Design Groups New York

AIxUX Virtual Summit 2026

2 half days. Real builds. An exclusive, hands-on virtual summit designed for UX professionals who want to master AI integration in their practice. Become an Agentic Designer—one who doesn't just use AI tools, but shapes systems, orchestrates complexity, and builds with intention. **What makes this summit unique?** * You’ll build something real * Make friends & build partnerships * Find your place in the AI landscape * Shift from passive prompting to deploying specialized agents that automate research, accelerate prototyping, and scale your output. * Explore new perspectives: See how different UX designers use AI tools in their workflow. * Spark career momentum: Grow your network and confidence with an active, ambitious community. **Workshops & Agenda Highlights** * Welcome * Keynote: Designer's New Mandate * Create Your Summit Agent * Trust, Transparency, & Control * Multimodal Futures * Orchestrating Complexities * Building Your Process * And more surprise sessions! **Featured Facilitators** [Danny Setiawan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnystwn/), [Suyen Stevenson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/suyenlyn/), [Volkan Unsal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/volkanunsal/) , [Alexis Brochu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisbrochu/), [Renata Rocha](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rerocha/) , [Silvia Balu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviabalu/), [Corey Malone](https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymalone/), [Esther Greenfield Jakar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-g-j/) **Ready to shape the future of UX with AI?** Reserve your spot, build your network, and get inspired to level up your impact in the UX and tech community! Get your ticket : [https://uxsupportgroup.com/summit](https://uxsupportgroup.com/summit)

Rooms with Memory: A Spring Design Reset

You’re invited to a guided evening to explore your personal aesthetic, connect with other women, and discover how to *make your home feel more like you.* **[Advance Purchase Required here](https://luma.com/springrenewal)** ​If you’ve ever wanted your home to feel more personal, beautiful, or reflective of who you are—but haven’t known where to begin—this evening is for you. ​Hosted at Fabrik NYC and led by interior designer **Shalika Pareek, Heart & Home**, this intimate experience is designed for women who may not have thought deeply about interior design before, but feel ready to bring more **intention**, **warmth**, and **self-expression** into their space. ​Through a series of thoughtful prompts and hands-on exercises, Shalika will guide you in exploring **color**, **texture**, **mood**, and the details you’re naturally drawn to. You’ll begin to **uncover your own design aesthetic** in a way that feels approachable, intuitive, and personal. ​Along the way, you’ll **create a mood board**, **reflect on how your aesthetic can show up in your home**, and receive **grounded interior design guidance**—making this a rare opportunity to gain professional insight without the cost of hiring a designer privately. ​The evening also offers space to connect with other women in a setting that feels welcoming, creative, and inspiring. You’ll leave with: * ​A Clearer Sense of Your Aesthetic: *a deeper understanding of what you’re drawn to and why* * ​A Personal Mood Board: *a visual guide shaped by your own instincts and preferences* * ​Interior Design Insight: *practical ideas from Shalika on how to bring more of yourself into your space* ​ ***Bonus***\*: all [Premier Art-full members](https://womenofculture.org/artfull-membership?utm_source=luma) are invited to book a deeply discounted 45-minute consultation with Shalika for $125 (a $375 value). This includes personalized space planning, layout guidance, design direction and aesthetic clarity.\* *** ​**Full Event Details:** ​**Location:** [Fabrik NYC](https://www.joinfabrik.com/?utm_source=luma) 12-16 Vestry St 4th Floor **Day/ time:** May 20th, 6:30 - 8:30 PM ​_______ ​**Event Flow:** ​ **6:30 PM \| Arrival & Welcome** *Welcome to the space with time to settle in, connect, and ease into the evening.* ​ **6:45 PM \| Prompt Sessions begin** * ​**Early Impressions; the homes that shaped you** *The spaces that you connect with — their textures, rhythms, and quiet details — that continue to shape your sense of home.The process is intuitive, personal, and designed to bring clarity to your aesthetic instincts.* * ​**Emotional Memory** *The spaces and moments that stayed with you — not for how they looked, but for how they made you feel. The atmosphere, comfort, or distance that quietly shaped your idea of home.* * ​**Cultural Influence** *The elements you’ve inherited — through culture, family, and environment — that shape your sense of beauty, comfort, and familiarity, often without being consciously named.* * ​**Instinct vs Influence** *The distinction between what you’re naturally drawn to and what you’ve learned to like through exposure. Understanding the difference allows you to design from instinct rather than imitation.* * ​**Sensory Preference** *How you experience a space beyond how it looks — through light, texture, sound, and atmosphere. The qualities that make a space feel calm, grounding, energizing, or complete.* ​ **8 PM \| Create your personal aesthetic Mood Board** *Drawing from the prompt sessions, you create a mood board that shapes your preferences into a cohesive visual language you can carry into your home.* ​**8:30 PM** \| **Close** *** **[Advance Purchase Required here](https://luma.com/springrenewal)** ​**Tickets:** * ​**Non-members:** $100 first release; $110 full price * ​[Art-full members](https://womenofculture.org/artfull-membership?utm_source=luma): $95 first release; $100 full price ​Though no premier member discount available though all Premier members are invited to book a deeply discounted 45-minute consultation with Shalika for $125 (a $375 value). This includes personalized space planning, layout guidance, design direction and aesthetic clarity. *** ​ **About the facilitator** ​Shalika is the Founder of **Heart & Home, Hoboken**\*.\* She was trained as a fashion designer in London and spent over a decade designing for European brands, where detail, proportion, and restraint are everything. ​That foundation shaped how she sees spaces. Since then, she has renovated four of her own homes and designed for several clients—learning not just how a space should look, but how it needs to function and feel to truly hold a life. ​Today, she designs homes that are layered, personal, and deeply considered. Not trend-driven. Just quietly intentional. *** ​**About the Art-full Membership** ​​​​If you are not yet a member, we would love to have you join us for as little as $45/month for the basic membership, or $65/month for the **Premier** membership. You can [learn more about all membership levels and join here](https://womenofculture.org/artfull-membership?utm_source=luma) or reach out to alex@womenofculture.org with any questions. ​​​​***Special offer for Women's History Month***\*: Use code **WELCOME** to sign up for a **free trial month** of the [Art-full basic membership here](https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/3nni632snj8x?utm_source=luma) (or $45 off the Premier membership).\* ​​​​​**The membership provides:** * ​​​​​Complimentary access to all online events * ​​​​​Priority access to & discounts on ALL events * ​​​​​**Premier** members *also* get priority access to 'culture-tunities' including free VIP passes to exclusive after-hours events at cultural institutions all over the city ​​​​​ All designed to help you live your best, most art-full and socially connected life! **Note about tickets/ RSVP's:** * RSVPs on Meetup do NOT count as official registrations for this event, and the RSVP count on Meetup may not reflect the actual number of attendees. To attend, you must purchase a ticket, which guarantees your spot, regardless of whether you RSVP here. * All paid and confirmed attendees will receive an email from [[alex@womenofculture.org](mailto:alex@womenofculture.org)]([mailto:alex@womenofculture.org](http://mailto:alex@womenofculture.org/))] 1–2 days before the event with further details, including a link to a WhatsApp group for important updates. If you do not receive this email (make sure to check your spam as well), it likely means you did not complete registration or payment.

UX Happy Hour irl (open to all levels)

######## You need to bring a physical Government Issued ID to be allowed to stay. It's the Law. ######## Whether you're a seasoned UX pro, just breaking into the field, or simply curious about design — this is your invite to pull up a chair and join the conversation. UX Happy Hour is a laid-back, no-agenda gathering where designers, researchers, product thinkers, and anyone design-curious can connect over drinks in a low-pressure setting. No slides. No networking theater. **Why attend:** • Meet new connection in organic way • Get feedback and fresh perspectives on your work (i.e. portfolio) or advice for your career • Stay sharp on what's happening in UX, AI, product, and tech right now • Meet potential collaborators, mentors, or future coworkers • Cheap drinks ($5 Guinness) **What to expect:** • Warm, welcoming crowd across all experience levels • Candid conversations about design, careers, tools, and everything in between • A great chill bar in the East Village to do it all in **Where to find us:** We're usually tucked in by the ATM at the back of Mona's. If you're not sure where we are, just ask the bartender — they know us! Come solo, bring a friend, or drag a coworker along. The more the merrier. Interested in sponsoring this event? Reach out to Danny (one of the organizers) for our sponsorship rate card.

Bollywood Cruise Party Desi Dinner Buffet Saturday Night May 9

Introduction to UX Speed

In this short workshop, Sergey Chernyshev will discuss **why the Speed of User Experience matters** and how to determine if your site is fast or slow. He will talk about web performance metrics in general and introduce Core Web Vitals - a set of metrics most commonly used to measure UX Speed. Sergey will then show a few most common problems causing slowdowns, and how to fix them. Don’t miss out on making your web experience speedier and better! [Sergey Chernyshev](https://www.sergeychernyshev.com/) ([@sergeyche.dev](https://bsky.app/profile/sergeyche.dev)) is a web technologist with passion for web performance and open source. He works as a **Web Performance Engineer** on **Observatory** team at [Cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com/) and is a lead organizer of this meetup group. Sergey is a **Google Developer Expert** in Web Technologies, specializing in **Web Performance** and sometimes speaks at local New York events and global conferences. We will have **food and drinks** and as always, we are going to have **geekaways** with **geeky prizes** provided by our sponsors. **Agenda:** 6:00PM - Arrive at the venue, meet other members 6:15PM - Event starts 6:30PM - **Introduction to UX Speed** (Sergey Chernyshev) 7:15PM - Q&A 7:45PM - "Books and Stuff" geekaways 8:00PM - Open Discussion, Networking Make sure to **fill out your legal name** and **bring your ID** to show at security desk. Please make sure to allow for additional time to go through security downstairs and be prepared to put all your electronics through security screening. Then take **G elevator to 64th** floor and transfer to the second bank and **take elevator to 88th floor**. Interested in speaking at a NY Web Performance event in the future? Fill out our [speaker application](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfHyWHSWntTLEu_6pq500PhrrAjyyyVZsH92_eFK-SLMUJD5Q/viewform), or reach out to your organizers with any questions!

Signs of Creative Minds: "Arts" and Sign: HOST NEEDED!

Intro to Web Graphics - From Pixels to Interactive 3D

**Note: You must be RSVP'd (not on the waitlist) for [the main meetup event](https://www.meetup.com/new-york-code-coffee/events/314399818/) to attend this session.** Dive into the future of the web and learn to build immersive, high-performance 3D environments using the industry-standard Three.js library. This hands-on workshop takes you from raw pixels to interactive scenes, empowering you to create stunning visual experiences that run directly in any modern browser. You can either bring your laptop or share with a new friend!

3DNY - WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, LUCKY JACK'S

**3DNY - WEDNESDAY MAY 20 2026** **\*\*FREE DRINKS FOR FIRST 100 ATTENDEES\*\*** **Brought to you by Chaos** **WHAT:** 3DNY is a Networking community for the Architectural Visualization & Visual Effects industries, with speakers and time to chat, enjoy & have a drink with old & new friends in the industry. We explore related topics in animation, VR/AR/XR, AI, game design, metaverse technologies, traditional architecture, real estate trends, and excellence in interior design. We look forward to seeing you again - or to having you join us! We meet the 3rd Wednesday of every other month :) **WHERE:** Lucky Jack's 129 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002 Downstairs, basement bar **WHEN:** Wednesday, May 20, 2026 7 pm - 9 pm, or later **WHO: Presentations featuring.....** **RICARDO ELOY** Marketing & Community Manager Chaos **JAMES TRALIE** Creative Director & Senior Producer NASA **MATEUSZ GAWAD** Visual Artist & Creative Technologist Jacobs **______** **See you there!** **Need something?** Reach out to the team below for questions! Mengyi Fan: [myf@shoparc.com](mailto:myf@shoparc.com) Kitae Kim: [kitae@foveate.com](kitae@foveate.com) Derek Chan: [derek@redleafny.com](mailto:derek@redleafny.com)

Marking the 15th Global Accessibility Awareness Day

**NOTE:** This will be a [ticketed in-person event](https://events.humanitix.com/15th-gaad-nyc), hosted by GAAD Foundation in partnership with A11yNYC. To register, visit [https://events.humanitix.com/15th-gaad-nyc](https://events.humanitix.com/15th-gaad-nyc). The Meetup platform will not be used to register for this event. *Each individual who plans to attend must complete their own registration.* **Description** The GAAD Foundation invites you to join us to celebrate the 15th Global Accessibility Awareness Day #GAAD. It is also the fifth anniversary of the GAAD Foundation. Co-hosted with the A11yNYC Meetup. Anna Thielke, GAAD Foundation Executive Secretary and Treasurer, and Mindy Morgan, GAAD Foundation Board Member Emeritus, will be live in New York to celebrate these two milestones. There will be snacks, drinks, networking, and brief remarks from several speakers. **Accessibility** Event accessibility details and instructions to request additional accommodations can be found on the registration page: [https://events.humanitix.com/15th-gaad-nyc](https://events.humanitix.com/15th-gaad-nyc) .

High-Impact Portraiture: May 13-May 27, 6:15pm-8:45pm. In-person:Hybrid

[High-Impact Portraiture: Conceptual & Editorial Lighting (4 Sessions): May 13-May 27, 6:15pm-8:45pm. In-person: Outdoors/Indoors Hybrid](https://www.photomanhattan.com/product-p/co-po2.i-10.1.htm "High-Impact Portraiture: Conceptual & Editorial Lighting (4 Sessions): May 13-May 27, 6:15pm-8:45pm. In-person: Outdoors/Indoors Hybrid, CO-PO2.i-10.1") https://www.photomanhattan.com/product-p/co-po2.i-08.1.htm **This workshop is a Hybrid.** First class is online, and the rest are alternate in person outdoors and / or indoors depending on the course and version. The outdoor sessions will be at Union Square Park, and in cases of drizzle they'll move to the roofed area of he Highline (at 14th street). In case of major storms they'll be rescheduled. Look out for the email with specifics the day before class. For any question, contact us at 646 820-3302/ Thanks! # HIGH-IMPACT PORTRAITURE: Conceptual Lighting & Editorial Directing. This course will guide you through all that there is to see to unleash your imagination and create the most unique, editorial-style portraits. Step into the world of high-end portraiture by learning conceptual lighting techniques, advanced subject direction, and the use of subjective imagery and props. ## What You Will Master: * **Conceptual Lighting:** Practice and experimentation with a myriad of advanced lighting effects, including classic light setups, High Key, Low Key, Corrective, and dramatic lighting. * **DIY Home Studio:** Setting up a simple Portrait DIY home studio setup using equipment you already have, maximizing both natural and artificial lighting. * **Advanced Directing:** Directing the subject and utilizing props and background elements to convey a specific narrative or emotion * **Critique & History:** Review, analysis, and practice of all types of portraiture—from documentary to editorial—including the history of portraiture and famous portraitists ## Course Structure: Classes include in-class photo shooting and experimentation of all techniques, as well as weekly assignments and photo critiques of your own work. This course is a perfect complement to our Studio & Lighting course. | Requirements & Availability | | --------------------------- | | **Requirements:** Any digital camera, including Phone cameras and Mirrorless, with Automatic mode. | | **Recommendation:** We highly recommend taking the **Portrait Foundations** course prior to this, as this course will not include the basics of composition, basic lighting, or shooting angles. | | **Available Versions:** Full course (2-5 weeks, full content) or Single day seminar (brief intro). |

The Human Side of Product Leadership with NBCUniversal CPO James Denney

25 years. TiVo. Hulu. Peacock. One evening with the CPO who built them all. How do the best product leaders stay human when the AI era keeps demanding more? On May 14, Products That Count brings you an intimate evening in New York with [James Denney](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesadenney/ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesadenney/"), EVP and Chief Product Officer, Direct-to-Consumer at NBCUniversal. Before most companies had a streaming strategy, James Denney was building one. TiVo. Hulu. Now NBCUniversal, where he runs product for Peacock, NBC Sports, and Fandango. This isn't a keynote. It's a fireside conversation, hosted by [Vartika Rawat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vartikarawat/ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/vartikarawat/"), Senior Director of Product Management at Capital One. With 15+ years leading product across Capital One and Mastercard, Vartika knows what it takes to build at scale inside large, complex organizations: exactly the right person to draw out what makes Jim's approach distinct. We'll cover: * AI and the PM's evolving role. When AI can do everyone's job, what's actually yours? * From directive to coach. How have the best leaders moved from directing to coaching? * The empathetic product leader. How do you lead people who are carrying things you can't see? * Media at the inflection point. What's actually changing in media, what's noise, and who owns what's real? Seats are limited. Reserve yours here: [https://nycproductspeakerseriesmay2026.eventbrite.com](https://nycproductspeakerseriesmay2026.eventbrite.com) *** \*A note on our refundable tickets: This event is completely free, and there's a product story to our deposit... It's modeled after behavioral economics and ensures 90%+ participation. The deposit is fully refunded the morning after the event as long as you attend (the behavioral economics part). We've rolled this out across our 200+ invite-only exec-level events and received an average Net Promoter Score of 80+.This event is free, thanks to the patronage of our generous partners. We are grateful for their support! Products That Count shares limited contact information with them.

Join Us for the High Line Photo Shoot (Sat, May 16, 2026 @ 11:00 am)

The High Line is one of NYC's most dynamic photography locations. The park's elevated perspective gives you a unique urban vantage point unlike anything at street level, with long canyon-like views down the cross streets of the Meatpacking District, curated greenery framing the skyline, and architectural details from the preserved railroad tracks to Zaha Hadid's building at 520 W 28th street. **PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES** **Technique Focus:** ***Urban Nature & Street Portraits*** * **Juxtapose nature against the built environment:** The High Line's design--native plantings growing alongside exposed steel, rail ties, and concrete--is made for this. Use a wide-angle lens to pull both elements into sharp focus at f11-f16. * **Use selective focus to "suppress" the city:** Switch to a longer focal length and open up the aperture to f/2 or f/2.8. this isolates a flower or grass cluster against a completely blurred urban background. * **Shutter priority for moving objects:** Use shutter priority at 1/250s or faster to freeze pedestrians cleanly. * **Seek light, then wait:** Pick a spot with compelling light--a patch of sun cutting between buildings and simply wait for the right subject to walk into it. * These are just suggestions but use whatever equipment you may have or even an iPhone. **Videos to Review Before the Photo Shoot** * Urban Landscape: [Bing Videos](https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=how+to+photograph+the+highline+urban+nature+you+tube&&mid=F6C1B33B9ADCC74A9629F6C1B33B9ADCC74A9629&churl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fchannel%2fUCHIRBiAd-PtmNxAcLnGfwog&FORM=VRDGAR) * Street Photography: [Bing Videos](https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=street+photography+hugh+brownstone+youtube&mid=E24878EA63094F853AD6E24878EA63094F853AD6&churl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fchannel%2fUCHIRBiAd-PtmNxAcLnGfwog&FORM=VIRE) **Meeting Location/Event Hosts** Your host will be Doug. We will meet at Gansevoort Plaza at 11:00 am. We will be wearing our TAOP stickers, hats, or t-shirts and carrying our cameras. **Post-Event** TBD. **PHOTO CHALLENGE** Once this Meetup event ends, we will create an album on the [Photos](https://www.meetup.com/the-art-of-photography-nyc/photos/) page. Please post up to five (5) of your best photographs from the event before 7 PM (ET) on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Eligible photos: * Must be taken on Saturday, May 16th. * Must be posted before the deadline * **Must have a title** * Must NOT be sexually explicit or suggestive This album will be reviewed. The winning image will become the permanent album cover of the event. The name of the winning photographer will appear in the album title. **We welcome your participation and look forward to meeting you at 11:00 am.**