Design Groups Toronto

Desk to Dawn

Service Design Connect

We’re heading back into the ravine! Our Service Safari continues, and this time we’re mixing a little walking with a little collaborative thinking. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring Toronto’s **Vale of Avoca Ravine** through a service design lens. We’ve walked the trails, gathered observations, shared perspectives, and started connecting the dots. Now we’re heading back outdoors to see what else we can discover together! ### **What’s the plan?** We’ll start with a short walk through the ravine, revisiting some of the places, observations, and questions that have come up along the way. Then we’ll gather around the picnic tables at David A. Balfour Park for a **mapping jam** — using flip charts, sticky notes and markers to bring our observations together, explore different perspectives and see what insights and opportunities emerge. Think of it as part nature walk, part collaborative workshop, and plenty of good conversation! ### **Who can join?** **Everyone is welcome!** You don’t need to have attended the previous Service Safari events or be an experienced service designer. Whether you’re curious about service design, urban nature, public spaces or simply enjoy exploring the city with interesting people, come along! ### **Bring:** Comfortable walking shoes, warm layers, a hot drink if you’d like, and your curiosity! We’ll bring the mapping materials. **A note on weather:** This is an outdoor event, so we’ll keep an eye on the forecast and share any changes if needed. See you on the trails!

Hyper Sprint 3 hours

**PLAY TO PRODUCT**! Structured innovation can be challenging for small and medium-sized companies to access. As AI makes building faster and more affordable, deciding what to build and why remains essential. Try out playful tools with an action to outcome approach of team decisions with traceable evidence, from Challenge Discovery through Prototyping and User Validation. Watch the 26-second teaser — one ship, five phases, zero tool-switching: [https://youtu.be/nerWujvhENk](https://l.meta.ai/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FnerWujvhENk&h=AUAvhDXuNQG9ypfH3ws5UI59NWurK6vB1h7LuXTvy9_Aju9M67iJp8E8FQ9EfqaNos_I6pxceJQq1QoiL18ey-X-90rRRjGwkOSGZ7WJ7rMK1ngt1AkSEw) ***Two teams. Two challenges.*** **FRAME 45 min: Unpack the Challenge** **CREATE 60 min: Generate ideas and build prototypes** **TEST 45 min. Feedback and verdict** **CRITIQUE 30 min. What worked, what did not work.**

Responsive Installations: Using Sensors to Control the Visuals

James is running a workshop with Creative Code Toronto and InterAccess! **NOTE: You need to register with InterAccess for this event! [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/interaccess/2459719](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/interaccess/2459719)** More info at InterAccess: [https://www.interaccess.org/events/responsive-installations-using-sensors-to-control-the-visuals](https://www.interaccess.org/events/responsive-installations-using-sensors-to-control-the-visuals) Public installations come alive when they react to the people around them. In this three-hour workshop, you'll learn how to use sensors that detect motion, distance, touch and more to drive real-time animations. This session bridges code and the physical world. Using a Raspberry Pi and p5.js, we'll wire up sensors, read their signals, and map them to visual parameters such as colour, motion and scale. By the end, you'll have a working responsive prototype, the practical skills to build work that responds to its audience, and a clear path to scaling it into a full installation. **What you'll learn** * Wiring sensors to a Raspberry Pi's GPIO pins * Sending sensor readings from the Pi into a p5.js sketch * Mapping user interactions to animation and visuals * Tips for making installations reliable in public spaces **Target Audience** Artists and creative technologists who want to create interactive installations for public spaces, such as art festivals, or experience-based activations for brands. This workshop is designed for beginners with some coding experience. No electronics experience is needed. **Capacity** Space is limited to 10 workstations. Participants are welcome to work in pairs. **NOTE: You need to register with InterAccess for this event! [https://www.tickettailor.com/events/interaccess/2459719](https://www.tickettailor.com/events/interaccess/2459719)**

Creative Code Toronto meetup at InterAccess

Join us for a Toronto meetup of creative coders! This will be a venue to get to know each other and see what's going on in the community. We'll have a space downtown and some food available. We're partnering with [InterAccess](https://interaccess.org), a gallery, educational facility, production studio, festival, and registered charity dedicated to new media and emerging practices in art and technology! * If you've got a project you've worked on in the past that you're proud of, we'd love to see it and for you to walk us through what went into it. * If you're currently working on something or investigating some new ideas and feel like sharing, this would be a great time discuss your process so far! * If you haven't done anything yet but are interested in creative coding, we'd love to see what works have inspired you. Sign up here if you're interested in speaking! [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MsbtdvTGMNT75lqq4lnxydY4TczStAOZE1Ap8mQJKeM](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MsbtdvTGMNT75lqq4lnxydY4TczStAOZE1Ap8mQJKeM) **What is creative code?** *Creative coding* refers to anything with an artistic component that uses code as a medium. We welcome artists who use code (for visuals, audio, poetry, or whatever else), designers, animators, toolmakers, researchers, or just enjoyers and people looking to learn more! **Location:** InterAccess, at 32 Lisgar St. **Join our discord** if you want to talk to everyone before/after the event, or have any suggestions for things you'd like to see or do! [https://discord.gg/ux9txXPsdJ](https://discord.gg/ux9txXPsdJ)

Speaker: Edward Eastman

ROM Discounted - Tour, World Wildlife Photography + Other Exhibits

On **Saturday November 21st,** **join me at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) to take a Museum Tour, visit the World Wildlife Photography Exhibit, the Crawford Lake Exhibit and Cloudscape Installation.** Be among the first in Canada to see this year’s winners and finalists of the annual *[Wildlife Photographer of the Year](https://www.rom.on.ca/whats-on/exhibitions/wildlife-photographer-year-2026)* 2026 competition. Attendees can see any exhibits of interest. **Purchase your ticket for Saturday November 21st. We will be heading out for dinner after at the number 1 Chinese restaurant in Canada. This is a separate event and you can sign up [here](https://www.meetup.com/experiencetoronto/events/316869554/) if you'd like to join us.** **Museum Highlights Tour** Explore the wonders of ROM in a 45-minute tour that brings iconic objects to life. Enjoy highlights of arts, culture and nature… throughout the world and throughout time. **Cloudscape Installation** *Cloudscape* is a mesmerizing installation that blends traditional artistry with contemporary themes. Immerse yourself in Yan's floating masterpiece, where each sculpted cloud tells a story of cultural heritage and environmental consciousness, and invites us to reflect on our relationship with nature. **World Wildlife Photography** Each year, the annual competition - organized by the Natural History Museum in London, UK - receives tens of thousands of image submissions from aspiring wildlife photographers of all ages. One hundred selected images from this year's competition - unforgettable photographs of wildlife and the natural world - will travel to ROM right after the winners are announced. Experience the power of photography to reveal, connect, and transform our view of nature. **Itinerary** **2:30pm Meet inside the ROM at the Museum Station entrance** to the right side on the 1st Floor **2:35 - 2:45pm Cloudscape Installation** (**Level 1 China(** **2:45 - 3:45pm Museum Highlights Tour (Level 1 Currelle Gallery)**. The Tour starts 3pm, then head directly to the Wildlife Exhibit to enter before 4pm. **3:45 - 4:45pm World Wildlife Photography Exhibit, Level 4, Patrick Harris Gallery (last entry 4pm)** **4:45pm - 4:55pm Break** **4:55 -** **5:15p Crawford Lake Exhibit (Level 3, European Rotating Exhibitions)** Powerful, inspiring, and enlightening, the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition invites viewers into a world of extraordinary images and visual storytelling. The world's longest-running and most prestigious annual nature photography competition, Wildlife Photographer of the Year attracts and recognizes the world's best nature photography, and has done so every year since 1965. **5:15 - 5:25pm: ROM Store.** Take a look around for souvenirs. **5:30pm Museum closes** **We will be heading out for dinner at the number 1 Chinese restaurant in Canada. Sign up [here](https://www.meetup.com/experiencetoronto/events/316869554/) if you'd like to join us.** **COST** Adults: Admission $26 + Photography Exhibit $9 = $35 Seniors: Admission $21 + Photography Exhibit = $27.75 Discounted 15% (message me for the code) Adults: Admission only is $22.10, Admission + Photography is $29.75 Seniors: Admission only is $17.85, Admission + Photography is $23.59 Meetup fee: $5 *** **SIGNING-UP** * **Simply RSVP Yes (everyone goes on the waitlist until they post they have purchased their ticket).** * **[Purchase](https://tickets.rom.on.ca/en/shop) your ticket by selecting Saturday November 21st, General Admission plus World Wildlife Photography, 10am - 4pm, and complete the transaction. Please post you have your ticket, and I will move you to attending. If you would like the discount code, please message me.** * RSVPs close 1 day prior, and cancellations after will result in a No Show and impact future attendance. * You can also just show up and join us at the event meetup spot and time * A reminder will go out the day before with my cell and details when to meet, etc. ‐‐----‐----‐‐-------------‐----------- **MEETUP TIME** **Meet members at 2:30pm** **inside the entrance of the ROM at the Museum Station Entrance on Queen's Park Avenue to the right side** We will follow the itinerary above: however, folks can choose which other exhibits to visit, understanding there may be an additional cost. Enjoy and please post your Comments after!

Fashion Implied/Lingerie/Fine Art w/ Daria

TOPHATs BAND Artists, Not Your Mother's China, and Happy Hour Beers

Join Lawrence, your top hatted host, for Happy Hour social downstairs at Birroteca, followed by a Free visit to the Gardiner Ceramic Museum, to see works by Black Canadian Artists and dishware from around the world. At 5:30 pm, we will meet-up for Happy Hour, where there is some crafty goodness and munchies on reduced prices. https://www.eataly.ca/news/birroteca-by-indie-ale-house/ 55 Bloor St W Concourse Level, Toronto, ON M4W 1A5 At 6:30 pmish, we will settle up our tabs and walk around the corner to the Gardiner Ceramic Museum. We will head up stairs to their exhibition place on the third floor to see After the Island: Caribbean Canadian Ceramics Clay receives the gestures of the human body. Hands press, scrape, squeeze, and pour it. Forms are fixed by heat, becoming permanent yet breakable. https://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/event/after-the-island-caribbean-canadian-ceramics/ Then we will head to the second floor, to look at what I call Not Your Mother's China. Earthenwares, represented by ceramics from the Ancestral Abiayala, Italian Renaissance maiolica, and English delftware; and Porcelain, with a focus on European porcelain of the 18th century, including specialized collections of Commedia dell’Arte figures and scent bottles. Everytime I see this exhibit, I find some very cool stuff. https://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/collections-research/

MUG Toronto NOV 2026 - Voyage AI with MongoDB

# **REGISTER OVER IN LUMA: [https://luma.com/sn68vy7c ](https://luma.com/sn68vy7c)** # **Follow our new Calendar in Luma: [https://luma.com/mug-toronto](https://luma.com/mug-toronto)** \*\*\*\*\* # **Join us for a MongoDB User Group in Toronto 🚀** ​Come connect with fellow developers, tech enthusiasts, and the curious-minded for an evening exploring the best practices and real-world use cases powering modern apps with MongoDB. Whether you're building your first project or scaling to millions of users, you'll walk away with practical insights, fresh ideas, and a great group of people to swap notes with. ​Grab a drink, meet the local MongoDB community, and see what's possible when you build with the right database. See you there! # ​**Agenda** ​**17.30:** Arrival & Networking **18.00:** Welcome **18.10: Voyage AI with MongoDB Skill Badge** **19.00:** Pizza & Networking **19.30:** Event Close # ​Session Details ## ​**Voyage AI with MongoDB Skill Badge** ​In this session, you’ll learn what vector embeddings are, how they’re created, and why they’re essential for powering modern AI applications and semantic search. ​At the end of the workshop, you will also be able to check your learning and earn a [skill badge](https://mdb.link/skills?utm_source=luma) to share with your network! Speaker: Leonardo Gomes, Developer, Pelmorex Leo is a Full Stack Developer and passionate about Node.js, Cloud, and MongoDB.

GoGeomatics Presents: GIS skills in the age of AI: what still matters for you?

GoGeomatics presentations are back! Our monthly socials will now kick off with a featured presentation and Q&A, followed by plenty of time to network and continue the conversation. **GIS skills in the age of AI: what still matters for you?** Where is the next generation of GIS talent coming from in Canada, and what are they learning? Join educator and GIS professional Shawn Morgan for a casual conversation about the state of GIS education in Canada, where to find new hires, and how to keep your own skills sharp as the field changes. **Speaker: Shawn Morgan** For nearly 30 years, Shawn has helped organizations around the globe understand and leverage GIS technology. A veteran educator, he has taught for major industry software companies and leading academic institutions, including Fleming College, the Southern African Wildlife College, the University of Waterloo, Conestoga College, and Durham College. Beyond education, Shawn leads SimplyHelp.ca which delivers specialized tech consulting and workshops for municipal, non-profit, and corporate clients, and serves as CTO of a startup developing CurbReserver to optimize automated vehicle traffic in urban areas. **About GoGeomatics:** These events are a great opportunity for students and professionals to connect with the local geomatics community, share ideas, and chat about GIS, data, remote sensing, surveying and more, in a casual welcoming atmosphere.

TFPUG Nov 2026 Event: Fabric Apps Rayfin, Migration to Fabric, GenAI in Power BI

For the event details and registration, use the user group event link: **[TFPUG Nov 2026 Event: Fabric Apps (Rayfin), Migration to Fabric & GenAI in Power BI | Microsoft Fabric Community](https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/event/torontofabricusergroupoccasion-board/tfpug-nov-2026-event-fabric-apps-rayfin-migration-to-fabric--genai-in-power-bi/5398613)** The RSVP here is not considered a registration. It's just to announce the event to the meetup community. TFPUG Team [Toronto Fabric & Power BI User Group | Microsoft Fabric Community](https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Toronto-Fabric-User-Group/gh-p/TorontoFabricUserGroup) [Toronto Fabric & Power BI User Group | Meetup](https://www.meetup.com/toronto-fabric-user-group/) [Toronto Fabric & Power BI User Group | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/toronto-fabric-user-group/)