Design Groups New York

Indonesian Language Conversation (All Levels Welcome!)

Hello and welcome! We’re hoping to grow this space into a bi-weekly Indonesian language conversation meetup open to everyone, no matter your experience level. Whether you're a native speaker, just starting out, or simply curious about the Indonesian language and culture, this is a welcoming space to learn, practice, and connect with others. All ages and levels are welcome Casual, friendly, and beginner-friendly No cost Just bring yourself- we look forward to meeting you!

Building Slack’s simplified layout mode

This event will be online on [YouTube](https://youtu.be/2pzA8TkTP1Q) and in-person (New York City). **The speaker and live stream starts at 7:30 pm ET**. In-person attendees may arrive as early as 7 pm ET. If arriving late, please leave a comment on this page and someone will come down ASAP. **Description** Slack is a powerful hub for work and communication, but its dense and complex interface can be a barrier for users with motor, vision, and cognitive disabilities. To help more people use Slack effectively, we introduced Simplified Layout Mode on desktop and web. This preference transforms Slack into a single-column layout that is easier to navigate and has fewer distractions. In this session, we will demo Simplified Layout Mode and discuss its evolution from an accommodation request by an ALS advocacy group to a feature that benefits multiple audiences. Along the way, we’ll share specific examples of how its design was shaped by our partnerships with disabled and neurodivergent users. Attendees will learn ... * How to collect and synthesize feedback from different groups of users with disabilities over the course of a feature’s development * How to collaborate with internal employee disability groups to get feedback and build momentum around a feature **Presenter bios** [Chris Xu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xu-chris/) is a director of product management of Slack looking after accessibility and design systems. Outside of product management, they have had a wide-ranging career focused on how technology and communities shape each other. They live in Brooklyn, NY and hold strong opinions about fruit. [Lena Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wang1/) is a frontend software engineer at Slack working on accessibility and design systems. Outside of engineering, she's usually mid-side-quest — whether that's walking the entire length of Manhattan on a whim, running a Taco Bell 5k, or competing in a city-wide scavenger hunt. She lives in Manhattan, NY. [Kaili Liang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaili-liang/) is a Software Engineer at Slack, working on accessibility and design systems. In her free time, she loves chasing new eats, diving into books, trying various arts and crafts, and traveling. **Accessibility** The presentation will have human captions [CC], not automatic captions. For ASL preferred speakers, learn about the [Aira ASL App](https://aira.io/aira-asl-app/), and download it before the event. For the Blind and Low Vision community, learn about the [Aira Explorer App](https://aira.io/aira-explorer-app/) and download it before the event. To access the online webinar for audio description, use the A11yNYC Access Offer to call, or simply inform your Visual Interpreter that you'd like that offer applied when you connect. For additional accessibility requirements, please email meryl@equalentry.com **two weeks** **before** the event. **Livestream** [YouTube](https://youtu.be/2pzA8TkTP1Q) Provided by Internet Society Accessibility SIG. **Location details** The event is at 72 Spring street on the 4th floor. Everyone must be accompanied to the event on the 4th floor. Because everyone needs to be escorted, please arrive early or on time. When you enter the ground floor, a representative from A11yNYC will be there to provide elevator access. **Transit** The building 72 Spring street is near several transit stops: 6 train * Spring Street (non-accessible stop): 100 feet * Canal Street (accessible stop): 0.4 miles B/D/F/M trains * Broadway-Lafayette Street (accessible stop), 0.2 miles N/Q/R/W trains * Prince Street (non-accessible stop): 0.2 miles * Canal Street (accessible stop): 0.3 miles M1 / M55 Bus lines * Broadway/Spring Street stop: 500 feet Cabs and rideshares can let passengers out right near the building entrance. **Finding the building** In Google Maps, find 72 Spring street. It shows the correct location of the entrance: on Spring Street, halfway between Crosby and Lafayette. It’s also between the Glossier store and the Krewe Eyewear store. Inside and over the reception desk in our building 72 Spring st, it says “Marc Jacobs.” **Traveling to the event?** We recommend [Hotel on Rivington](https://www.hotelonrivington.com/) or [Crosby Street Hotel](https://www.firmdalehotels.com/hotels/crosby-street-hotel). **Accreditation** All A11yNYC meetups are pre-approved for IAAP Continuing Accessibility Education Credits (CAEC). **Sponsors** Thanks to [Aira](https://aira.io/), [AKQA](https://www.akqa.com/), [Deque](https://www.deque.com/), [Evinced](https://www.evinced.com/), [Equal Entry](https://equalentry.com/), and [Fable](https://makeitfable.com/) for sponsoring. Want to be a sponsor? Contact meryl@equalentry.com

Technology for Mass Engagement

New technologies are reshaping how communities participate in decisions about the built environment, creating new opportunities to broaden who is engaged, how people contribute, and how public input informs planning and design. With the launch of Mayor Mamdani's Office of Mass Engagement, New York City is investing in new approaches to civic participation and exploring how technology can support more inclusive, accessible, and responsive engagement at scale. This conversation will bring together leaders in civic technology, community engagement, and the built environment to explore the tools, platforms, and methodologies transforming public participation. From digital engagement platforms and participatory technologies to new approaches for collecting, interpreting, and acting on community feedback, panelists will examine how technology can strengthen the connection between communities and the decisions that shape their environments. The discussion will consider the opportunities and challenges of technology-enabled civic participation, and what emerging models of mass engagement mean for architects, planners, policymakers, and the communities they serve. **Hear from the Innovators Ready for the OME:** * **inCitu:** Democratizing city planning by bringing urban development to life through spatial data and Augmented Reality (AR)—allowing residents to see the future of their neighborhoods. * **Convoca:** Innovating at the intersection of civic tech and community organizing to mobilize the public and break down the traditional barriers to local agency. * **UrbanSense:** Empowering communities from sidewalks to systems to respond, adapt, and thrive through thoughtful technology and design. * **PLASTARC:** Leveraging social science and data-driven spatial strategy to design environments that inherently foster human connection and participatory experiences. **Why You Should Attend:** If 2022 was about the philosophy of moving beyond participatory design, this event is about the technology and execution. This is an opportunity for architects, urbanists, and civic leaders to celebrate the city’s new direction while learning from the tech pioneers who are already providing the solutions. Expect an evening of dynamic presentations showcasing immersive technology, data-driven advocacy, and a forward-looking dialogue on how our profession can utilize these tools to shape an empowered, radically engaged NYC. **Event Details:** * Registration: Opening soon! **Stay Tuned:** We are currently finalizing the details for this exciting tech refresh. Keep an eye on the AIA NY Social Science and Architecture Committee and [register at AIA NY](https://calendar.aiany.org/day/2026-9-15/).

UX Happy Hour irl (open to all levels)

######## You need to bring a physical Government Issued ID to be allowed to stay. It's the Law. ######## Whether you're a seasoned UX pro, just breaking into the field, or simply curious about design — this is your invite to pull up a chair and join the conversation. UX Happy Hour is a laid-back, no-agenda gathering where designers, researchers, product thinkers, and anyone design-curious can connect over drinks in a low-pressure setting. No slides. No networking theater. **Why attend:** • Meet new connection in organic way • Get feedback and fresh perspectives on your work (i.e. portfolio) or advice for your career • Stay sharp on what's happening in UX, AI, product, and tech right now • Meet potential collaborators, mentors, or future coworkers • Cheap drinks ($5 Guinness) **What to expect:** • Warm, welcoming crowd across all experience levels • Candid conversations about design, careers, tools, and everything in between • A great chill bar in the East Village to do it all in **Where to find us:** We're usually tucked in by the ATM at the back of Mona's. If you're not sure where we are, just ask the bartender — they know us! Come solo, bring a friend, or drag a coworker along. The more the merrier. Interested in sponsoring this event? Reach out to Danny (one of the organizers) for our sponsorship rate card.

Inside the Public Design Commission Archive: NYC's Design Review Agency

Tickets: $20 (advance registration required) Click the link below to register for this event: [https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1996638413242](https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1996638413242) **\*While New York Adventure Club does not charge for events hosted by the Public Design Commission, advance registration and a deposit will be required, which will be fully refunded upon attendance. This deposit is taken to discourage no-shows on free events with limited spots.\*** Did you know that every single permanent structure proposed on or over a New York City-owned property must be approved by a commission first? It's time to step into the archive of this century-old commission and see some of its most prized artifacts like never before. Join [New York Adventure Club](http://www.nyadventureclub.com/ "http://www.nyadventureclub.com") as we take a behind-the-scenes look at the Public Design Commission Archive, which maintains an archive of projects reviewed by the Commission since 1902, documenting more than 7,000 sites throughout New York City and providing a unique view into the history of the City’s public works. Led by a staff member of the Public Design Commission, our unique experience will include: * The **origins of the Public Design Commission** and why it was created in the first place back in 1902 * An **overview of the commission's jurisdiction** over permanent structures, parks and open spaces, streetscapes, signage, and art proposed on or over City-owned property * The **important role that the Archive plays** when it comes to informing the Commission’s review of current projects and provides a valuable resource to researchers * A rare look at **original documents, drawings, photographs, and architectural plans** handpicked from the Archive See you there! \*RSVP period closes two days before event \*\*Bring an ID that matches the RSVP name(s) \*\*\*Please wear comfortable shoes as we’ll be on our feet for most of the tour **Testimonials** "The archivist was very knowledgeable. The archives were very interesting to see. I would recommend it for any design, architecture, or civic planning nerd!" -Jessica "It was a look at a part of NYC that's hidden" -Han "Archivist was very knowledgable" -Lorraine "Unique. Not something one comes across too often. A minuscule peek into what makes nyc nyc." -Komal "The guide was phenomenal!" Melina "Very unique event, completely unaware that this commission existed. Definitely learned a few new things." -Melanie "Great presentation!" -Klaus-Peter Disclaimer By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our [terms of service](https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/about.nyadventureclub.com/terms "about.nyadventureclub.com/terms"). Categories: In-Person, Factories & Facilities Tours

[In-person] Meet for SPEED

Join up for an opportunity to work together on optimizing our sites. [Paul Calvano](https://paulcalvano.com/) and [Sergey Chernyshev](https://www.sergeychernyshev.com/) guide the discussion and help you understand the speed of your pages and how optimize them. Have a site you'd like us to analyze? Add it here - [https://nywebperf.com/meet4speed](https://nywebperf.com/meet4speed) You can benefit even if you can't edit your site right now - we will be happy to share the knowledge. We'll all learn how to see what's slow and how to make it fast! Here is what you can learn: * Identify optimization opportunities using tools Chrome DevTools, WebPageTest and Telescope. * Become a master in reading the network waterfall. * Understand the most of the performance flame chart. * Learn the latest trends in measuring site speed. To be able to attend our events, you will need to show your ID at the security desk. Please make sure to provide your full name if your name on Meetup platform doesn't match your ID.

Signs of Creative Minds: "Arts" and Sign: HOST NEEDED!

Rust NYC: 'Data Shapes Your Memory' and 'Rust in Peace'

Join us on **Thursday, August 20th over at Nominal** Doors open at 6:30 p.m. to give attendees plenty of time to grab pizza and socialize, and the talk begin at 7:15 p.m. We have two pillars of the Rust NYC community making an appearance! **'The Shape Of Your Data Is The Shape Of Your Memory' will be presented by Dov Alperin** A Vec\ is the most natural thing to reach for in Rust when you're writing a SQL database, and on a hot path it can also be the thing that kills you. This talk follows an in-progress migration inside Materialize, a streaming SQL database, as we move a core data structure from rows on the wire to columns on the wire. It's the same bytes in a different (and, I'd argue, better for our use case) shape: whether the thing can spill to disk instead of falling over under memory pressure, and how well the layout plays with the hardware once you start caring about memory alignment. Dov Alperin is a Member of Technical Staff over at Materialize and a long time supporter of Rust NYC. It's been a while since we've had Dov speak, but he's one everyone always gets excited ofr! **'Rust in Peace' will be presented by Nicholas Shook** Rust in Peace is a eulogy to my programming career. Over the past year, teaching coding at Apple, I realized nearly all my students were vibe coding and had stopped needing me. That was the signal to go back to practicing law. Our firm runs its entire practice on one Rust monorepo: the store, the durable workflow engine, identity, telemetry, PDF generation, and the browser surface. We're currently litigating nine-figure matters, and the software is what gives us the context to win them. This talk walks through what that actually looks like in production, including our migration from Postgres to SurrealDB. That move was driven by the discovery that the hardest question in legal work is a graph one, because we deal with people, their relationships, and their problems. You'll see how it fits together, and how we chose Rust vendors all the way down: Restate, Rauthy, OpenObserve, Pingora, Stalwart, and Regorus. Writing software isn't my job anymore. That's only possible because the ecosystem is this good, because the LLMs are this good, and because communities like RustNYC are this good. So please come to my retirement party and let's get crabby together. **[Lawrence Harvey](https://www.lawrenceharvey.com/)** is Rust NYC's official recruitment partner, with Ross providing support as a co-organizer and financial support and Ben & Arianna key parts of the organizing team. The space is generously sponsored by our partner **Nominal**

Pints, Prompts & Page Builders - An Open Source AI Meetup

Join us at Automattic's NoHo office for a relaxed evening of pizza, drinks, networking, and live AI demos, hosted by WordPress NYC, [Evolving Web](https://www.meetup.com/members/398464950/), Automattic, and EvolveDigital. If you have any food allergies, please let us know beforehand. The highlight: an AI Landing Page Showdown, where experienced practitioners build the same landing page live using today's leading open source CMS platforms and AI tools, sharing their prompts and workflow as they go: * WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg) * Elementor AI * Acquia Source + Canvas We'll compare the approaches, talk through what worked, and close with a panel on how organizations are actually adopting AI in content operations, covering governance, workflows, and quality control. Schedule * 5:30–6:30 — Networking with pizza, beer & wine * 6:30–7:15 — AI Landing Page Showdown * 7:20–8:00 — Panel discussion * 8:00–9:00 — Networking & drinks Whether you're a marketer, content strategist, developer, designer, or digital leader, come see how the open web is building with AI, and connect with the WordPress, Drupal, and wider open source communities.

Meet in the Arts

[Which art style are you? Vote and see who shares your lane.](https://app.favr.town/polls/s_378XeL85R4csGQ?r=@lovemaze) Our preferences in art reveal more about us than we often realize. Long before personality traits were formally categorized, psychologists studied personality differences through individuals' ratings of various paintings. If you find yourself drawn to the same piece of artwork, there's a strong chance you share a deep connection. Meet in the museum for an excursion. Sign up on [favr.town](https://favr.town/) and predict your next art buddy before you meet. Find out if you're right when you meet onsite. Or, if you fancy other museums, pin them at times that work for you on [favr.town](https://favr.town/) and discover who you might meet there. Note: This is a [Favr.town](http://favr.town/) member exclusive event. [Join](https://favr.town/events/meet-and-shop-trader-joes-trader-joes-2026-06-15-17-00) [[https://favr.town](https://favr.town/) ] Hint: Fans of abstract art tend to be creative, pop art lovers are often optimistic, impressionism enthusiasts are more likely to be conscientious, and those who prefer traditional art tend to be, well, more traditional. Something extra: Why do these traits matter? See how [optimism](https://favr.town/blog/the-power-of-optimism-in-relationships-how-a-positive-outlook-strengthens-resilience-emotional-health-and-lasting-love-2025-11-20), [conscientiousness](https://favr.town/blog/how-responsibility-and-reliability-build-trust-and-lasting-love-2026-04-19), [traditional values](https://favr.town/blog/prioritizing-family-values-for-lasting-commitment-and-love-2025-12-17), and [excitement](https://favr.town/blog/how-novelty-play-and-shared-adventure-keep-love-alive-2025-12-14) influence relationships. You can also measure how your sense of [optimism](https://app.favr.town/we?t=1&s=1&b=OPTIMISTIC), [conscientiousness](https://app.favr.town/we?t=1&s=2&b=CONSCIENTIOUS), [traditional values](https://app.favr.town/we?t=1&s=2&b=TRADITIONAL), and [excitement](https://app.favr.town/we?t=1&s=2&b=EXCITING) stack up against others.

40s/50s Smart is Sexy Speed Dating with Thought Provoking Icebreakers

**IMPORTANT NOTE: CLICKING THE RSVP AND PAY ORGANIZER BUTTON ON MEETUP DOES NOT GET YOU A TICKET/ SPOT. YOU HAVE TO CLICK THE LINK TO THE EVENTBRITE PAGE AND PURCHASE A TICKET THERE. PRICE GOES UP AS EVENT TIME APPROACHES AND MAY SELL OUT SO GET YOUR TICKET ON EVENTBRITE ASAP.** **\*This is a multigroup event so event responses are only a portion of the total number of attendees** For tickets and information: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995367288273](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995367288273) **Do find intelligence important in a partner? Come meet other like minded people at our Speed Dating event.** **Suggested Age Range: 40s & 50s** *\* Check in starts 15 minutes before event start time so if possible please arrive a bit early.* At this event you will be going on a series of about 7 to 12 mini dates with each date lasting about 5 minutes each. Women stay seated and the men rotate from table to table until they meet each woman. *We will have fun, thought provoking ice breaker questions available to pull out of an envelope on the tables so there will never be a lull in conversation. The questions are also a great way to gauge chemistry with the other person.* You will get a match sheet and at the end of each mini-date you'll indicate whether or not you'd like to see the person again. At the end of the evening you will hand your match sheet in to the event host. If you both select each other, you'll receive an email within 48 hours with the first name and email of your mutual matches. We do not give out names or contact info unless there is a mutual match. Our Speed Dating events tend to attract quality, single professionals who are done with the dating games and ready to meet that special someone. Most people know within a few minutes if they would like to see someone again. *\* Check in starts 15 minutes before event start time so if possible please arrive a bit early.* Get tickets at: [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995367288273](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995367288273) See more upcoming NYC events at: **[WWW.FRIENDZYEVENTS.COM](http://www.friendzyevents.com/)**

Open House at Fat Cat Fab Lab

In-Person Open House at Fat Cat Fab Lab! Open House and Project Night: * Open House is casual and unstructured, come hang! * Get a tour of the space: Laser room, woodshop, metal shop, sewing area, 3D printing area, electronics lab, and more! * If you're looking for help with a project, stop by and meet members who may be able to help you with that cool new project you're totally stuck on! * If you're a non-member, this day is for you. You're welcome to use our space and hand tools to work on your projects! (Note: 3D printers available if your print completes during the meetup. Sorry, laser and CNC router reserved for members or those who've taken a class.) * If you're interested in joining as a Fat Cat Fab Lab member, in person participation at one of our Open House events is the first step towards becoming a member! See you there!