Design Groups Sydney

SydDT #132: State of the Design Nation with Ben Crothers & Min Kong

We’re lucky to have Ben Crothers and Min Kong sharing their reflections as a couple of the judges for the 2026 Good Design Awards. This has been a SydDT tradition since 2018 and a time to reflect on the state of the design nation… full of interesting observations, insights, and trends. [Good Design Australia](https://good-design.org/) has a proud history that dates back to 1958 and they’re passionately committed to recognising, rewarding, and promoting the importance of design to business, industry, government and the general public… and the critical role it plays in creating a better, safer, and a more sustainable and prosperous future. Come join us for some fun conversations with interesting people in and around the design thinking community. New members are welcome! **SPEAKERS** **[Ben Crothers](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencrothers/)** **Principal Facilitator, [Bright Pilots](https://brightpilots.com/). Good Design Ambassador** Ben has been a designer since before Netscape ruled the www, and is currently a facilitator and design strategist at Bright Pilots (his online training and facilitation business), where he teaches teams of all sorts about design and facilitation methods, running strategic workshops, and generally helping teams get un-stuck. Previous to Bright Pilots, Ben was Principal Designer at Atlassian, a Design Director at Second Road (a strategic innovation consultancy), plus some assorted startups, agencies, and government departments. Above all, Ben wants everyone to be just as good at the whiteboard as they are at the keyboard, to be better at thinking, communicating, and solving problems together visually. He’s the author of a few books, including Presto Sketching: Simple Drawing for Brilliant Product Thinking and Design. **[Min Kong](https://www.linkedin.com/in/minkong/)** **Associate Design Director, [Caon Design Office](https://caondesignoffice.com/). Good Design Ambassador** Min is a strategic designer with nearly two decades of experience shaping physical products, services, and environments across aviation, transport infrastructure, healthcare and consumer sectors. Her approach brings together strategic thinking, experience design, and industrial design expertise to uncover opportunities for innovation and improvement and translate complex business and customer needs into high-quality, tangible experiences with real-world impact. At Caon Design Office, Min currently leads customer experience design across major Qantas Airways aircraft programs, including the flagship Project Sunrise A350 fleet. Min’s work has been recognised through multiple design awards, including the Australian Good Design Awards and Red Dot Design Award. An active member of the design community, Min taught industrial design at UNSW for over a decade and has served on multiple design award juries. **EVENT SPONSORS** This event is brought to you by [Thoughtworks](https://www.thoughtworks.com/), [Shapeshifters](https://www.shapeshifterscreative.com.au/), [Bright Pilots](https://brightpilots.com/), and [Dynamic4](https://dynamic4.com/). We take photos and record our events for documentation and promo purposes. Just let us know if you prefer not to be featured.

SydDT #133/Design Connection #8: EOY Design Megameetup

**[RSVPs ARE OPEN BUT NOT ON THIS PAGE. GET YOUR TICKET HERE](https://go.dynamic4.com/syddt-2026-11-dc-eoy)!** For our final SydDT of 2026, we’ll be reflecting on and celebrating the year that’s been. A good chance to connect with the community and welcome plenty of new people. New friends and old. We’re doing this one as Design Connection #8… another in our design megameetup series with our friends from the CCX and EUX meetups. This continues our tradition of EOY megameetups since 2018. Come join us for some fun conversations with interesting people in and around the design community. This will sell out fast… be quick 😃 **DESIGN CONNECTION** Design Connection #8 is another in our design megameetup series. **Design Connection** is a collective of three Sydney design meetups… [Ben Pecotich](https://linktr.ee/benpecotich) from [Sydney Design Thinking (SydDT)](http://syddt.org/), [Adam Faulkner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfaulkner) from [Enterprise UX (EUX)](https://www.meetup.com/enterprise-ux-sydney/), and [Kevin Wilkins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjohnwilkins) from [Creative Customer Experience (CCX)](https://www.meetup.com/sydney-creative-customer-experience-ccx/), with [Susan Wolfe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanjwolfe) and [Vera Chan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/verawatychan) being the backbone of Design Connection 😃 This event is brought to you by [Wondiverse](https://wondiverse.com.au/), [Leapfrog Studio](https://www.leapfrogstudio.org/), [blueegg](https://blueegg.com.au/), and [Dynamic4](https://dynamic4.com/). We take photos and record our events for documentation and promo purposes. Just let us know if you prefer not to be featured.

Design Connection #8 2026 EOY Design mega meetup

Join CCX Sydney, Sydney design thinking, EUX Sydney and Design connection for our end of year mega meet up celebrations. Buckets of food and drinks lots of wonderful people, great atmosphere and plenty of opportunities to connect and mingle tickets are limited so don’t miss out! Hope we get to see you Kevin, Lydia, Sylvia and James!!! Tickets available from https://events.humanitix.com/design-connection-8-2026-eoy-design-megameetup

EUXSyd - November Mega Meetup

Excited to announce our final meetup for the year. Come along to our Mega Meetup as part of [Design Connection’s end-of-year get-together](https://events.humanitix.com/design-connection-8-2026-eoy-design-megameetup), bringing together Creative Customer Experience Sydney (CCX), Enterprise UX Sydney (EUXSyd), and Sydney Design Thinking (SydDT). As usual, we'll look back on the year that was, share a few thoughts about what’s ahead, and - most importantly - catch up over a drink (and Lebanese and Caribbean appetizers from the Falafel Republic Cafe) with friends old and new. A huge thanks to Wondiverse for inviting us to host this event at their very welcoming WonderPlay Studio space. [Tickets cost $12 and are limited, so grab yours here before they’re gone!](https://events.humanitix.com/design-connection-8-2026-eoy-design-megameetup)

SSP TUE - CITY LIGHT & SHADOWS IN MONOCHROME : Kings Cross

Explore the light, shadows, architecture and street life of Kings Cross, Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay on a monochrome photography walk following the City of Sydney’s “Passion: Sydney’s Wild Side” cultural route.(see Photos for details) Coffee before the walk and an optional group pub lunch afterwards. **First meeting point:** For those who like coffee, from 10:00 am **Uliveto Café** Location: Bayswater Road, Kings Cross, close to Kings Cross Station **Second meeting point** (Walk starting point): The Coca-Cola Sign, at 10:30 am **Group lunch** Lunch time: Approximately 12:00–12:15 pm Location: **Kings Cross Hotel,** Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross **Photography theme: City Light and Shadows** During this walk, look for: **Pools of light:** Wait for a person to walk through a brightly lit section of pavement while the surrounding area remains in shadow. ↳ **Silhouettes:** Photograph people against bright walls, windows, the sky or reflective surfaces. Exposure compensation may help preserve the highlights and turn the person into a strong graphic shape. **Layers and framing:** Use doorways, railings, stairways, tree branches and architectural openings to divide the frame or surround your subject. **Human gestures:** Street photography can include people as important subjects. Look for an expressive stride, a conversation, an unusual interaction, a moment of solitude or a figure whose position completes the composition. ↳ **Tonal contrast:** Search for scenes containing very bright and very dark areas. In monochrome photography, separation between tones can be more important than the original colours. **Textures and traces of history:** Weathered walls, stone steps, iron fences, old façades, signs and pavement details can communicate the character of the neighbourhood. **Suggested shooting areas** **The Cross and Darlinghurst Road** The walk begins amid the visual intensity of Kings Cross. Look for shopfront reflections, signs, traffic, pedestrians emerging from the station and contrasts between older façades and contemporary street life. This is a good place to practise **layered compositions**. Rather than photographing one person against an empty background, try combining foreground reflections, a middle-distance subject and architectural detail farther away.↳ A slower shutter speed can introduce movement into passing pedestrians or vehicles, while a faster shutter speed can isolate gestures and brief interactions. **Victoria Street and 202 Victoria Street** As we move away from the commercial centre, the visual rhythm changes. Terraces, apartment entrances, balconies, fences and trees create repeated lines and alternating patches of light and shade. Look for people entering and leaving buildings, figures partially hidden by trees, and subjects framed by gates or doorways. In monochrome, small differences in texture—paint, brick, stone, foliage and clothing—can become important. **Butler Stairs and McElhone Stairs** The stairways are among the strongest locations for our theme. Steps, handrails and retaining walls naturally produce leading lines, repeating geometry and deep shadows. Try photographing: \*a single person ascending or descending the stairs * shadows cast across the steps \*a figure positioned between railings↳ * a high-angle or low-angle composition \*the contrast between a sunlit landing and a darker staircase Be considerate here, as the stairs are public access routes. Keep camera bags close and leave space for residents and pedestrians. **Embarkation Park** The park provides a visual transition from the dense streetscape to a more open environment. Trees can create broken or dappled shadows across paths, walls and people. Look for small figures within larger compositions and relationships between people, foliage, surrounding buildings and open sky. This can be an opportunity to make quieter photographs rather than concentrating only on dramatic contrast. **St Vincent’s College, Challis Avenue and surrounding streets** The institutional architecture, mature trees and residential streets offer strong vertical lines, formal façades and framed views. Challis Avenue may provide opportunities to photograph café activity, local residents, deliveries and everyday interactions. Watch for people passing between sun and shade or appearing briefly between parked cars, trees and building entrances. **Yellow House** Around Yellow House, consider the relationship between the neighbourhood’s artistic history and its present-day appearance. Instead of making only a straightforward record of the building, look for fragments, details, reflections and human activity nearby.↳ A person walking past an unusual façade can give the image scale and turn an architectural photograph into a street photograph. **Elizabeth Bay House and nearby streets** This section introduces more formal heritage architecture and landscaped surroundings. Columns, gates, windows, paths and symmetrical elements can be used as compositional frameworks. Try waiting for a person to enter a carefully arranged architectural composition. The human subject does not need to dominate the frame; a small figure can provide scale, contrast and narrative. **Kingsclere, Tusculum and Wayside Chapel** These locations bring together different layers of the area’s architectural and social character. Look for contrasts between grand buildings and ordinary street activity. At Wayside Chapel and the surrounding streets, approach photography with particular sensitivity and respect. Do not photograph people who may be vulnerable or experiencing distress merely for visual effect.↳ Strong street photography is not only visually interesting—it should also recognise the dignity of the people being photographed. **Orwell Street and Llankelly Place** This area offers narrow streets, pedestrian movement, café activity and changing light between buildings. It may be one of the best locations for using shop windows and reflections. Experiment with: * photographing through glass \*combining reflections with people inside or outside * waiting for several figures to occupy different parts of the frame \*underexposing slightly to preserve bright highlights * using narrow passages to create depth **Fitzroy Gardens and Darlinghurst Road** Near the end of the walk, Fitzroy Gardens provides opportunities for candid moments involving people sitting, walking, talking or moving between the trees and surrounding streets.↳ As we return to Darlinghurst Road, the busier environment gives us another chance to work with pedestrians, signs, traffic and strong graphic contrasts. Consider how your photographs from the end of the route differ from those taken at the beginning.

Lindesay Christmas Gift Fair

COLLINS LANE ROSE BAY + SCULPTURES

Online Photography - The letter S

Improving Decompiled Code Readability with LLM Agents - SecTalks SYD0x68 (104th)

**After RSVP, please ensure to get your admission ticket from Humantix:** https://events.humanitix.com/improving-decompiled-code-readability-with-llm-agents-sectalks-syd0x68-104th Thanks to you for 1\. Keeping your RSVP up\-to\-date\. We are usually overbooked and have a long waitlist\. We will sign you in and keep track of RSVPs and attendance\. 2\. Aligning with SecTalks' [no-bullshit code of conduct](https://www.sectalks.org/coc/) 3\. Keeping the venue nice and tidy during and after the session **\# Presentation** ### Improving Decompiled Code Readability with LLM Agents Presents our research on our paper releases earlier this year where we identified a practical approach to improving decompiler output using large language models guided by quantitative readability metrics. The research shows that LLMs can make decompiled code significantly easier to understand, but success depends on providing a clear, measurable definition of readability. Without that guidance, models often struggle to maintain direction over complex tasks, fail to complete them consistently, or optimise for the wrong objective. Link to paper: [https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.06838](https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.06838) **Speakers:** Niel Archibald, Ruben Thijssen **How to find us on the day?** An organiser will be on the bottom floor until 6:15 to help attendees access the lifts. # **Speed hiring** There is an opportunity for potential employers to do an impromptu 30-second description of their open role. If you are interested, speak with one of the organisers before the start of the session. Please note the best way to support SecTalks and tell others about your open roles is through sponsorship. We encourage companies, small or large, to come forward and support their local community. **\# Sponsors** * [SecDim](https://www.secdim.com) ([Connect](https://www.linkedin.com/company/secdim)) * [Google](https://careers.google.com) ([LinkedIn](https://au.linkedin.com/company/google)) * [Atlassian](https://www.atlassian.com/) ([LinkedIn](https://au.linkedin.com/company/atlassian)) **\# Notes** * For sponsoring SecTalks Sydney and supporting the non-profit community, contact [sydney@sectalks.org](sydney@sectalks.org) * To speak and submit CTF challenges at SecTalks, fill out [https://sessionize.com/sectalks](https://sessionize.com/sectalks) **After RSVP, please ensure to get your admission ticket from Humantix:** https://events.humanitix.com/improving-decompiled-code-readability-with-llm-agents-sectalks-syd0x68-104th

🎨 She Sees Art — 4A Gallery - Andy Ewing & Kirthana Selvaraj

🎨 **Shake things up and you'll see new colours.** **Please note: She Sees Art is a women-only group and event. Women of all backgrounds are welcome.** Why not mix up your weekend routine by joining like-minded women to explore art, discover new perspectives and enjoy a coffee and good company along the way? We'll start with coffee at **Sol Coffee House** in Haymarket before heading to **4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art** to explore two exhibitions: **Andy Ewing: Ancestor Spirits** and **Kirthana Selvaraj: In the Half Light**. The exhibitions close in mid-December, so I've added an extra November outing to the calendar rather than waiting for our next monthly event! **ART FOCUS** Contemporary art · Cultural heritage · Identity & belonging · Queer perspectives · The body & personal stories **A NOTE ON THE EXHIBITIONS** These contemporary art exhibitions explore cultural heritage, identity, queerness, sexuality, illness and the body. The works include personal and potentially challenging subject matter. Please feel free to read more about the exhibitions on the [4A website](https://4a.com.au/exhibitions/andy-ewing-ancestor-spirits/) before attending. ⏰ **PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT STARTS AT 10:30AM**, a little later than some of our other outings due to museum opening hours. We'll meet for coffee before heading to the gallery at 11:00am. The event will wrap up around 12:00–12:30pm. **WHERE WE'RE GOING** ☕ **Meeting point: SOL Coffee House, Haymarket** 181-187 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000 🎨 **Art destination: 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art** 181-187 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000 **Can't make the coffee? No problem!** You're very welcome to meet us outside 4A at 11:00am. * Women of all ages welcome * No art knowledge required, just curiosity! * Free to attend — exhibition entry is free; everyone pays for their own coffee and food **Coming on your own?** That's completely fine! She Sees Art is about enjoying art and culture together and getting to know other women in a relaxed, welcoming setting. I'll share any final updates, including what I'm wearing so you'll know who to look for, in the Meetup group chat. **Questions?** First time joining us, or have a question about the event? Feel free to email me at sheseesartsydney@gmail.com. I'm happy to help! I can't wait to see you all! 🎨✨ *Cover Image: Andy Ewing: Ancestor Spirits and Kirthana Selvaraj: In the Half Light (installation view), 2026. Photographs by Document Photography.*

Red Light, Incarceration & Jacaranda Blooms

Beer and Pixels - Monthly

Beer and Pixels is back as usual, on the second Tuesday of the month. At the Off Broadway Hotel. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- Got a game, demo or prototype you need people to playtest? Bring it along! Just provide a computer and input device, or a copy of the boardgame or card game you wish to show off, if you are a physical game dev :) Don't have a game to show? No worries! Just come on down, grab a beverage of your choice and play the games on display. See you there! PS: We have a Google Calendar of all Sydney events: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=dXNpcGNlZzRzdGhrZGE5cnF0bDUwMHJlMDhAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ PPS: If you are driving, parking is free after 6pm at the Broadway Shopping Centre. https://www.broadwaysydney.com.au/visit/parking [#BeerAndPixels](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/beerandpixels?__eep__=6&__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXA1_Gs4GRAZsh55FxkF-C6TQs0cL7M-55eLC0PY3jSLiQIvmXsZYz39rKYw0ltJ6skKgSCCcFoA99W-7NeyX-WKj_Pb3uUHqNtK-RaC0IrJA&__tn__=q)