Design Groups Melbourne

Reading the Tea Leaves: Developing Product Sense

A lot of the time, product management can feel like the art of predicting the future. With incomplete data, lots of competing priorities, and stakeholders that always want to have a say, it can be challenging to make a call on what to do next. Building your product sense is a way to make sense of the madness. We'll explore what product sense is, how you actually apply it at work, and ways to develop yours. We'll run through some real examples of using product sense to make hard decisions, pass hiring tasks, and ultimately ship better products faster. **Our Speaker** Maxy Lotherington is the Head of Product & Design at InvestorHub, where she leads a team of product managers and designers. She's spent 10+ years designing impactful digital experiences, scaling product teams, and learning lots every day. Linkedin: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxythedesigner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxythedesigner)

Where do you thrive? Your product fit across startup, scale-up & corporate

**Where Do You Thrive?** *Finding your product fit across startup, scale-up and corporate* Managing a product at a 10-person startup looks markedly different to managing one at a scale up or established corporate. While the title is identical, the day-to-day job requirements, the influence, the pace, and the path forward have key differences. So how do you know where you thrive most? Join Product Women Melbourne for a panel conversation with product leaders who've built careers across startups, scale-ups and corporates. We'll explore: · What actually changes about the role at each stage — and what stays the same · The trade-offs nobody tells you about (autonomy vs. resources, speed vs. structure, ambiguity vs. process) · How to know if you're in the right environment for where you are in your career · What it's really like to move between stages — and what surprised our panellists most **Panellists:** [Anna Kelk,](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-kelk-743587a7/) Chief Product Officer, Splose [Kelly Nguyen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellynnguyen/), Senior Product Manager APAC, Heidi [Teresa Huang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresajhuang/), Head of Product Bupa Whether you're considering your next career move, curious about a different kind of company, or just want to know if the grass really is greener in a different setting, this session is for you. Expect honest conversation and insights and time to connect with the Product Women Melbourne community afterwards. **Venue**: Preacta, 260 Collins Street, Melbourne (Melbourne CBD) **Date:** 06 August 2026 **Time:** 5:30-7:30pm Kindly sponsored by Preacta: Talent Acquisition Solutions and Recruitment

AI-Native Teams: Beyond Product & Engineering Roles

AI isn't just changing the products we build. It's changing the teams that build them. Hosted by **LTP Events** and generously supported by **Easygo** at their Melbourne CBD headquarters, this special evening brings together the below speakers for a candid panel discussion exploring one of the biggest questions facing our industry: * **[Mark Oliver](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdavidoliver/)**, GM of Professional Services @ Brainmates * **[Adel Smee](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adelsmee/)**, Head of Engineering @ Up * **[Bryn Stone](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brynstone/),** Senior Product Operations Manager @ Easygo As AI becomes embedded in product discovery, software delivery, customer research, planning, and decision-making, leaders face a challenge far greater than adopting new technology: rethinking how Product and Engineering teams are structured, how decisions get made, and where accountability sits. From both a Product and Engineering perspective, this raises some uncomfortable questions. Are our current operating models fit for purpose? Which roles become more valuable, and which begin to disappear? Should organisations continue optimising for specialist roles, or move towards more autonomous, AI-enabled builders? Yet while leaders are designing for a future state, they must also lead today's teams. How do we build AI-native organisations without leaving current teams behind? How do we create space for experimentation while maintaining delivery commitments? And what capabilities should Product Managers, Engineers and leaders be investing in right now? Join **Mark, Adel**, and **Bryn** as they explore the tension between designing the teams of tomorrow and helping today's teams evolve quickly enough to thrive in an AI-native future. Following the panel discussion, we'll open things up for audience Q&A before continuing the conversation over drinks and networking with Melbourne's Product and Engineering community. **Evening timeline** **5.30 – 6.15pm:** Arrive, grab a drink, and connect **6.15 – 7.15pm:** Panel discussion and audience Q&A **7.15 – 8.00pm:** Networking, conversation, and connection We'll have light food and drinks covered—all we ask is that you bring your curiosity, your questions, and your perspective. **Reserve your spot today - RSVPs will close 48 hours before the event.**

Welcome to the next 2026 AWS Melbourne Well-Architected User Group Meetup!

Hi Architects, Welcome to our next AWS Melbourne Well-Architected User Group Meetup for 2026, including more exceptional speakers and topics! :-D At each meetup we covered off various pillars in detail, best-practices and insights from industry leaders that specialise in the Well-Architected Framework. And giving away drones, of course. Lots of drones. **Please also note that AWS Security now requests a company name and company email where it is available. If you are a student, please list your institution and your student email address at that institution 👍** We'll be announcing more speakers on [https://well-architected.me](https://well-architected.me/) and previewing presentations during the coming weeks - our speakers and details this month include: * **Nitin Yadav\, Founder & Principal\, Nuvrix\.ai \| AWS Ambassador** **Productionising an AI Workload, the Well-Architected Way** Most AI workloads make it to demo. Far fewer make it to production, and the ones that struggle usually have nothing wrong with the model. The architecture around it just wasn't built for the real world. In this session, Nitin walks through what it actually takes to take an AI workload from POC to production on AWS, using the Well-Architected Framework as the lens. Covering cost controls, security guardrails, observability, and reliability for non-deterministic systems, with practical patterns you can apply immediately. * **SkillzLab Build Gen AI Well-Architected Reviews** **Well-Architecting App Build-off Review!** In this session, we will have review the apps from the previous session and perform AWS Gen AI Well-Architected Framework Reviews, with the drone going to the most **Gen AI Well-Architected** app on the night. This month's menu will include: * Pizzas * Beer: Nastro Azzurro * Wine: Big and red 🤤 NB: Please check in up the stairs from the ground floor to the Mezzanine Level. So come join us at 5:30 for a 6pm **SHARP** start, followed by beer, wine, pizza and friendly networking after our talks :-) Tired of Linkedin’s "thought leadership”, spam and advertising? Join https://well-architected.me/ , the AWS community built for architects, developers and cloud professionals. * Connect with experienced AWS practitioners * Preview upcoming AWS Meetups and relive past content * Create and review beautiful AWS case studies in minutes * Prepare for AWS certifications with curated quizzes * Show your manager and reports you’re well-architected (Please note that by registering to attend you agree to your details being shared as and where required with Amazon Web Services and AWS Well-Architected User Group partners)

🤖 Group Therapy: An Honest Session on How We Actually Feel About AI

We are finally doing it. A talk themed around AI. But we know it's session nobody wants to admit they need. We've all heard the AI buzzwords - "excited," "leaning in," "embracing the tools", "It's about Taste" But what's the version we tell our partner at 11pm? This session is a confession booth disguised as a meetup: no corporate talking points, no performative optimism, just a room full of professionals finally saying the quiet part out loud. What you'll hear: ✨ The mood ring check-in: Has your relationship with AI actually evolved - curiosity, to fatigue, to something like grudging acceptance? Or are you stuck on repeat? ✨ Empowered or expendable: The gap between the tools making us faster and the fear that "faster" was never really the point ✨ The honesty audit: Are we saying what we actually feel, or reciting the script we think we're supposed to perform? ✨ Slop or stealth: Is AI-generated mediocrity actually improving - or has it just gotten better at hiding in plain sight? ✨ The invoice after the honeymoon: Businesses got the discounted intro rate. Is anyone budgeting for what this actually costs once the novelty pricing ends? ✨ Who's actually watching the risk: How leaders are (or aren't) identifying, assessing, and managing AI risk before it becomes a headline 👉 The debate on the table: "Most people are more anxious than they admit" vs "People are largely fine and adapting" Pick a side. Defend it. Or admit you're not sure, which might be the most honest answer in the room. 📌 The details: * Date: Thursday 13th August * Host: Melbourne Design Thinking Meetup x Scyne Advisory * Refreshments included: Pizza and fizz! Our Speakers: **Liz Collins León** *Experience Architect \| Design Operations Strategist* Liz is an Experience Architect with over 15 years designing systems, campaigns, and communication solutions across retail, telecommunications, and front-to-back office operations. With tenure at Telstra, Google, and more recently Genesys, she is a design leader and mentor whose passion for creating inclusive experiences expands beyond delivering data-driven, digital products. Whether fostering a community effort to found a greenbelt reserve, designing learning spaces, or promoting psychological safety in the workplace, she endeavors to strengthen communities through online and offline connections. **Gemma Mooney** *Product Design Lead \| RACV* With over 20 years of experience spanning UX, digital product design and design leadership. She specialises in helping organisations understand customer needs and translate insights into improved products, services and experiences. At RACV, Gemma leads strategic discovery, research and experience design initiatives across a range of member experiences, including onboarding, emergency roadside assistance, payments, chat and AI-enabled digital services. She also led the design of the RACV app from concept through to launch, helping shape the vision, user experience and member proposition for one of RACV's most important digital products. More recently, she has been helping embed AI into the design practice, developing practical approaches for using tools such as Copilot to support research, synthesis, journey mapping and opportunity identification. Prior to RACV, Gemma was UX Manager at Intrepid Travel, where she established the company's UX practice and championed user-centred design across the organisation. She also led Intrepid's first innovation hackathon, bringing together cross-functional teams to solve customer and business challenges through design-led thinking. Throughout her career, Gemma has been passionate about creating evidence-based, customer-centred experiences and helping teams use research and emerging technologies to drive better outcomes for customers and organisations alike. Her work has been recognised with Intrepid Travel's Outstanding Achievement Award and Travel Weekly's Women in Travel Award. **David Cullen** *Managing Director, Scyne Advisory (GAICD)* David has spent two decades on the front line of Australia's cyber resilience — the kind of career where "incident response" isn't a slide in a deck, it's a 3am phone call. As Victoria's former Chief Information Security Officer, he built the state's Cyber Incident Response Service from scratch and led the response to Victoria's largest-ever public sector cyber-attack, all while establishing the frameworks that now coordinate cyber emergencies statewide. At the national level, David represented Victoria on the National Cyber Security Committee and built the National Operations Subcommittee to get states talking to each other before a crisis, not during one. He's now a Managing Director at Scyne Advisory, leading national incident response capability and helping organisations across the public and private sector get serious about cyber preparedness before they need to. David holds a Master of Public Policy and Management, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and is a recipient of the Resilient Australia Award. He brings a rare thing to a stage: someone who's actually been the person picking up the phone when it all goes wrong — and has the scars, systems, and stories to prove it.

Building Physical AI - Show and Tell

Join us at Melbourne Connect Co-working for an evening of live demos and real product stories from practitioners putting AI to work on problems that matter. ​This Show & Tell brings together three builders working at the intersection of technology and community impact. Each speaker will walk through how their product works, what problem it addresses, and how it applies in real-world settings, no theory, just working technology and honest conversation. ## 🎤 **Speakers:** ​**Jeremy Peng — Circular Vision AI** ​An AI-powered recycling assistant that gamifies and rewards waste sorting, improves everyday behaviour, and uses data to power smarter circular systems. ​**Jaspal Sarai — Jenesys** ​Edge AI Infrastructure for devices like low orbit satellites and drones where on-device AI processes data in real time rather than in the cloud, supporting an alternative solution for accurate earth and weather observations. ​**Aish Singh — Deep Vitals** ​An AI-powered metabolic health platform turning live glucose and wearable signals into personalised daily actions that support behaviour change and simplify healthier decisions. ## 🗓 **Agenda:** ​Arrival and networking ​Featured talks and demos ## 🏢 **Venue:** ​Melbourne Connect Co-working is located within Australia's leading innovation precinct, home to a community of leaders across science, engineering and technology. To find out more, get in touch with our team. [melbconnectcoworking.com.au](https://melbconnectcoworking.com.au/?utm_source=meetup)

Life Drawing @ Unassigned Gallery

Let’s go do some life drawing together at Unassigned Gallery! This is a ticketed event and tickets can sell out quick so make sure to buy them early! Supplies are provided by the gallery but feel free to bring your own if you want 📝 Buy tickets here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/life-drawing-unassigned-gallery-tickets-1288074257779?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZnRzaAQh7vBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAaeG5JYT88Olfw_xoqtU7h5wHRTBoi-HMm2etIahmz6x9Zme_vJMQ2SXxuR1yA_aem_0DgpSgke9wfmZf6-Zmc5-A

Denim and Lingerie Workshop

Jewellers Bench Hire in Fitzroy

Jewellers can hire a desk in our workshop to make or finish off their own pieces. This workshop is self run, you need to attend a health and safety induction before working daily unattended. Basic jewellery making tools are provided and some consumables such as flux, borax, tumbling polish, lathe polish and some drill bits. Aprons and safety glasses are provided, tie up loose hair, wear enclosed shoes. Please email claw.creative.studios@gmail.com for any questions or inquiries. Clara Carija, Director CLAW CREATIVE.

Draw and Paint @ Studley Park Boathouse ☀️🌳

Let's draw or paint together at **Studley Park Boathouse!** 🛶 Studley Park Boathouse is Melbourne's oldest public boathouse and was renovated a few years ago. It's a beautiful place to soak up some sun next to the Yarra River (fingers crossed for the weather🤞). I have booked a large table for us on **Friday 24 July at 10am on The Deck**. This is at the cafe and restaurant so you are most welcome to grab yourself a hot drink or food while you sketch. Bring your own art supplies and be sure to dress warm in case it gets chilly! I look forward to seeing everyone soon ❤️

Respawn Gaming Yu-Gi-OH! TCG Edison Format Tournament 2026

Welcome to Respawn’s Tournament edition Event! 🛡️ Respawn is going to be doing a yearly Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament. The Edison Format is a format that took place in the Shonen Jump Championship (SJC), the 75th SJC in Edison, New Jersey which occurred April 24-25, 2010. Decklist reference: https://img.yugioh-card.com/en/downloads/forms/KDE_DeckList.pdf What happens if you don't have any Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards? Proxies will be printed out for you guys before the tournament. You cannot use April 2010 cards. Swiss Rounds with 45mins per round, Best of 3 and best of luck! 🃏 Nothing to worry about as it’s not serious, more casual. Entry is $4 per person (seperate to entry fee). Prizes awarded to podium finishers worth $5-$20. Ages +6, supervised until +18 years old. 🫶 TOURNAMENT PRIZES: * 1st Place: Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Magician (Attack) Pop! Vinyl Figure. 🥇 * 2nd Place: Fanattik Yu-Gi-Oh! Blue-Eyes White Dragon Silver Pin. 🥈 * 3rd Place: X1 Yu-Gi-Oh! Retro Pack 2 2020 Reprint. 🥉 🏆 You can also come hang out, meet fellow gamers, and enjoy a chill vibe with great food and drinks. Spectator game stations available!🥤 Entry is $4 or buy yourself a drink or food. 🍲 At the “Gamers Citadel”, we provide the consoles for you and this time have 2 multiplayer (2-4 player) game stations (A and B). For our board games area you are allowed to BYO! 😯 ♟️ Currently available are: Switch, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, SNES, N64, Vanguard, Yu-Gi-Oh! and more! If you’re bringing anything, please DM us so we can accommodate. ❤️ Conditions of entry are to either purchase any food or drink of your choice and we will provide you a reusable badge to show that you’re one of us! ✌️ Whether you’re a casual player or a hardcore fan, this is the place to be. Don’t miss out on the fun! 🤩 Our games list is below! 👇 Game Station A - ??? - Taran: * ??? * ??? Game Station B - ??? - Michael: * ??? * ??? Game Station C - ??? - Yousef: * ??? * ??? Game Station D - TCG - Dean: YU-Gi-OH! TCG Edison Tournament special! You can bring your own board games, controllers, equipment etc. 👍 You can pre-register on the Tournament Ladder Link: https://challonge.com/kupzkt47. Please email your deck list to us or pre-register here: RespwnzZ@hotmail.com Edison format rules and banned cards: https://formatlibrary.com/formats/edison Follow us on Instagram: @respawn.social 📱 Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/phscMtBqpW 🎧 Find Respawn on Facebook: https://facebook.com/events/s/respawn-gaming-social-club-lau/940165205164472/ 🔗 Visit our website for all info: https://intermingle.au/respawn/ 👩‍💻

From Search to AI: Building Smarter Applications with Elastic & GenAI

AI applications are only as good as the data behind them. Join us for an evening exploring how modern teams are using search, retrieval, and GenAI to build intelligent experiences powered by real-world data. ​ Whether you’re experimenting with LLMs, building RAG pipelines, or looking beyond AI demos into production systems, this meetup brings together developers and builders working at the intersection of search and AI. ​ Connect with the local community, hear practical stories from the field, and explore how Elastic helps bridge the gap between raw data and intelligent applications. ​ **What You’ll Explore: ​** * The Search Layer Behind Modern AI: See why search has become a key building block for AI applications and how retrieval, relevance, and indexing shape better user experiences. * ​RAG, Vector Search & LLM Workflows: Learn how teams are connecting language models with enterprise and application data using modern retrieval techniques. ​ * Building AI Systems That Scale: Go beyond prototypes and explore practical approaches for creating systems that are reliable, observable, and ready for production environments. ​ * Turning Data Into Intelligent Experiences: Understand how structured and unstructured data can work together to create smarter products, workflows, and applications. ​ **Speakers:** ​To be announced soon, stay tuned! ​ **Location:** ​The Wharf Hotel Melbourne - Portside Room. 18/38 Siddeley St, Docklands ​ **Agenda:** ​ 4:00 pm: Doors open; say hi and eat some food ​ 4:25 pm: #Talk 1 & QnA ​ 4:55 pm: #Talk 2 & Q&A ​ 5:30 pm: Networking, Capturing image and event wrap-up ​ 6:00 pm: Event closes ​ **Who Should Attend:** ​ This meetup is designed for a wide range of participants: ​ * Developers and engineers exploring GenAI or search ​ * Builders working with LLMs, RAG, or vector databases ​ * Anyone curious about how AI works with real-world data * ​Elastic users looking to deepen their understanding ​ * Professionals interested in scalable AI system design ​ No matter your experience level — if you’re interested in the intersection of AI and data, you’ll feel right at home. ​​ **Interested in giving a talk?** Have you ever considered presenting on your Elastic use case? We welcome lightning talks of 5-10 minutes, 45-minute deep dives, and everything in between. If you're interested, please submit via our [CFP](https://sessionize.com/elastic-meetups) or email us at kartikay@elastic.co