The Sensemakers Club

Purple gradient background with beige wave accent at bottom. Cream banner at top left reads "DISCUSSION GROUP". Large dark purple text reads "Making Sense of Ethics" centered at top. Below "Hosted By:" are two circular black and white portrait photos - left shows Brenda Ray with curly dark hair and a warm smile, right shows Vladimira Girginova with long straight hair. Names appear below respective photos in dark text. Bottom left shows The Sensemakers Club logo in black. Bottom right displays "3rd Wednesdays at 2 PM ET" in dark text.

Join Brenda Ray and Vladimira Girginova every third Wednesday at 2pm ET to navigate the murky territory between clear violations and uncomfortable ambiguities. Not every ethical question has an obvious answer—but conversation helps.

https://www.thesensemakersclub.com/discussion-groups

Designers who think with the future in mind.

You might meet... Designers, analog lovers, and sensemakers still finding their footing in between.

Shame—not scarcity—drives our financial decisions. From refusing to use nice things we own to avoiding conversations about money entirely, we're punishing ourselves for no reason. Recognizing the pattern is the first step toward choosing abundance over fear.

Recognizing the pattern is the first step toward choosing abundance over fear. Money isn't real—but the feelings are.

We've built entire industries around innovation while pathologizing the one thing that actually unlocks creativity—letting your mind wander without measuring the output.

We've built entire industries around innovation while pathologizing the one thing that actually unlocks creativity—letting your mind wander without measuring the output. Seven minutes of doodling feels revolutionary because we've forgotten that thinking doesn't always look productive. It rarely does

Community isn't something you build for emergencies—it's what sustains you through ordinary days. The people who witness your process matter more than those who celebrate your finish line.

Community isn't something you build for emergencies—it's what sustains you through ordinary days. The people who witness your process matter more than those who celebrate your finish line. Support in all seasons means showing up for the mundane, the messy, and the moments that don't make headlines.

The judgment melts away once you start moving the pen. What began as harsh, angular marks softened into swirls. The body knows something the mind forgets—that practice isn't about perfection.

Seven minutes of doodling revealed something unexpected: the judgment melts away once you start moving the pen. What began as harsh, angular marks softened into swirls. The body knows something the mind forgets—that practice isn't about perfection. Sometimes you just need to start making marks.

Whether you’re a beginner or a design expert - this week's sessions help curious minds engage.

Beginner's Meeting, The Analog Leap, Design Jam, Making Sense of Facilitation, and Making Sense of Money all this week at The Sensemakers Club.

Beginner's Meeting, The Analog Leap, Design Jam, Making Sense of Facilitation, and Making Sense of Money all next up at The Sensemakers Club.

Beginner's Meeting, The Analog Leap, Design Jam, Making Sense of Facilitation, and Making Sense of Money all next up at The Sensemakers Club.

"I like to describe my ADHD brain like I have a Ferrari brain with bicycle brakes. So there's so much processing and it's going so fast, but if I can't catch any of it then it's just useless."

Overheard in Making Sense of Complexity & Chaos

What does it mean to have influence over change when everything outside your visual frame is chaos?

Map your circles of influence—what you control directly, what you can influence, and what's beyond both. Don't assume anyone has it figured out. They all have question marks scattered across their own sheets. The work is figuring out what's in your power and asking for help with the rest.

This month's conversation explored mapping circles of influence, getting specific about who you're trying to reach, and remembering that everyone—even those who seem put together—has question marks everywhere.

"It might seem that I have things together, but everything outside of this visual frame is chaos. Don't assume anybody else has it figured out because they have all these question marks all over their own sheet, right, in so many different ways."

"It might seem that I have things together, but everything outside of this visual frame is chaos. Don't assume anybody else has it figured out because they have all these question marks all over their own sheet, right, in so many different ways."

Beige background with dark curved header. The Sensemakers Club logo in white at top left. Green text reads "ON-DEMAND VIDEO COURSE" followed by black heading "Heuristics in Action". Right side features circular photo of Abby Covert wearing glasses and overalls in front of bookshelves, with text "Taught by Abby Covert" below. Main description explains the course shows practical ways to evaluate IA and UX work using simple heuristics that reveal hidden friction and catch problems early. "What you'll learn:" section lists three bullet points about applying heuristics to real projects, identifying common usability and IA issues, and turning findings into improvements. Bottom right shows green circular icon with clipboard and checkmarks.

https://www.thesensemakersclub.com/offers/p2LFXHHo/checkout

People who understand that the next career step may be into left field.

You might meet... other sensemakers making the leap into a secure, fulfilled future.

We've built entire frameworks for "understanding people" while designing workplaces where showing actual human emotion gets you labeled unprofessional. The contradiction is the system.

We've built entire frameworks for understanding people while designing workplaces where showing actual human emotion gets you labeled unprofessional. Empathy workshops won't fix cultures that punish vulnerability. The real trigger isn't messy feelings—it's organizations pretending they don't exist.

The most meaningful encouragement comes from those who were there with you in the growth process-- not after you cracked the code.

The most meaningful encouragement comes from those who were there with you in the growth process—not after you cracked the code. Community isn't about celebrating finished products. It's about witnessing the messy middle, holding space for doubt, and showing up before the breakthrough happens.

A boss would physically make himself sick during conferences when things went wrong—not because he lacked authority, but because he lacked autonomy. Sometimes people just need someone to say "blame me" so they can finally relax.

The framework helped reframe the reaction to understand the real need beneath it.

Whether it’s navigating change or tightening best design practices - this week's sessions help curious minds connect.

Making Sense of Content + Design, Career Transitions, and Information Architecture all this week at The Sensemakers Club.

Alt Text: White background with black text. Title at top reads "Next Up at The Sensemakers Club" in large serif font. Below are five items listed with dates in colored script font and event/discussion names with host names in black text. Monday March 2: Making Sense of Content + Design hosted by Gladys Diandoki & Janine Griffin. Tuesday March 3: Closed for Purim. Wednesday March 4: Closed for Holi. Thursday March 5: Career Transitions hosted by Mike Creech & Chloe Westman. Friday March 6: Information Architecture hosted by Abby Covert. Bottom features black curved wave shape with white Sensemakers Club logo on left and "Join our discussions every weekday at 2pm ET" on right.

Making Sense of Content + Design, Career Transitions, and Information Architecture all next up at The Sensemakers Club.

"I need to take advice that I give people all the time, which is to not view them as adversaries, but to view them as partners. It's very easy to fall into the trap of looking at people as adversaries because they don't agree with you, but you're all striving for the same thing."

Overheard in Making Sense of Research

How do you prepare for facilitation when you know you'll need to turn it up to 11—even when you're exhausted and running on empty?

Think in the space you'll facilitate. Plan breaks strategically so people talk about what you just did. Budget your energy like an introvert preparing for performance—110% for that one hour, then disappearing into a hole to recover. Add Legos and googly eyes to humanize the interaction.

How do you prepare for facilitation when you know you'll need to turn it up to 11—even when you're exhausted? This month's conversation explored planning in the actual space, budgeting energy for performance, and why templates have a flattening effect that can stifle spontaneity.

"I've come down on the side of not gatekeeping too much. A huge research project that needs qualitative coding and in-depth analysis? Yeah, you probably don't want the junior designer trying to tackle that. Doesn't mean they can't interview people, talk to people, and get insights."

"I've come down on the side of not gatekeeping too much. A huge research project that needs qualitative coding and in-depth analysis? Yeah, you probably don't want the junior designer trying to tackle that. Doesn't mean they can't interview people, talk to people, and get insights."

https://www.thesensemakersclub.com/offers/SwuAaFuK/checkout

Purple gradient background with beige wave accent at bottom. Cream banner at top left reads "DISCUSSION GROUP". Large dark purple text reads "Career Transitions" centered at top. Below "Hosted By:" are two circular black and white portrait photos - left shows Chloe Westman wearing sunglasses and smiling outdoors, right shows Mike Creech wearing glasses and smiling. Names appear below respective photos in dark text. Bottom left shows The Sensemakers Club logo in black. Bottom right displays "1st Thursdays at 2 PM ET" in dark text.

Join Chloe Westman and Mike Creech every first Thursday at 2pm ET to explore elevator pitches, LinkedIn dilemmas, and the courage to become who you're becoming.

Learn about our groups at: https://www.thesensemakersclub.com/discussion-groups

You might meet... Fellow sensemakers who find themselves less lost the further they branch out.

You might meet.... fellow sensemakers who find themselves less lost the further they branch out. People discovering that clarity comes through exploration, not limitation.

Great facilitation isn't about perfect templates or flawless prep—it's about turning up to 11, even when you're exhausted. The charisma people see is often just someone who's budgeted their energy for that one hour.

Great facilitation isn't about perfect templates or flawless prep—it's about turning up to 11, even when you're exhausted. The charisma people see is often just someone who's budgeted their energy for that one hour. Introverts can facilitate brilliantly—then disappear into a hole to recover.

In the US, organizations don't take user research seriously until someone threatens to sue them. We've built a system where legal pressure matters more than user suffering.

In the US, organizations don't take user research seriously until someone threatens to sue them. We've built a system where legal pressure matters more than user suffering. Accessibility improvements only happened at scale when Harvard got sued—not because it was the right thing to do.

We've normalized asking for help only when we're drowning. But connection matters just as much during success, stability, and growth as it does during crisis.

We've normalized asking for help only when we're drowning. But connection matters just as much during success, stability, and growth as it does during crisis. Community isn't a safety net you deploy in emergencies—it's the ground you walk on every day. Support is needed in all seasons.

The question shifted from "are you a researcher?" to "are you a person who does research?" That small language change made all the difference in who felt welcome to participate. Gatekeeping expertise less creates space for more people to learn and contribute their valuable perspectives.

Whether you’re making sense of your values or mapping out the future - this week's sessions help curious minds engage.

Making Sense of Your Values in Tech, Fiction as Future Prototyping, Making Sense of Neurodiversity & Inclusion, Seekers Who Make Sense, and Making Sense of Language all this week at The Sensemakers Club.

"AI could help us communicate better, but only if people building each product take time to think: what is this for? What does that person need? What needs to be bridged? To build the bridge, you need to understand both sides."

Overheard in Making Sense of Language