Sydney · Design community
A design community, built one person at a time.
The Design Table is a small-group community for designers in Sydney — gathering over dinners, mentor mixers, and works-in-progress nights to build the relationships our industry usually skips.
How we operate
Three principles guide every event we put together.
Community first
We grow slowly, on purpose. Small rooms, real introductions, and people who actually remember your name the second time you meet.
Trust over reach
What's shared at the table stays at the table. Confidentiality and good faith are the price of entry — not optional extras.
Relationships, not transactions
No pitching, no recruiting agendas. We show up for each other's work, careers, and craft over years, not single events.
What we host
Different formats. One community.
Dinners
Six designers, one design table.
Once a month in Sydney CBD. A facilitated, buy-your-own dinner with peers at a similar stage — the kind of evening where the conversation outlasts the meal.
Show Your Work
Works-in-progress, in good company.
A low-stakes night to share something you're making — a side project, a case study, an unfinished idea — and get warm, honest feedback.
M&M Mixer
Mentor and mentee, side by side.
Senior designers paired with emerging ones for a structured evening of advice, portfolio talk, and the questions you can't ask in a public Slack.
What to expect
A warm welcome, guided conversation, and people you'll genuinely want to see again.
Every gathering starts with a short reception and prompts to break the ice. Past evenings have brought together heads of design, studio leads, in-house designers, freelancers, and students — all sharing the same table.
Whether you're seasoned or just starting out, every designer has a seat here.
Code of conduct
The agreements that make this table feel like home.
- 01Be respectful.
- 02Practice inclusivity.
- 03Engage thoughtfully.
- 04Maintain confidentiality.
- 05Zero tolerance for harassment.
- 06Support each other.
Apply
Join the next gathering.
One short form — we'll be in touch about the event that fits you best.