When I used to work in suburban area I would drive an hour down south to Boston just to attend some of the events there and stay close to the community. Here are a couple of things to consider when evaluating where to go.

Interest-based design events

One way to choose events is based on a topic or theme. Over the years I’ve been passionate about healthcare and design and have attended multiple events in that space from hackathons, to quantified self meetups, to design events with a focus on healthcare. Attending these types of meetups is a great way to meet people in the broader industry and especially if you want focus your career on a specific vertical.

Theme based events are great for focusing deeply on a topic

A few years ago I joined the Design for Healthcare community organized by Stacy La. Aside from connecting with cool folks in companies like OneMedical and Clover, I’ve also found my next gig when I wasn’t actively looking.

It was through happenstance that I saw an interesting presentation on using Google Glass for healthcare that I knew I had to find out more. So I cornered one of the designers working on the product there and peppered him with questions. Turns out the company had a position open but I was already happily employed at the time.

We stayed in touch and when the company I was with at the time went through a downturn, I decided to make the switch. In short, it helps to invest in relationships long-term. Dig your well before you’re thirsty.

Who’s coming to the event?

Another way to choose event is based on who’s going to be there. Aside from connecting with speakers, certain platforms (like Meetup) allow you to check the guest list. It’s not a guarantee that the person will actually be there but it’s a good signal.

If you’re interested in connecting — reach out to them before the event. This was you can optimize your networking time even further once you’re there. On occasion I also post on Twitter or LinkedIn notifying peeps that I’ll be going to an event in the future to see who else is interested in attending.

Creative morning are fun events to connect

Where to find events

Where can you find events? Start by searching for “design” on Eventbrite, Meetup, or even Facebook Local. It’s as simple as that.

Here are a couple of well-known organizations that are good to check out,

These are just some of the few big ones. Aside from hosting events, these organizations also give you access to an online community which are great not just for jobs but also for mentorship and career advice.

Connecting with local professional communities

In addition to the more prominent orgs such as the ones above, you should also search for local chapters or local orgs. Usually these have more clout and can connect you to the local community better.

I’m going to mention a couple of orgs that I know in San Francisco but even if the same ones don’t exist in your city, it’s possible your local organizations follow a similar format. If not, that’s something you could pitch to them (e.g. organizing a portfolio review event or a mentor night).

Cascade SF Mentor Night. Aside from talks, mentoring and portfolio events provide opportunities to connect with people and companies you’re interested in and improve your skill at showing the work itself

Andi Galpern organizes the Cascade SF events. In addition to design talks she hosts “mentor nights” where attendees get to show their portfolio (or ask for career advice) with up to 4 mentors. I’ve been mentored there and provided mentorship and can’t recommend this format enough.

Julie Stanescu runs Rethink which hosts informative events (you can also find recorded talks online) and they pack a big crowd. Interestingly enough, Julie started Rethink when she first moved to San Francisco as way to build a forum for design discussion and connect with great designers here. So if you find yourself in a place that has no design communities—consider bootstrapping one yourself.

Design Ops Rethink event at Instacart in early 2019

Every year SF Design Week runs a series of varied events and workshops for designers of all stripes. I also recommend checking out their studio crawls — it’s when agencies and companies open up their spaces for attendees to check out, connect, and learn more about the work. Two years ago I went to Cooper and aside from meeting Alan Cooper himself, it was an opportunity to mix and mingle with the amazing folks who work there.

SF Design Week brings designers of all stripes together for over a week-long series of talks, workshops, and office visits to design agencies and tech companies

Don’t stop at design events

And there are many others! Once you go to an event you can ask the attendees where else they like to go. Don’t limit your events to product design though. Here are some good ones that I’ve attended in the past and found useful,

Products that count — founded by SC Moatti, the in-depth events with presentations from PMs, VCs and other big movers and shakers in industry

Product School — hosts informative events from speakers of top-tier tech companies in addition to doing PM training

So if a product management or an interesting engineering talk comes around, considering going. Not only will you learn something new but you’ll have more opportunity to connect with folks who are potentially looking for design talent and you won’t be competing against other designers at the event.