Last year was the first year we “did” DesignTO. Having just returned from living in a very arts-forward town in France, we were eager to mingle with the design community in our hometown and get to know like-minded others beyond our social circle. So eager that we signed up for nearly every event. 

The 2023 festival was a hit - lots of talent coming out of Toronto, no doubt, but I did have one gripe: I wish I met more people. It didn’t matter if there were 600 people in a hall or 6 people huddled in a corner - to me, it felt like each person was there on their own.

I wish I got to know the artists and exhibit-goers personally. Even just a little bit. I wanted so badly to chat with each person, introduce them to one another, and ask them what they thought about the exhibit. I am not usually one to shy away from sparking a genuine conversation, but in those moments, it felt awkward to say anything to anyone. As if I’d be breaking some unwritten social code where we come to events individually, or in pairs, and kind of just co-exist in fabulous places…but in silos. 

Why are we like this in Toronto?! I’ve had great success transforming a quick chat with strangers into meaningful friendships abroad. And, I refuse to believe that Torontonians are cold people, even though I’ve heard grumbles of this in the past. Instead, I want to believe that some of us also crave meaningful connection with folks beyond their social circles. To meet someone interesting. To come together to do great things. To feel less alone. 

There is so much potential for community. What’s missing is the container to help folks connect and collaborate.

That’s why Elizabeth Lane and I are choosing to “do” DesignTO differently this year. We thought: If people want the container, we will create it for them. So, we are going to host a salon-style gathering in collaboration with DesignTO and Staples Studio Corktown on January 27, 2024.

Why? Because, as human beings, we need connection, and because collaboration makes for better design. Simple as that.

So how are we going to make all of this magical connection & collaboration happen? We’re facilitators (even though our job titles may not reflect that directly). It’s our job to host good gatherings, work the room, ensure everyone’s voice is heard, balance structure with playfulness to accomplish a common goal. Beyond it being how we make a living, it's honestly something we enjoy doing. We’ve been hosting together for years - it makes sense to do it in a more official capacity.

So, good news & bad news. 

The good news is that the event is happening Jan 27, 2024. We are so, so, so excited about it! We are partnering with Staples Studio Corktown and are part of the DesignTO 2024 festival events line-up.

The bad news is that it's already sold out! So much for this promo, haha. To our surprise, all the seats were reserved within a few days of DesignTO announcing the programing back in November. What does this tell us? Perhaps, that people ARE craving a container to connect & collaborate.  Or, maybe they are just eager beavers like us who signed up for nearly every event. Only time will tell, but we do look forward to sharing out some insights and lessons learned.

To community!