December Unplugged - Holiday Cards!

Friday, December 5th from 4-6pm
Hosted by MiresBall @ 2605 State Street, SD (map)

For the December edition of Unplugged, our friends at MiresBall will be hosting our gathering at their very cool office in Little Italy near the airport. Each participant will need all of their own supplies from the paper you'll be making your cards with, your scissors, and glue. We like to share at these gatherings so consider labelling your stuff with your name to make it easier to keep track of.

All professional designers and students are welcome to attend, regardless of experience level.

There will not be a discussion prompt for this gathering but we welcome everyone to bring at least one challenge and one triumph to share with the community. Who best to see you through the ups and downs of our industry if not other designers!

If you have any trouble finding us, contact Jenn at 619-318-1758.

About our meeting location and parking:

Street parking is available but may take a little time. Carpooling is always recommended, if possible. If anyone is taking public transit, including the Coaster commuter rail which runs from North County, there are group members who are willing to pick you up and drop you back off at Santa Fe Depot or Old Town, which are nearby. Contact the organizers for details and to coordinate access if you require assistance.

About Mires Ball Brand Design:

The team from MiresBall Brand Design are our hosts this month. MiresBall is an award-winning brand design agency in San Diego with 30+ years developing strategically focused, meticulously crafted narrative and design for iconic brands.

Friendsgiving NORTH in Encinitas
Potluck + Vision Boards!

Thursday, November 20th from 6-9pm

What we'll be making: If you've been around the club for awhile, you know how much we love an opportunity to collage! As the seasons start to change-ish, by San Diego standards anyway, we'll be discussing our goals and aspirations for the coming year over dinner with the chance to represent them in mixed media collage. We'll bring a small supply stash to share but it's ideal to bring your own magazines, scissors, glue sticks, and a board or paper to collage on. Don't miss the chance to eat and be merry with good people and some good fun!

About our host: Desi Guusje Bendeler is a leadership coach and former co-founder of the B-corp communications agency thinkPARALLAX. With deep roots in design and strategy, she now helps creative leaders and professionals grow with more clarity, confidence, and purpose. Her coaching blends emotional intelligence, values alignment, and real-world experience to help people lead and live with impact. If you’re feeling stuck or ready to grow, Desi loves helping people find their next step.

Friendsgiving SOUTH in Bonita
Potluck + Craft Exchange!

Saturday, November 8th from 4–7pm

What we'll be making: As an added creative twist, bring a few interesting or unusual materials/items in a bag or box to "white elephant" gift, and we will then have a fun challenge of making something with what we receive in our bag or box. As always, we'll bring a small supply stash to share but feel free to bring any other standard supplies/tools you might like to use with your mystery materials such as scissors, glue, glue stick, etc. and a surface to work on. While we love glitter, please leave it at home for this one 😌 

About our host: Noelle Langston is proudly one of our organizers. After serving as the head of design for a large international AI product company, Noelle branched off to start her own design studio, Bold Type. Her experience with emerging technology has made her more certain than ever that creatives are the future. She considers Unplugged to be a playground for nurturing our essential ability to create and connect as our industry continues to evolve. A native San Diegan but after many years away, Noelle is happy to be back!

For the October edition of Unplugged, our friends at CannonDesign will be hosting our gathering at their very cool office next to Petco Park. We'll be embarking on an honest and relatable discussion in two parts: starting with the fears that hold us back and following that up with ideas and solutions to help you address the  obstacles you're facing. Come and benefit from the power of mutual understanding and connection to help you manage stress, any feelings of isolation, and practical advice and strategies from real life industry experience. 

We welcome all professional designers and students to attend, regardless of experience level, and there is no cost for this event. Bring your own snacks, drinks, and we also encourage carpooling for this location.

Please note that the door to the CannonDesign office is a little tricky to find so if you can't locate the space, contact Jenn at 619-318-1758.

About our meeting location and parking:

If anyone is taking public transit, including the Coaster commuter rail which runs from North County, there are group members who are willing to pick you up and drop you back off at Old Town, which is nearby. Contact the organizers for details and to coordinate access if you require assistance.

About CannonDesign:

Melody Bergey and Chris McCampbell are this month's hosts, from CannonDesign. "With nearly 1,400 teammates across 18 offices, we build collaborative partnerships across industries, helping achieve extraordinary outcomes. While designing for the built environment is at our core, CannonDesign's services include Architecture, Planning, Engineering, Interiors, Experiential Graphics, Sustainability and Technology Services for our Healthcare, Education, Commercial, Sports, Science/Technology, and Civic clients. We’re a team of visionary thinkers and together, these teams amplify our impact, combining intelligence and creativity to shape the future in powerful and meaningful ways."

Let's escape our computers and get out into nature! We'll be participating in a Typography exercise as we walk, to get in touch with our surroundings and break free from autopilot. Each person will draw a letter from our bag of letters and search for their favorite letterform example out in the wild as we walk together.

All professional designers and students are welcome to attend, regardless of experience level!

There will not be a discussion prompt for this gathering but we welcome all to bring any challenges, triumphs, or quandaries to share with the community. You can count on meeting people at Unplugged who understand what you're going through.

Please note that Superbloom Cafe is our meeting point, located at the Mission Bay Beach Club right off the 5 freeway. We will begin gathering at 5:30pm with the option to enjoy snacks/drinks from the cafe, menu below. The walk will begin promptly at 6:30pm. If you can't find us, contact Jenn at 619-318-1758.

About our meeting location and parking:

Superbloom Cafe is part of the Mission Bay Beach Club and located on the Mission Bay waterfront right off the 5 freeway. There is a huge lot at this place so it should be easy to park your car. If anyone is taking public transit, including the Coaster commuter rail which runs from North County, there are group members who are willing to pick you up and drop you back off at Old Town, which is nearby. Contact the organizers for details and to coordinate access if you require assistance.

By popular demand, we're bringing back collage!! As is the format with these events, this gathering is a casual community meeting without any formal instruction or critique. All professional designers and students are welcome to attend, regardless of experience level or AIGA membership status.

Each participant will need all of their own supplies from the paper you'll be creating on, magazines or other resources to build your collage, scissors or X-ACTO knife, and glue. Consider labelling your stuff with your name to make it easier to keep track of. 

Discussion prompt for this event: The art of collage isn't just about what you put in, but also about the layers and the negative space you create. What have been the most impactful "negative spaces" in your life so far—the projects you didn't get, the jobs you turned down, or the skills you chose not to pursue? How did these absences define or reshape your professional journey?

About our host and parking at their location:

StudioConover is located at 3131 Reynard Way #33, San Diego, CA 92103 in Middletown, not far from the San Diego airport. Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. If anyone is taking public transit, including the Coaster commuter rail which runs from North County, there are group members who are willing to pick you up and drop you back off at Old Town or Sante Fe Depot. We would also like to encourage carpooling and we'd be happy to assist. Contact the organizers for details and to coordinate access if you require assistance. 

Thank you to our wonderful host, Dave Conover! Founded by Dave and his wife Cecilia, StudioConover is a cross-discipline design studio specializing in Product and Architectural Consultation, and Integrated Brand Strategies for the Built Environment. Learn more at studioconover.com.

Join us in July as we hang out in Balboa Park and sketch some of the iconic views of the area. We'll be meeting on the lawn of the Botanical Building, and from there choosing our favorite vantage point. 

Whether you're an illustrator, just enjoy drawing, or simply interested in hanging out, everyone is welcome! There is no cost, no dress code, no instructor, and no critique. Each participant will need all of their own supplies and picnic setup. Plan to bring your paper, drawing utensils, a chair or blanket, sunscreen/hat, and any food/drink.

Discussion prompt for this event: Let's talk about those moments – those flashes of pure, unadulterated clarity where the idea isn't just there, it's inevitable. Where the hand and the mind are moving as one, and time just… disappears. That feeling of being utterly in it.

From your own experience, how do you get there? Is it a ritual? Is it a particular kind of struggle? Do you chase it, or does it ambush you? And more importantly, when you find yourself in that state, what are you doing to tend the garden, to keep that wellspring from drying up?