Design Circles is one of the most popular formats we run at STRV, and we get constant feedback that something like this is what's missing in the Czech design community. That was a big part of why I pushed for it.

At its core, Design Circles is a networking event, but not the usual kind that's tacked onto every design meetup. In my experience that version is an afterthought: people gather after a few talks from industry leaders and are expected to connect and discuss. That has two problems. It lets the loudest voices through and leaves everyone who isn't comfortable speaking up to stay quiet. And it splits the room into small two or three person clusters, where most people only ever talk to the person next to them.

I wanted Circles to work differently, with everyone able to speak openly and learn from each other.

Within our design team we're used to sharing openly and without gatekeeping, and that's the foundation Circles is built on: taking the conversations we already have inside the team and opening them up to everyone else. We bring the topics and moderate, making space for people to speak, and we set the tone by being an open book about our process, our wins, and the things that didn't work.

The discussions happen in literal circles, each with about 15 to 20 people. Every circle has a topic chosen to carry just enough controversy that everyone wants to share their experience and make a case for their point of view.

I direct the format end to end. I pick the topics, choose and brief the moderators for each circle, open and run the event, and own its brand and assets. Our event manager handles ticketing, marketing, and catering. I also run our design newsletter, DSGN Drop, and that's where one of my main improvements comes in: a few weeks before each event I share our point of view on the topic and let people start forming their own. They arrive already knowing what they want to argue. It's a simple thing, using the channels we already have to build anticipation before anyone walks in the door.

I can't claim we get everyone in the conversation every time. But the change from our first, more general Circles to the targeted, more controversial ones has been clear. We don't measure engagement formally, but the difference is obvious from the room: more people talking, and each topic going noticeably deeper.

STRV is well recognized in the Czech market and people want to hear what's on our radar. But Circles became more than that, a room where everyone shares and learns from each other.

Four sessions in, attendance has grown from 30 to 50 people, with a 4.8 average rating across all of them.