Creative Lunch Club

Communities, Networks and Events for Designers

Design grows stronger when people share ideas and connect with each other. Whether you work in graphic design, product design, UX, illustration, branding, or any other design discipline, being part of a community helps you learn, stay inspired, and build meaningful relationships. This guide highlights communities, networks, and events that support designers across many fields.

In-Person Communities & MeetupsOnline Communities & Social NetworksEvents & Conferences

Design is a collaborative field. This guide brings together communities and events for designers who want to expand their creative world.

In-Person Communities & Meetups

AIGA

AIGA is the go-to hub for designers in the US to connect and get inspired, with community vibes, events, and resources to level up your craft.

The Design Kids

The Design Kids is a global community for emerging designers, with city meetups, interviews, jobs, and practical resources to help you build your folio and grow your career.

Ladies, Wine & Design

Ladies, Wine & Design is a global community uplifting creative women and nonbinary folks with meetups, talks, and mentorship. Inclusive vibes, real talk, and chapters around the world.

Creative Lunch Club

Creative Lunch Club is a global community for people working in the creative industries. Whether you are a graphic designer, a photographer, a marketer, or a filmmaker, the Creative Lunch Club gives you the chance to regularly meet other creatives in your city for lunch.

Online Communities & Social Networks

Design Buddies

Design Buddies is a friendly, global design community where you can level up your craft with free events, mentorship, challenges, and a job board—great for landing roles and making friends.

CreativePro

CreativePro helps creatives stay current with expert tutorials, a monthly magazine, downloadable resources, and a friendly community. Jump into webinars and events to level up InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and more.

The Studio by Creative Boom

The Studio by Creative Boom is a private community created by Creative Boom for designers, illustrators, writers, and makers. Free from the noise of social media, it’s a calm, supportive space for conversations, peer feedback, and professional development.

Designer Slack Communities

Designer Slack Communities is a curated list of design Slack groups from around the world, easy to browse by location and topic.

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Events & Conferences

OFFF Barcelona

OFFF Barcelona is a leading festival and community for contemporary visual creativity where innovative and emerging talents share their creative processes and explore the future of the global creative industry. It brings together designers, artists, developers, and thinkers for inspiration and collaboration.

Adobe MAX

Adobe MAX is the ultimate creativity conference for graphic designers, illustrators, and digital creators, featuring keynote talks, hands-on workshops, and previews of upcoming Adobe tools. It’s also a great chance to meet fellow creatives, get inspired, and explore the latest trends shaping the design world.

AIGA Design Conference

AIGA Design Conference is the flagship gathering of AIGA, bringing together graphic designers, visual communicators, and creative professionals from around the world. It features inspiring talks, workshops, and community events that explore how design shapes culture, drives innovation, and creates real impact.

Pictoplasma

Pictoplasma is the leading festival for contemporary character design, bringing together illustrators, animators, designers, and visual artists from around the world. Hosted in Berlin, it offers talks, exhibitions, screenings, and workshops that explore the future of character-driven storytelling and visual culture.

Forward Festival Berlin

Forward Berlin is a two-day gathering with 50+ talks across three stages from designers, directors, and other creative professionals. It also offers workshops, interactive formats, and networking focused on practical knowledge exchange.

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How to Stay Connected

You do not need to join everything at once. Pick one or two communities that suit your interests, Go to a design conference or follow from afar if you cannot attend in person, and build a small system for inspiration that works for you.

Connect with other creatives you admire, ask questions, and share your work. A few simple actions can help you feel part of a much larger creative world.

Conclusion

Creatives do better when they are part of something larger. Communities, events, and useful tools can spark ideas, friendships, and collaboration. Find the spaces and resources that suit you and shape a creative setup that helps you grow.

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Creative Lunch Club was such a refreshing break and it happened just around the corner, which made it even better. As a studio founder, it felt so good to step out of the day-to-day and connect with like-minded people in a relaxed, inspiring setting.

Thaïs Lakaf
Co-founder & Art Director, Berlin

Creative Lunch Club is the easiest most low-key way to grow your network, maybe even make some new friends, share expertise, lift each other up, and perhaps end up working together on something.

Mara Lehmann
Product Designer & Co-Founder, Oslo

I love Creative Lunch Club because it harnesses the most human way of connecting, sharing a meal. It's an effortless way for creatives to build diverse connections and friendships across various fields and meet people they wouldn't otherwise.

Karishma Kasabia
Entrepreneur & Fashion Designer, Melbourne
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