After the AIGA Design Conference kicked off, a room of AIGA chapter leaders walked from a conference breakout room to a rooftop in Downtown LA at the ÜCA Terraza. Lights so low you could barely see the taco bar, bistro umbrellas creating intimate pockets under the city sky. And for the first time in a long time, chapter leaders weren’t the ones making it happen. They were just there, meeting the people behind Slack handles, putting faces to Zoom squares, recognizing themselves in each other.

It shouldn’t have felt revolutionary. But it sort of did.

As someone who’s built communities both in-person and online—from AIGA boards to TypeEd workshops to Adobe’s event programs—I’ve experienced firsthand how much invisible labor goes into creating spaces where designers can thrive.

Whether you’re planning a rooftop gathering or producing a livestream for thousands, the core challenge remains the same: how do we create meaningful connection in a world that increasingly pulls us apart?

Chapter leaders juggle full-time jobs while planning events and mentoring designers. Similarly, in my role producing digital events at Adobe, I’ve seen how creating engaging online experiences requires the same dedication—structuring sessions for maximum engagement, using platforms that enhance the customer experience, and focusing on guests while positioning yourself as the audience’s voice.

Some months, this work energizes you... watching a room stay active way past closing time or seeing designers connect across continents. Other months, you’re dealing with technical glitches or wondering if your content truly resonates.

When a leader burns out or a program ends, the impact ripples through the entire creative ecosystem. Events stop happening. Communications fade. Suddenly, designers lose their learning pathways and connection points.

I’ve seen this in both physical and digital spaces... thriving chapters collapse when key leaders depart, and online communities dissolve when programs lose momentum. The design industry relies on these connection points more than we know.

When they disappear, individual designers don’t just lose events—they lose the validation that they’re not alone in their struggles, the mentorship that happens organically, the inspiration that comes from seeing peers navigate similar challenges.

The gathering on the rooftop happened because our committee believed it mattered. What surprised me was watching leaders from across the country discover they weren’t alone in their challenges, much like the magic that happens at AIGA Leadership Retreats.

This mirrors what I’ve seen in our digital events—when my team created the Creative Connections program, we discovered that designers weren’t just seeking technical skills. They were looking for community, for validation that others faced the same creative challenges, for spaces where they could be both vulnerable and inspired.

That’s when I understood: creative communities need the same foundations—genuine connection, practical resources, and sustainable systems that prevent burnout.

Connection across formats. Leadership in any space—chapter, classroom, or livestream—can be isolating. The most successful communities I’ve built combine digital accessibility with moments of in-person connection when possible.

Practical resources that scale. My team developed scalable event and content models that effectively reach all B2B customer segments at Adobe. Similarly, volunteer chapter leaders need templates and systems that prevent reinventing wheels. The medium may differ, but the need for infrastructure remains.

Recognition of invisible work. Whether you’re a volunteer chapter leader or a digital event producer, much of your most important work happens behind the scenes. In our digital events, we’ve learned to celebrate not just viewership numbers but engagement quality—the same principle applies to volunteer leadership.

Permission for creative experimentation. In the most engaging events I’ve coordinated, we weren’t afraid to try new formats. Similarly, chapter leaders need freedom to reimagine what community can look like in their unique contexts.

When creative communities thrive—whether online or in-person—designers produce better work. They find inspiration beyond their immediate circles. They develop resilience through shared challenges. The entire profession elevates.

In our digital events, we’ve seen how interactive show segments and community challenges (with over 1,500 submissions in one event) transform passive viewers into active participants. The same transformation happens in chapter events when members move from audience to contributors.

You don’t need to host a rooftop event or produce a major livestream to make a difference:

For community members: Show up—whether physically or digitally. Your presence matters. Engage in the chat during livestreams. Ask questions. Share events with your network. The most successful events I’ve produced had vibrant communities forming around them.

For community builders: Start small but think systematically. At TypeEd, we began with small weekend workshops in our studio before expanding to national programming. Focus on creating experiences that people remember, not just content they consume.

For organizations: Invest in both digital and physical gathering spaces. Our most successful AIGA programs combined consistent digital touchpoints with occasional in-person moments. Build infrastructure that supports both.

Around 8 pm on that rooftop, when the formal portion ended, no one left. Leaders clustered around tables exchanging stories and strategies. A chapter leader who had earlier mentioned she was not planning on renewing her term found her support network.

I’ve witnessed the same phenomenon in digital spaces—when we create the right conditions, participants linger in chat rooms, exchange contact information, and form connections that extend beyond the scheduled program.

That’s what genuine community looks like—not just content delivery or networking, but meaningful connection that transforms how we see ourselves and our work.

Whether I’m producing a livestream for thousands or gathering with chapter leaders on a rooftop, I’ve learned that creative communities thrive when we focus on human connection first, platform second.

In my journey from co-founding a design studio to producing scaled digital events, the constant has been this: designers need each other. We need spaces to share war stories, celebrate victories, and find inspiration beyond our individual projects.

As I build my next chapter, I’m continuing to explore how we create these vital connections in an increasingly digital world. Because whether we gather on rooftops or in livestream chats, the fundamental need remains the same—to find our people and create work that matters.

To every community builder: Thank you for creating the spaces where creativity flourishes. Your work—whether digital or physical—makes our profession more connected, generous, and human. And that connection is what helps us all create our best work.

That rooftop gathering reminded me of the AIGA Leadership Retreats—moments when chapter leaders finally connected beyond screens. I co-host the Cheers & Tiers podcast with Erik Cargill, where we dive into these gatherings and explore how chapter leaders built their communities through these connections. Listen at cheersandtiers.com.