The Design Hub: A community for digital design students to thrive and flourish
Dedicated to helping aspiring designers at UTM, The Design Hub is a club focused on providing resources, networks and opportunities for digital design students.
Inspired by the shared needs of Communication, Culture, Information & Technology (CCIT) students, The Design Hub is a new club dedicated to helping students interested in digital design. From building a supportive community to encouraging students to step out of their comfort zone, the club is here to support students through it all.
In an interview with The Medium, Jia Chun Li and Tu (Minh) Van, founders and co-presidents of The Design Hub, discuss the mission, values and activities of the club. In addition, Li and Van share their personal advice for aspiring digital designers.
All-rounded activities
To ensure that the club can effectively enrich students’ experience and create a tight-knit community, The Design Hub has curated a variety of activities to maximize the value they bring.
One such activity is The Design Hub’s case competitions. “In these competitions, students get to compete in design cases and be judged in front of a panel of professionals to receive feedback and prizes,” Van explained. “We think it’s a really great opportunity for students to gain experience.”
The competition starts with a given prompt to design a product for a real-world company. A past prompt given to students came from a real startup, which wanted students to design a home screen and two additional screens for their application.
The website designs had to highlight the application’s key features, like AI customization, map integration and saved locations. Then, students would work in teams and prepare a presentation to explain their designs. As if that wasn’t appealing enough, on the day of the competition, students also got to enjoy food while getting inspired!
Another activity The Design Hub offers is interactive workshops, where students get to learn from professionals. “We had a workshop on how to build a good design case by a User Experience (UX) designer named Eleen Gong,” Van shared. “She was great and we’re hoping to do more of that.”
In workshops, guests would share insider information such as how to build a design case from scratch, common design mistakes to avoid, and ways to present with confidence.
“There’s also the community part in networking events,” says Van. “These casual meetups are a great way for students to connect under a fun and relatively relaxing environment.” Not to mention these events are a great way for students to network with professionals!
No opportunities? Time to create some!
When I asked about why they started the design club, Li shared the story of how they realized there were no resources for design students: “[Li and Van] were both in the same design-related class, and as design students, we think of things like building portfolios…but when we looked around and did some research, [we realized] there wasn’t really a club or any resources for digital design students.”
Having experienced the struggles of finding opportunities for aspiring digital designers at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), Li and Van decided to take matters into their own hands and created a space for students to develop with guidance.
“For design students, our main goal is to build our portfolios. That’s the main task in job finding. But it can be hard to start on your own,” Li explained. “So, if you participate in our competitions, for example, we have a clear product [to create] and there is a panel of judges. It gives you a sense of structure, and you can get started with help.”
Most importantly, Li and Van decided to make The Design Hub to create a collaborative community that can help members feel more confident in proceeding towards internships or starting their own projects.
Advice for aspiring digital designers
When asked about their advice for fellow aspiring designers, Li and Van offered some strategies and heartwarming encouragement for their peers.
“I think a lot of times you are too afraid to do something, because it won’t be perfect,” Van expressed. “My best tip is to just go into it, despite the risk of failure. Just know that whatever happens, you’ll learn something in the meantime. And that is a really valuable experience.”
Li shared that “networking always seems scarier in your mind than when you actually do it. If really seasoned professionals scares you, you can start with, for example, alumni.” She suggested that communicating with recent graduates is a great way to start since they feel less intimidating.
“But ultimately,” Li continued, “in those events where they [professionals] literally come out of their way to speak to you, they’re definitely willing to share their experiences. It’s always very insightful to talk to them.”
Fresh community with endless potential
As a new club, The Design Hub is currently focused on expansion and building an effective system for smooth operations. Nevertheless, there are many exciting plans to look forward to.
“We are looking to collaborate more with startups, so students can have real-life cases to work on in their competitions,” Li disclosed. She explained that real-life cases are very helpful for portfolio building.
In fact, in their latest competition, The Design Hub has collaborated with WealthSeed, an online startup that aims to boost youngsters’ financial literacy with gamified learning. The submission deadline for this project is February 11, so run for the opportunity!
I’m interested! What’s next?
To participate in competitions, students must first sign up as members through The Design Hub’s membership form linked on their Instagram @thed3signhub. Membership is free of charge, open to all students and available year-round.
Whether you are trying to gain digital design experience, join a community, or simply have an interest in design, The Design Hub is waiting for you with a warm welcome. Make sure to keep an eye out for their upcoming Instagram announcements and don’t miss out on the variety of fun activities and resources!