Free live group sessions for designers
Workshops, AMAs, portfolio teardowns and working sessions hosted by hand-picked design mentors on Hop by Design Buddies. Most are free. Grab a seat with a free account, get a calendar invite, and show up.
Mon, Nov 16, 8:00 AM PT
Freelancing vs Contracting What's The Difference?
with Laura Szumylo
We’ll break down the differences between freelance and contract UX work, what those differences mean for you, and the mindset you need to bring to each type of role. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to approach and evaluate these opportunities as part of your UX career.
Free · up to 14 seats · 45 min
Mon, Nov 16, 10:00 AM PT
The Importance Of Having A UX Niche
with Laura Szumylo
In this session, you'll learn how focusing your niche can help you find better opportunities and be more memorable. We'll talk about why having a niche matters, how to figure out yours, and how to understand the market.
Free · up to 12 seats · 45 min
Mon, Nov 16, 3:30 PM PT
Working Session: Improve Your Case Study
with Karen R.
Let's improve your case study. This will be an active working session for a small group where we'll give feedback, then we'll work on it, then review the changes made. The goal of this session is to help provide you with direction, ways to improve, and some design buddies to help you get unstuck! Audience: This is for students (in last year of university ungrad program or last year of masters program), recent grads, or those who have 1-3 years of experience in design. Case Study: You must have a case study that you have done some work on. It doesn't have to be 100% polished or finished, but you need to have the base images for your case study and the story / process on it already on your portfolio. Format (times are approximate) - Intros (2-3 min) - Quick presentation (5-10 min): Contents of an effective case study - Case study review (5-8 min each): Each person gets feedback from the group - Working Time (25 min): You'll work on your case study. Feel free to ask for feedback. - Group review (15 min): We'll review the changes everyone made. -Q&A & Wrap Up (remaining time) Note: This is the first time I'll be running a session with this format so it's a bit experimental. If people find it helpful, I'll run it again in the future.
Free · up to 3 seats · 90 min
Tue, Nov 17, 2:00 PM PT
How to Nail Your Next Design Presentation
with Kimberly Vujovich
I give you high-level strategies for crafting and delivering a compelling design presentation that resonates with your audience, whether it's a client, an internal team, or an interviewer.
Free · up to 20 seats · 30 min
Tue, Nov 24, 10:00 AM PT
Freelancing vs Contracting What's The Difference?
with Laura Szumylo
We’ll break down the differences between freelance and contract UX work, what those differences mean for you, and the mindset you need to bring to each type of role. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to approach and evaluate these opportunities as part of your UX career.
Free · up to 10 seats · 45 min
Mon, Dec 7, 4:00 PM PT
The AI Game Jam for Designers (14 hour hackathon across 2 weeks)
with Karen R.
A two-week, hackathon-style project where you build a real, playable game with a team and AI. Dates: December 2026 Dates will be updated based on participants’ availability. We need at least 3 people to run. Sign up here for the kickoff. We'll send calendar invites for all other sessions. **Why join?** Most portfolios show Figma designs that were never built. You'll help make a game people can actually play, and leave with a live link and real stories for interviews. **How it works** - Join a small team. Each team builds one part, and the parts come together into one game. - Work in two short rounds called "sprints": plan, build, check in with other teams, and finish your part. - Use AI to make art, write text, and build the game. - 14 hours of live sessions, plus help anytime on Discord. It's meant to be fun, so there's no pressure to be perfect. **What you'll leave with** - A finished game with a live link for your portfolio. Everyone who takes part owns the work. - Teamwork stories for interviews - Hands-on experience with AI tools - A session on writing your case study **What's included** - 14 hours of live sessions, co-working, and office hours - Discord support throughout the jam - $85 per person in tools and hosting, including Claude access (Nov 6–Dec 6) - $25 back as a gift card when you finish both sprints and present at the final showcase **Price:** $150 ($125 after your $25 back) **Schedule** Week 0 - Fri Kickoff (2 hrs) Week 1 - Mon: Check-in + co-working (90 min) - Tue–Thu: Office hours (1 hr daily) - Fri: Sprint 1 review (2 hrs) Week 2 - Mon: Sprint 2 kickoff (90 min) - Tue: Office hours (1 hr) - Wed: Case study session (1 hr) - Fri: Final showcase (2 hrs) Full details in the Rules of the Road: https://tinyurl.com/9epu464z
$150 · up to 9 seats · 120 min
How group sessions work
A mentor sets one time and a room of seats. You grab a seat, it lands on your calendar, and you join live on Google Meet. No recordings by default and no AI notetakers, so people talk freely. Prefer 1:1? Browse the design mentors.