Navigating the new design environment with Catt Small, Rachel Hsiung, and Jibran Kutik (Fundraiser)
- Date
- 2025-04-09
- Location
- Kings County, NY, USA
- Host
- Designer Friends
About this event
Design is being reshaped in real time by climate pressure, changing community needs, and a growing demand for work that is both thoughtful and actionable. This fundraiser brings together Catt Small, Rachel Hsiung, and Jibran Kutik for a timely conversation about what it means to design in this new environment, and how creative practitioners can respond with more clarity, responsibility, and impact. About the Event This is an in-person fundraiser in Kings County built around conversation, connection, and shared purpose. At its core, the event asks a practical question: how do designers, creative thinkers, and community-minded people navigate a landscape where environmental concerns and social realities are no longer side issues, but central constraints and opportunities? Rather than treating design as separate from the world around it, this gathering puts the broader context front and center. Expect a discussion that explores how design decisions are shaped by climate, community, systems, and the changing expectations placed on people who build products, experiences, spaces, and stories. The presence of Catt Small, Rachel Hsiung, and Jibran Kutik signals a multi-perspective conversation rather than a single point of view. That matters. The most useful conversations about the future of design are rarely neat or one-dimensional; they are richer when different experiences and approaches are in the room. Because this is also a fundraiser, attending is about more than professional interest. It is a chance to support work and conversations that connect design practice to environmental and community concerns in a meaningful, public-facing way. What to Expect You can expect an evening that balances ideas with real human connection. The format is likely to center on a live conversation or panel-style discussion, with space for attendees to listen, reflect, and engage with the themes raised by the speakers. Topics may include: How the design environment is changing in response to climate realities What community-centered design looks like in practice How creative professionals can adapt their process, priorities, and decision-making Where responsibility, sustainability, and design ambition intersect What it means to build work that is relevant to both people and place Because the event is tagged around community and networking, you should also expect the room itself to be part of the value. These kinds of gatherings often create the best conversations before and after the formal program, when attendees can compare notes, meet peers, and talk through how the themes of the evening connect to their own work. The tone is likely to be thoughtful but accessible. You do not need to arrive with a polished position on climate or the future of design. What helps most is curiosity, openness, and a willingness to think beyond your immediate lane. Why Attend If you work in design or around design, this event offers something increasingly rare: a chance to step back from day-to-day execution and examine the larger forces shaping the field. That kind of perspective is useful whether you are making strategic decisions, building creative work, or trying to understand how your role is changing. You will also get the value of hearing multiple voices in one room. Conversations about design and the environment can sometimes become abstract or overly theoretical. A live event helps ground those ideas, making them easier to question, test, and bring back into your own practice. There is also a strong community reason to show up. If you have been looking for people who care about climate, design, and collective responsibility without reducing the conversation to buzzwords, this event is a good place to find them. The networking angle here is not just about swapping contacts; it is about meeting others who are trying to do more grounded, relevant work. A fundraiser setting adds another layer of purpose. Your attendance helps support the broader mission behind the event while placing you in a room with people who are willing to back these conversations with their presence and participation. Practical Details The event takes place in person in Kings County, USA on Wednesday, April 9 at 6:00 PM EDT. If you value being in the room for the discussion and the networking that follows, plan to arrive a little early so you can settle in, meet people, and make the most of the evening. Because this is an in-person event, the experience will be more immediate and conversational than a streamed talk. You will be able to engage with the energy of the room, respond to ideas as they land, and connect directly with other attendees interested in design, climate, environment, and community. A few helpful ways to prepare: Come ready to listen across disciplines and perspectives Think about the environmental or community pressures affecting your own work Bring questions you have about where design is headed next Leave space after the event if you want to stay for conversation and networking If you are looking for an evening that connects design thinking to real-world urgency, this fundraiser is a strong reason to be there in person. It is for people who want sharper questions, better conversations, and a more grounded sense of what responsible design can look like now.
Who should attend
This will feel especially worthwhile if you want design conversations that are connected to the world as it actually is, not just trends inside the industry. - You are a designer, strategist, researcher, or creative professional trying to understand how climate and environmental pressures are changing the work. - You care about **community-centered practice** and want to hear how others are thinking about responsibility, systems, and impact. - You are looking for a **thoughtful in-person networking** event in Kings County with people who share interests across design, climate, and social questions. - You work adjacent to design, in fields like organizing, nonprofit work, advocacy, education, or product, and want a clearer view of how creative practice can respond to larger public issues. - You are drawn to events where the conversation is likely to be nuanced, interdisciplinary, and grounded rather than purely promotional. - You want your attendance to do double duty: learn from a strong lineup of speakers and support a fundraiser tied to issues you care about.