VDC x Best Buy Social

Reflection

I attended the Vancouver Design Community’s summer social event in collaboration with Best Buy Canada, and it was a valuable opportunity to step outside of my usual design environment and connect with other people working toward similar goals. One of my biggest takeaways was how interesting it was to meet people who share my interest in design while coming from very different backgrounds and experiences. It reminded me that there is no single path into design, and that people can approach similar problems in completely different ways.

I enjoyed being introduced to areas of design that I have less experience with, particularly brand design and experience design. While these are areas I have become increasingly interested in, I have not had as much exposure to the work involved in them, although I have been able to gain some experience in brand design at my current internship! Speaking directly with people working in these areas gave me a better understanding of what their roles look like and helped me think more broadly about the types of design work I might want to explore in the future.

Another part of the event that stood out to me was hearing how other attendees interpreted the evening. I found it interesting that people could attend the same event, hear the same conversations, and still leave with different insights and takeaways. There were certain things I heard and conversations I had that made me feel discouraged or wary about the landscape, while some peers found niches in the negative space of my own thoughts that inspired and motivated them moving forwards. Comparing these reflections gave me a chance to think more critically about my own experience and recognize which ideas had resonated with me most strongly.

Overall, the event reinforced the value of building a design community. It showed me first-hand that networking is not only about making professional connections, but also about being exposed to different perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking. It encouraged me to continue seeking out opportunities to learn from designers outside of my immediate area of experience.