Design Groups San Francisco

Design + AI Mentor Night

### Tickets on sale at https://luma.com/aimentornight **You MUST purchase a ticket via Luma to attend this event** Join us for an evening of **1:1 mentorship for designers, startup founders, and builders navigating an AI-driven world.** Bring your **portfolio, product, prototype, or startup idea** and get direct feedback from experienced product designers and design leaders. Each attendee will receive **20-minute 1:1 mentoring sessions** focused on what they need most — from portfolio and career advice to product validation and UX feedback. *** ## Featured Mentors Radhika Bhoj, AI Product Designer at Apple Doug Geerdes, Senior Product Designer at YouTube Lukasz Lysakowski, UX Design Director at Workday Brandon Arnovick, Principal Product Designer at Chase Nicole Boac, Senior Product Designer at Shipt Nathan Diesel, Senior Product Designer, Consultant Robert Surrency, Founder at Aurora Foundry Nick Hoh, Senior Design Manager at SmithRx ​Jorge Luis Maya, Product Designer at ERGO Next Insurance **More mentors being announced soon.** *** ## Who Should Attend **Startup founders & builders** — Get expert feedback on your product, prototype, or idea. **Product & UX designers** — Get portfolio feedback, career guidance, and advice from experienced design leaders. **Students & career changers** — Get actionable advice on breaking into product design. *** ## Want to Mentor or Sponsor? We're inviting experienced **design, product, and AI leaders** to mentor, and companies interested in supporting San Francisco's design and startup community. **Email andi@cascadesf.com**

Architecture, Design & Drinks — August 2026

Architecture, Design & Drinks is a casual monthly gathering for people who work in, around, or are inspired by design. We meet on the last Friday of each month to unwind, trade ideas, and connect. No agenda, no pressure. Whether you’re an architect, designer, creative, or simply design-curious, this is an easy way to expand your circle and have meaningful conversations in a relaxed setting. New faces are always welcome. Grab a drink, join the conversation, and stay as long as you’d like.

Side Project Saturday 2.0 for Designers

Come down and work alongside fellow designers and creatives. Whether you prefer drafting tables, traditional digital, or AI tools—all mediums are welcome. Come down and learn and explore! **Who should join:** Product designers, UI/UX researchers, graphic artists, and anyone who wants to work on their project. **What to bring:** * Your laptop, tablet, sketchpad or tools of choice. * Current project or a blank canvas. * An open mind and creative spirit. We meet at a coffee shop in the morning, and migrate to the Flying Pig in the afternoon. Kindly patronize them. Thanks!

Side Project Saturday for Designers

Come down and work alongside fellow designers and creatives. Whether you prefer drafting tables, traditional digital, or AI tools—all mediums are welcome. Come down and learn and explore! **Who should join:** Product designers, UI/UX researchers, graphic artists, and anyone who wants to work on their project. **What to bring:** * Your laptop, tablet, sketchpad or tools of choice. * Current project or a blank canvas. * An open mind and creative spirit. The coffee shop has all the conventional options, a few lunch selections, and the best smoothies in town. Kindly patronize them. Thanks!

Pirros - Improving Efficiency & Quality in Design Documentation with AI

**Design and construction teams are under growing pressure to deliver high-quality drawings faster, with more coordination across distributed teams. A major obstacle to productivity and quality is how firms create, manage, and reuse design content such as details, families, legends, schedules, and associated project components.** ​**This session explores the inefficiencies caused by fragmented content environments: Outdated models, disorganized files, and inconsistent standards, and how these cause increased risk, rework, and delays. Attendees will learn how emerging tools can strengthen documentation workflows, improve access to vetted details, reduce errors, and help teams start from stronger, more reliable foundations.** ​**The program draws from industry research and practitioner examples to highlight practical, repeatable practices that improve documentation quality, reduce construction-phase issues, and support safer, more consistent project outcomes aligned.** ​**Lunch will be provided.**

Wine, Smoothie or Fufus at Muddy Waters & Lounge

Sip, savor, and socialize at Muddy Waters & Lounge. Great music, cozy corners, and the perfect place to unwind. Set against a backdrop of soft lighting and curated lounge beats, it's the ultimate destination to elevate your Tuesday evening. Bring a friend and grab a glass of wine or a smoothie — and try their one-of-a-kind fufus! Muddy's fufus are West African crepes made from cassava and plantain flour, served with yassa and mafé sauces. Numerous non-alcoholic options are available — all are welcome. This is not a sponsored event. Get your selections at the counter! See you there!

Free Metal Shop Open House

Bring your curiosity, questions and metal projects to the Ace metal shop and talk with the metal team. Anyone is welcome! New Guests must [sign up for a FREE Guest Account and sign their liability waiver](https://www.acemakerspace.org/product/guest-account/) before this event starts. Add the FREE account on check out or sign up here → [FREE Guest Account](https://www.acemakerspace.org/product/guest-account/). Ace Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit member-supported organization. All proceeds support Ace Makerspace and help us serve over 1200 people a year with innovative programs, equitable access to makerspace resources, and more creative, self-reliant communities in Oakland. RSVP HERE: [Metal Shop Open House – Ace Makerspace](https://www.acemakerspace.org/event/metal-shop-openhouse-8-22-26/)

Open House / Open Build / Open Repair Projects Workshop

Our monthly Circuit Launch Oakland "Open House" evening for everyone, fun for the whole family! Join us every third Friday evening of the month: **○ Robot, AI and Electronics Projects:** Start a project, continue a project or discover one here: we provide the space, tools and peer learning – you bring your project and enthusiasm! **○ Repair Projects:** Fixit Clinic's monthly residency at Circuit Launch: bring your repair projects – electronic gadgets, appliances, computers, toys, etc.– for consultation, assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. We’ll provide workspace, specialty tools, and guidance to help you disassemble and troubleshoot your item. First-time repairers and “Fixing Families” are heartily invited. Learn more at [https://www.fixitclinic.org/](https://www.fixitclinic.org/) **○ Tech Topic Discussions and Practice:** join the AI thought leadership practise group for lively conversation: Come share your knowledge -- or your lack thereof: all experience levels welcome. It's definitely worth a visit if you've never been here: tour Circuit Launch and see all the exciting companies and projects in progress. – U18s heartily welcome with a participating adult. – Equipment use outside of the soldering and debugging gear requires certification. Looking forward to seeing you this third Friday!

Free Jigsaw Puzzle Night @ Ace Makerspace

Join us for our next FREE puzzle night! This event meets in Suite #206, co-working. Attendees are welcome to bring snacks and drinks to share. At previous events we've finished one \~1000-piece puzzle in about 3-4 hours. Your hosts (Pixie and Jacky) will be providing a few puzzle options for this next event. Check the #coworking channel a week or so before the event to vote on our next puzzle. New Guests must [sign up for a FREE Guest Account and sign their liability waiver](https://www.acemakerspace.org/product/guest-account/) before this event starts. Add the FREE account on the Ace makerspace website check out or sign up here → [FREE Guest Account](https://www.acemakerspace.org/product/guest-account/) Ace Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) non-­profit member-supported organization. All proceeds support Ace Makerspace and help us serve over 1200 people a year with innovative programs, equitable access to makerspace resources, and more creative, self-reliant communities in Oakland. YOU MUST RSVP/PURCHASE TICKETS THROUGH THE ACE MAKERSPACE WEBSITE: [www.acemakerspace.org/calendar](https://www.acemakerspace.org/calendar/)

Composition & Photography: A Hands-On Workshop with Harold Davis

**What:** *Composition & Photography: A Hands-On Workshop with Harold Davis* **Where:** Maine Media campus, located in the town of Rockport on the beautiful Maine Coast **When:** Monday, Aug 17, 2026 – Friday, Aug 21, 2026 **Info and Registration:** [mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/](https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/) **Description:** Guided by Harold Davis (author of *[Composition & Photography](https://rockynook.com/shop/photography/topics-and-techniques/composition/composition-photography/)*), learn the tools and visual vocabulary to creatively design your photographs. Of all the magical elixirs that make up a successful photograph, composition is perhaps the most fundamental, and at the same time the most elusive. What makes a composition “good”? It’s hard to define exactly, but we instinctively recognize good composition when we see it. There is an undeniable emotional response when a composition resonates with and complements the subject matter of an image. In this hands-on workshop, we will approach composition as an instance of open-ended two-dimensional design. Photographic exercises will start with simple shapes, such as lines and circles, and proceed through patterns and repetitions, and onwards to spirals, fractals, and abstractions. Field sessions will take advantage of the “target-rich” mid-coast Maine scenery. Classroom discussions will be intended to provoke thought about composition basics and continue to enable individual integration of the process of composition into each participant’s creative practice. [Read more](https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/). **Info and Registration:** [mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/](https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/)

FREE Electronics Night @ Ace Makerspace

Join others in our well-appointed electronics lab for a hosted, free-style night of electronics exploration and tinkering. **Class type:** Exposure **Class Level:** All **Class Length:** 2 Hours **Location:** Upstairs Suite #214, Electronics Lab **Prerequisites:** None **Age:** 10+ **At Open Lab you can:** * Get help with your electronics projects including program microcontrollers * Learn a new skill like how to solder or how to use tools like Oscilloscopes * Get help getting started with electronics for repair, special projects, art, or cosplay * Access tools and supplies to repair electronics in small appliances and electronic devices * Your hosts have a variety of skills and access to tons of resources all in a well-appointed electronics lab set up for social distancing. New Guests must [sign up for a FREE Guest Account and sign their liability waiver](https://www.acemakerspace.org/product/guest-account/) before this event starts. Add the FREE account on the Ace makerspace website check out or sign up here → [FREE Guest Account](https://www.acemakerspace.org/product/guest-account/) Ace Makerspace is a 501(c)(3) non-­profit member-supported organization. All proceeds support Ace Makerspace and help us serve over 1200 people a year with innovative programs, equitable access to makerspace resources, and more creative, self-reliant communities in Oakland. YOU MUST PURCHASE OR RSVP YOUR TICKETS THROUGH THE ACE MAKERSPACE WEBSITE: [Electronics Night – Ace Makerspace](https://www.acemakerspace.org/event/electronics-night-5-14-25/)

Photowalk: Mission Streets Color Hunt