Interaction Design

RSVP on our Meetup event >> https://www.meetup.com/gdg-melbourne/events/313164035/ RSVP Codeword: NEWYEAR Get ready for our first monthly meetup of the year! This event is hosted at the Mantel Group Office, with the recording of the talks to be shared afterwards on YouTube if you can't make it. There will be food, networking and some surprise swag! Agenda: 6:20 - Intro 6:30 - Talks 8:00 till late - networking & chat (& drinks optional) Talks and Speakers: Kotlin → C#; Experimenting with Cross-Runtime Interop by Isuru Rajapakse, Senior Android Developer at Motorola Solutions Kotlin is a warm, cozy blanket of null safety and garbage collection so that we don't gave to get our feet wet. But what happens when you rip that blanket away, compile your Kotlin code down to a C static library, and try to use it in a .NET application? I did it so you don't have to. And I brought the stack traces to prove it. From Hype to Hands-On: Building Smarter Apps with the Agent Development Kit by Lovee Jain, Google Developer Expert - Cloud | Senior Software Engineer @Prezzee AI agents are more than hype — they’re a new way to design applications. In this talk, we’ll take a practical look at the Agent Development Kit (ADK) and how developers can use it to orchestrate multi-agent workflows. We’ll explore agent types, chaining strategies, and how to integrate tools and context effectively. The session includes a demo of a point-based buying agent that showcases how agents can interact, make decisions, and deliver value in a real-world scenario. Expect less buzzword, more code, and practical lessons you can apply in your own projects. Agentic DevOps: I Gave AI Agents root access to a VM – Here’s What I Learned by Bishal Sapkota, Software Engineer | AI Solutions Architect | Co-founder at Outback Yak Real Automation, self patching, persistent memory, cron jobs, and the obvious loaded gun. How to find us: Doors open at 5:45 PM at our host the Mantel Group, Level 2/452 Flinders St Melbourne. Message via Meetup or Slack if you are arriving after 6:00 as the lifts won't let you up.  This is an in-person only event. If you have any accessibility requirements please reach out via the Meetup or Slack to the organiser group to discuss and we will do our best to help you out. Agenda --- Hosted By Katie Barnett, GDE Android / GDG Organiser Katie is passionate about all things Android. She has taken on a wide variety of challenging projects including in the live event, media and travel space. Her favourite thing is to see someone having a delightful experience using something she has worked on. Katie is very active in the development community, she is a Google Developer Expert for Android, one of the organisers of GDG Melbourne and is a Women Techmakers Ambassador. She frequently runs events, speaks on technical and non-technical topics and enjoys writing blog posts to share her experience with others. Katie is based in Melbourne, Australia but loves to travel the world and outside of tech she enjoys boardgaming and attempting to finish many craft projects. Suesi Tran, Senior Flutter Developer Google Developer Expert in Dart, Flutter & Firebase, Women Techmaker Melbourne ambassador, GDG Melbourne & Flutter Melbourne co-organiser. In short: Flutter is love, and mobile is life. Poornima Sivakumar, GDG Organiser Lovee Jain, GDG Organiser Lovee is a Software Engineer at Prezzee, a GDG Melbourne Organiser and also a Women Techmakers Ambassador. A tech inquisitive philomath, she loves problem solving and solution design. She has worked at a city council where she developed a lot of useful system integrations and while at Prezzee she develops and works on multiple gift card solutions to cater the B2B2C market. Zach Jensz, GDG Organiser Passionate about the web, seamless UX and accessibility. I love attending meetups, find me and come say hi! Ujjawal Raj, GDG Organiser Bramley Turner-Jones, GDG Organiser Yuba Raj (UV) Panta, GDG Cloud Organiser Kartik Arora, Android Engineer Google Developer Expert in Android Android Engineer @ Bilue Carolyn Ai Chi Wong, Complete your event RSVP here: https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-melbourne-presents-gdg-melbourne-february-2026-meetup/.

Dear Lakesiders and visitors, Dripping Wet and Maggot are the hares for this week’s run no. 2253, 25 Feb. 6:30pm. Venue - Unit 65, 9 Waterside Place, Docklands [https://maps.app.goo.gl/iZvzFG4urfVyEfBJ7](https://maps.app.goo.gl/iZvzFG4urfVyEfBJ7) Public Transport – Southern Cross Station. Trams lots of them. Onon Point Post

Andrew Herd is facilitator of the KM Landscape, a volunteer effort to capture the broad vocabulary of KM and related terms and reduce the confusion around shared concepts around the world in our discipline. As part of this work, some amazing and diverse thinking has been shared and out of that Andrew started to realise that a lot of knowledge concepts can be boiled down to two distinct areas: transactional and relational. He started with the DIKW pyramid with Data and Information being transactional and Knowledge and Wisdom being Relational but he has take the concept far beyond there and this month we are kicking off the year getting our heads around why automating the transaction world with AI might leave some pretty big gaps to fill and what we are KM professionals can do about it. This event is hybrid with Andrew joining online from Belgium. Thanks again to MinterEllison, who host the amazing space we meet in each month. **Session Details:** * **Date & Time:** 6:00pm AEDST, Fourth Wednesday of each month * **Format:** Virtual session on Teams * **Agenda:** * 6-6:30 pm networking * 6:30-7:45pm exploration of the topic * 7:45-8pm wrap up * 8pm dinner for those interested. KMLF has run monthly, almost uninterrupted since 1998, serving the Victorian Knowledge Management community with close ties to Change Mgt, Records Mgt, Information Governance and Academic communities.

LAST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH so **IT'S DRAWING NIGHT AT SQUISHFACE** Join us at Squishface's studio space in South Melbourne: Studio Hall, on the grounds of St Kilda South Port Uniting Church on Dorcas St. There are FOUR TRAMS you can catch from the city. **58, 96, 12** or the **1!** It is even walkable from the city. Bring your sketch books, bring your pens, bring a friend. It's not a class - it's a drawing hang out. All skill levels welcome. Always lots of regulars, always newies. Be socially awkward, be confident as heck. This is informal, it's just a free drawing session. Go ahead and bring snacks. But no nuts please! Our venue is wheelchair accessible, as are the very toilets. Minors are welcome but will need an accompanying adult. Contact us on 0422509144 if any issues or you get lost. Please follow us both on instagram, for comic and zine related news and events. 👉 [Squishface Studio](http://www.instagram.com/Squishfacestudio) Here's an [instagram video](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4J5GiOPLxc/) showing where Studio Hall is. You simply enter from the street, walk up toward the big bluestone church, then go left to the car park and you will find Studio Hall!

A relaxed coastal walk to wind down the workday. We’ll start at South Melbourne Beach, stroll along the bay at an unhurried pace, and aim to reach Point Ormond Lookout **before sunset** to enjoy the view as the sky changes colour. After sunset, we’ll walk back together toward the starting point. Anyone keen can grab ice cream along the way — totally optional. This is designed as a **low-energy, no-rush weekday evening**, perfect if you want to be outdoors without turning it into a workout or committing your whole night. **Plan** * 6:00 PM — Meet up & quick hellos * 6:15 PM — Start walking together at a gentle pace * \~7:45 PM — Arrive at Point Ormond Lookout, enjoy sunset views * After sunset — Walk back toward the start point * End — Optional ice cream stop on the return Feel free to leave early if needed — just let me know beforehand or on the day. **Pace & Vibe** * Easy, conversational pace * We’ll walk together and regroup as needed * No fitness expectations — this is not a training walk * Come solo or with a friend, both are welcome **What to Bring** * Comfortable walking shoes * Light jacket (it can cool down after sunset) * Water bottle if you like **Meeting point:** Outside **[South Melbourne Life Saving Club](https://maps.app.goo.gl/fP5SZRTEtLnerAus8)** at **6pm**. I’ll post a photo of myself here once I arrive. If you’re running late, please message me your ETA beforehand — we’ll wait briefly, but may need to roll out on time to keep the group moving.

Players of all skill levels are welcome to join us at Marché Board Games Cafe in the CBD for a casual night of mahjong - Right in the CBD. We'll start around 6:00pm till we all need to go home :) Our typical session concludes usually around 10:00pm. Please change your RSVP to not going if you're no longer able to attend, 24 hours prior the event. For those that have a record of non attendance without communicating, you will be moved to the waiting list for future events and be contacted directly to confirm that you indeed intend to turn up, at which you will be allotted a spot subject to availability. For more details on the rules of the game, please refer to: http://mahjongtime.com/hong-kong-mahjong-rules.html Marche has been kind enough to offer us a deal to play in their cafe. **⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆ Cost ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆** Attendees who have registered for the event on Meetup can play at discounted rates, with the following payments to be made: * **$6 in total per session” to cover cafe costs. Payment of $6 should be made to Marche at the front counter upon notification to the staff member that you are here for the scheduled meetup. There is now no minimum spend on items at the cafe as there were before. The cafes menu can be found here https://mbgcafe.com.au/menu.pdf .

Join Westside Desi Connect for a fun-filled day of outdoor adventures, socializing, and connecting with nature! We'll start the day with a leisurely nature walk surrounded by scenic views and fresh air. After working up an appetite, we'll gather for a delightful picnic where you can enjoy delicious food and engage in lively conversations with fellow members. Feel free to bring games and snacks! Age range: 18-30.

Welcome back for 2026. We're kicking off with a talk by [Caitlin Blackwell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlin-blackwell-8328a623/), Head of Product from Seek who'll share real life stories of getting a product live with AI and the learnings along the way. Caitlin Blackwell is a Head of Product for SEEK across APAC where she leads a team of PM across the homepage feed, search and job pages to help candidates get great jobs and drive high quality placements for hirers. She has worked in a range of ecommerce and SaaS companies as well as being at SEEK for a long time. She resides on a farm on the famous Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia where a large garden, a dog and 100 acres of bush keep her busy. **Our amazing sponsors are Easygo** Bio: [Easygo](https://www.linkedin.com/company/easygo-au/?originalSubdomain=au) is the Australian powerhouse behind the world’s biggest online casino, as well as pioneering a creator-first online streaming platform with over 50 million users. Fuelled by an ambitious mission, our culture of collaboration invites industry visionaries, innovators, and disrupters to drive the future of entertainment forward.

**\*\*\*This is a pre-booking event. Please visit [artmasterclass.com.au](https://www.artmasterclass.com.au/) choose your cheeseboard and coaster, use the *MEETAMC10* coupon code, and make a reservation.\*\*\*** Unleash your creativity at our Resin Art Workshop in the heart of Melbourne! Join us for a fun and interactive session where you'll learn the art of resin pouring from expert instructors. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refine your skills, this workshop is perfect for everyone. You'll create stunning, unique pieces to take home and enjoy, all while surrounded by like-minded creatives. Our workshops provide all the tools, materials, and guidance you'll need to bring your vision to life. Discover the mesmerizing flow of resin, explore vibrant pigments, and watch your art evolve into a glossy masterpiece. Each session is designed to be both educational and relaxing, making it the ideal activity to unwind, socialize, and spark inspiration. Spaces are limited, so book your spot today and dive into the colorful world of resin art with us!

### **The Vibe** Are you curious about AI and automation, or are you already building complex workflows in **n8n**? Join us for a casual, after-work gathering in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. This is an "open floor" event—no rigid slides or formal pitches. Just a group of locals grabbing a drink and talking about how we use n8n to reclaim our time and supercharge our businesses. ### **Who This Is For** * **The Curious/Newbie:** If you’ve heard of n8n but haven't started yet, come see what’s possible. No question is too basic! * **The Pro/Builder:** Share your latest "Agentic" workflows, swap tips on self-hosting, or help troubleshoot a tricky expression. * **The Business Owner:** See how Melbourne SMEs are using automation

**Description**: Join me to knit or crochet in the warm, friendly environment of Kindred Studios where we can share our skills and ideas. Knitters, crocheters and crafters of all abilities are welcome. The conversation is relaxed as we work on our projects together and it's a great way to make new friends. The Bass Note Cafe is within the studios and will bring great coffee and delicious snacks to our table. **Agenda**: I'll meet you at 10.00am inside Kindred Studios at the large table near the tiered seating. We have the space available until 12.00pm. **Location**: Kindred Studios 3 Harris St Yarraville Street parking is available nearby in Harris, Cowper, Hyde and Whitehall Streets. There are large red signs on the footpath to guide you to Kindred Studios. If you are coming by train take the Williamstown/Werribee line to Seddon Station. It's then about 10 minutes to walk to the Studios. When you RSVP please click attend on the Event Page and I will be in touch via direct message. I will also be available on the Events Comments page on the day. .

## Overview Join us in person to explore the newest AI tools, master prompt engineering, and dive into large language models! ## Join Us for Graduate Pathways in AI! Ready to dive into the world of AI? Come explore the latest tools, get hands-on with prompt engineering, and uncover the magic behind LLMs (Large Language Models). This is an in-person event perfect for grads looking to boost their AI game. Don't miss out on networking, learning, and having fun with fellow AI enthusiasts! **Agenda** 6:00 PM - 6:15 PM Arrival + food + networking Check-in, pizza/soft drinks, quick intros. 6:15 PM - 6:25 PM Welcome + session framing What you’ll learn, how to use the session, and how Q&A/breakouts will work. 6:25 PM - 6:45 PM The LLM landscape in 2026 (practical view) What LLMs are good at vs. not good at. Common workflows teams use (research, analysis, content, coding assistance). Tool categories (models, chat UIs, notebooks, agent frameworks, evaluation/testing). 6:45 PM - 7:05 PM Prompt engineering + agentic AI (live examples) Prompt structure you can reuse: role, task, context, constraints, examples, evaluation. How to iterate: compare outputs, check assumptions, reduce hallucinations, get citations/traceability. Agentic workflows: when an “agent” helps (multi-step tasks, tool use, memory) and when it’s overkill. 7:05 PM - 7:20 PM Breakout circles (small groups) 7:20 PM - 7:27 PM Resources + next steps Share resource pack: tool list, learning roadmap, project ideas, evaluation checklist. 7:27 PM - 7:30 PM Surprise + close Surprise reveal and thank you

## *Practising Extroversion the Neurodivergent Way* ## 🌟 From **Small Talk → Real Talk** Do you want to be more social but without forcing yourself to be loud, performative, or overwhelmed? Do you want to feel confident starting conversations in groups or crowds… **and** know how to gently take them somewhere meaningful when the moment is right? This session is a **practice lab** for exactly that. *** ## 💬 **What This Session Is About** Many neurodivergent people actually enjoy connection, but struggle with the *starting*, the *spontaneity*, and the *surface-level phase* of conversations. This workshop helps you practise: * starting light, surface-level conversations * building courage to speak to new people * rotating through conversations with ease * and learning how (and when) to guide a chat from small talk into something more engaging and meaningful All while **honouring your nervous system**, your need for processing time, and your personal boundaries. You don’t need to become a “social butterfly” …but you *can* become socially confident, relaxed, and deeply appreciated for who you are. *** ## 🧠 **Why Surface Talk Matters (Yes, Really)** Small talk isn’t the enemy, it’s the *bridge*. Weather, study, work, hobbies… these are entry points. When you know how to use them skillfully, they become doorways into richer conversation. We’ll practise how to: * respond with curiosity instead of pressure * notice which threads are worth pulling * ask follow-up questions that invite meaning * and sense when someone is open to going deeper The *right* people will appreciate this often more than you expect. ✨ *** ## 🔄 **How the Session Runs** The session is structured, flexible, and supportive: * Short teaching segments (clear, simple, practical) * 20-minute practice blocks with different drills * Quick rotations so you experience variety and spontaneity * Optional participation, nothing is compulsory * Live feedback and adaptation based on how the group is feeling * Space for pauses, grounding, and regulation as needed You’ll practise both: * **starting conversations**, and * **deepening them gently and appropriately** *** ## 🌱 **What You’ll Practise** * Initiating conversations without overthinking * Being socially present without masking * Bridging from surface topics into meaning * Sharing a little more of yourself, safely and wisely * Reading social energy and pacing yourself * Honouring when you need space, silence, or rest *** ## 👋 **A Note From the Facilitator** I’m an autistic, neurodivergent coach and this was once *extremely hard* for me. Through years of lived experience, recruitment work, interviewing, dating, friendship-building, and formal coaching training, I’ve learned how to make social connection **a skill and habit**, not a vague personality quirk that people can't replicate. This session is about practising that skill together, so it becomes something your body knows how to do — not something you have to force. *** ## 📝 **Before & After** You’ll be invited (optionally) to share: * what feels hardest about socialising in groups * where surface-level conversations tend to stall * what you want more confidence with And at the end, you’ll be invited to give feedback so future sessions can be shaped around what you actually need.

**Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the International Relations / Foreign Policy Group Columbus!** This group brings together students, professionals, academics, and anyone interested in global affairs, diplomacy, and geopolitics. Our first meetup will be an informal discussion focused on current international developments and global trends. This is a great opportunity to: • Meet others interested in international relations and foreign policy • Discuss current global events and geopolitical developments • Exchange perspectives and ideas in a respectful environment • Build a network of globally minded individuals in Central Ohio (Columbus and periphery) **Discussion topics may include:** * Strategic planning for the group and the way forward * US foreign policy priorities in 2026 * Major geopolitical developments (Europe, Asia, Middle East) * Global security and strategic competition * International economic and diplomatic trends No prior expertise is required—everyone is welcome, whether you're a student, professional, or simply interested in world affairs. **This will be a casual, friendly, and intellectually engaging conversation.** I look forward to meeting everyone and building a strong international relations / foreign policy community in Central Ohio.

Join us and work remotely together with like-minded UX folks. This is a last minute opportunity to get out at one of our favorites, [Junto](https://thejuntohotel.com/)! Plenty of seating is available in addition to a connected coffee shop and restaurant. I will be there 10-12 for sure, maybe longer. Feel free to come and go anytime during the day, and don't forget your charger and headphones!

Come out to Improving for our monthly iOS and Mac meetings. This Month's Presentation: Nothing yet. (You should volunteer). What is Cocoaheads (http://cocoaheads.org/)? CocoaHeads is a group devoted to discussion of Apple Computer's Cocoa Framework for programming on MacOS X and iOS (including the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch). During monthly meetings, members present on their projects and offer tutorials on various programming topics. What is BuckeyeCocoa (http://buckeyecocoa.org/)? BuckeyeCocoa is a group of Objective-C/Swift developers/enthusiasts. We host monthly Cocoaheads and near-weekly NSCoder meetings in Columbus, Ohio. The meetings are free to attend. Presentations! Presenters welcome! We are always in need of people willing to present material. Any Swift and/or Objective-C related topic is welcome. Times can be 5 minutes (i.e. lightning talks) to a maximum of 2 hours. Interested? Contact info is on the BuckeyeCocoa website. To volunteer for a presentation contact us at @BuckeyeCocoa on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter! @BuckeyeCocoa (https://twitter.com/#!/Buckeyecocoa/) For more information: http://buckeyecocoa.org/

**TBA**

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 You will need to scan your ID at the door to get a visitor badge. **Abstract** *Spec-Driven Development with GitHub Spec-Kit: From Intent to Implementation* Spec-driven development flips the traditional workflow on its head: instead of code being the source of truth, the specification becomes the backbone of design, collaboration, and delivery. In this session, we’ll explore how GitHub Spec-Kit enables teams to treat specifications as first-class artifacts—living documents that drive architecture, implementation, and verification. You’ll learn how Spec-Kit helps teams clearly express intent using structured, version-controlled specs that live alongside code. We’ll walk through a practical workflow that starts with defining system behavior and constraints, then progressively refines those specs into testable, automatable outcomes. Along the way, we’ll show how specs can reduce ambiguity, improve cross-functional collaboration, and make design decisions explicit before a single line of production code is written. This talk will cover: --What spec-driven development is (and what it isn’t) --How GitHub Spec-Kit fits into modern developer workflows --Using specs to align product, engineering, and AI-assisted development --Real-world examples of turning specs into implementations with confidence Whether you’re building greenfield systems, integrating AI into your stack, or trying to reduce costly rework, spec-driven development offers a scalable way to move faster without sacrificing clarity. Attendees will leave with concrete patterns and a clear mental model for adopting GitHub Spec-Kit in their own projects. **YouTube Link** TBA

Columbus Code & Coffee is an inclusive, informal co-working session. People of all skill levels attend, and we love it that way. Many people (optionally) bring projects to work on, and many other people (optionally) socialize the entire time. It's entirely up to you! **What to Expect at the Intro Circle** \~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~ Near the beginning of the event (1:30 pm), we do a standup: * Organizer announcements, updates, and logistics Round 1 - (7 secs max): * Your name * What you're working on * What you can help others with Round 2: * Community events you wanna plug. If none, that's cool too. Round 3: * Job opportunities you're hiring for OR announce that you are looking for one. If none, that's cool. After the introduction circle, everything is self-organized! Feel free to work alone, pair up, attend one of our workshops/presentations, or mingle!

Join other experienced and aspiring agile coaches and professionals to: * develop and practice your coaching skills in a peer-to-peer environment * share current successes and challenges in your work environment and get support from each other * learn from each other, build better relationships and experiment with new ideas