What is the SDS?

We’re the Sudbury Design Society, a group of designers in Sudbury who have created a space where designers can help and learn from one another—or, you know, chat with someone who understands their creative process. 

Here are some facts about us: 
* We have over 100+ members in our community 
* We’ve hosted almost a decade of design conferences 
* We organize design socials in person a few times a year
* We are 100% run by volunteers 
* We host awards and studio tours to show off design in Sudbury
* We have a Discord community to connect you with a city full of designers. 

And there you have it, the SDS in a nutshell. If you’re a designer in Sudbury, we’d love to get to know you too, either in a digital space, in person, at an event or in line at the grocery store. But, for now, we’re just saying hi and inviting you to be apart of building a foundation for design in Sudbury.

Our Mission

We want to create a space where designers can help and learn from one another regardless of design discipline or industry type. Our mission is a commitment to designers by bringing awareness and visibility to design, upholding the standards of professionalism and ethics, providing networking, professional development, advocacy and sparking conversation about what design means and what it does for the world.

Our History

When we started the Sudbury Design Society, we had an idea about graphic design and the observation that elevating design meant more than just talking about it. We set out to create a space that was a “meeting of creative minds,” and in April of 2008, the first SDS meeting was held with the RGD. It wasn’t until 2009 that the SDS was ready to stand independently and become a separate entity run and built by local designers. Since then, the SDS has become a place that helps shape a better Sudbury for designers and creatives, just as the founding members promised.