Focus on Benefits: Virtual Communities bring designers together
Written by Ruth Farrugia RGD, City of Côte Saint-Luc
The RGD Membership has its privileges! As co-chair of the Membership Committee, I want to share some of the amazing resources and benefits that Membership provides and encourage all RGD Members to take advantage of them. If you’re not an RGD Member yet, now’s the time to join!
Imagine a Zoom meeting that’s not only fun, but also cathartic, supportive and informative. Where you could meet with fellow designers like you. Fellow firm owners, Solo Designers, 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC designers. Or designers who work in your field, like UX, experiential design or for similar clients like municipal government or the financial sector.
Sounds good? Then the RGD’s Virtual Communities are for you. Virtual meet-ups allow you to connect, regardless of where you are, to discuss issues specific to your area of specialization, workplace or community. Where you can share knowledge, exchange ideas, laugh and commiserate.
The Virtual Communities program began with a roundtable discussion at DesignThinkers that I moderated with fellow designers for municipalities. Many of us were RGD Members! In 2018, Hilary Ashworth, Executive Director of the RGD, suggested we start virtual roundtable discussions since we all live in different cities and towns. The idea took off and we’ve been meeting regularly for nearly six years, now led by Allison Graef RGD and Alona Topolnisky RGD! The well-established Firm Owners group, led by Ian Chalmers RGD, had already been meeting in person and transitioned to a Virtual Community. Since then, different Virtual Communities have been spawned and brought designers together.
When the pandemic hit and everything went virtual, these communities helped us to stay connected. They’re still going strong through the invaluable work of Sheree Stephenson RGD, who also co-leads the Solo Designers community:
“Networking is one of the hardest things for many people to do, and yet authentic connections founded on shared interests can be so rewarding! Virtual communities are among the RGD’s best-kept networking secrets. Since joining the Solo Designers Virtual Community, I’ve come to really look forward to our monthly virtual meetups, where I can swap stories, ask for advice, and share wins with other freelancers who face the same challenges I do.”
Sheree Stephenson RGD
Sign up for the Virtual Community (or Communities) that best suits you. And, if you’re interested in starting a new type of virtual community, you can do that too!
You can still register to be inspired and connect with other creative professionals at the 25th edition of the Toronto DesignThinkers Conference in November. If you’re curious about those roundtable discussions that inspired the Virtual Communities initiative, check out the amazing options and sign up for a morning or lunchtime roundtable discussion.
Ruth Farrugia RGD
City of Côte Saint-Luc
Ruth uses her creative talents to inform and delight at the City of Côte Saint-Luc (a municipality in the West End of Montreal), where she has worked for over 20 years as their in-house graphic designer. She has a special passion for print design. Fishtank Communications, her independent studio, focuses on clients within the arts and non-profit sectors. As a current member of RGD’s Membership Committee, she helmed the Virtual Communities initiative. She also served on the Events Committee and has judged student competitions.
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