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Presented by Co-operators, the uXperience Design Jam for Spring 2025 is all about Omnichannel Opportunities. Help reimagine how we can spark leads and build trust—online, offline, and everywhere in between.Ìý

This Design Jam runs from June 13th - 20th, starting asynchronously from June 13th - 19th, then in-person on June 20th for final prep and presentations to the Co-operator judging team.

Students: Join us as we welcome Samanthi Jayetileke and Scott Paquette, from Sun Life Financial, as they present a Lunch and Learn on preparing for a career in UX!

This interactive Lunch and Learn will present tips and tricks to help better prepare YOU for the UX job market. Not only will you have the chance to meet with industry leaders in the field, but you'll also have the chance to win some great prizes. All attendees will also be able to enjoy a free catered lunch during the session.


There are limited seats at this event so make sure to sign up ASAP before tickets sell out!

Join us for an insightful session on what employers are looking for in design portfolios. Erin Kim andÌýKen Smith from Christie Digital will share their expertise in crafting a standout portfolio, featuring tips and tricks for showcasing your best work in areas like photography, typography, videography, animation, and more. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to make your design portfolio shine and impress potential employers. Refreshments will be provided!

Join Andrew Matlock to discuss insights, trends, and data from inside the tech industry.ÌýAI is rapidly evolving how and why digital products exist, systemically impacting jobs and businesses. The next five years will be unlike any other period of time for digital trades, they will be packed with new challenges and opportunities.

Velocity is proud to present an event which will take place over two lunch hours for GBDA and students at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business. You will have the opportunity to form teams and get creative with using Virtual Reality (VR) programs to elevate your UI/UX skills.

"Building Equitable and Sustainable Game Development Education" Workshop led by Kenzie Gordon (University of Alberta), Dr. Sean Gouglas (University of Alberta), Dr. Alison Harvey (York University),ÌýVishal Sooknananl (Western University),ÌýDr. Johanna Weststar (Western University), andÌýDr. Jennifer Whitson (University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ).Ìý

Ìý With recent waves of layoffs, high-profile workplace harassment cases, and a notoriously short career length for gender minorities and people of colour, the transition of new workers into the game industry involves navigating a spate of barriers to equity and success that have been understudied in academic research. The First Three Years is an ongoing longitudinal study of graduates of game programs in Canada and the United States, following the journey of 207 students as they move into the game industry. In this workshop, our research team will summarise the primary challenges students have identified in their game programs. This summary includes equity and diversity issues inherent in common curricular practices such as the efficacy of capstone courses and internships, the inclusion of crunch-like practices in the classroom, the systematic failure to inform students of actual workplace conditions, and the mismatch between student preparation and industry hiring practices. Afterwards, participants will address whether/how these problems manifest in their own institutions, and what solutions might improve equity outcomes for students seeking careers in games.

Across digital media, Black people are portrayed in ways that are derogatory, inaccurate, stereotypical, demeaning, and otherwise harmful. And Black culture is often depersonalized and extracted from Black bodies. Through projects like ‘Ye or Nay? and the Open-Source Afro Hair Library, artist A.M. Darke reimagines the construction and consumption of Black bodies in virtual space, discussing critical approaches to portraying Blackness in games and virtual space.

The following events are lectures, panels and workshops hosted by a variety of researchers across the globe, discussing themes related to decolonization, equity, accessibility and diversity in games and game communities. Times are EST/EDT; they are tentative and may be subject to change. Event registration details to come.

This panel highlights emerging scholars in Black games studies. Panelists will present recent and/or ongoing work, sharing a glimpse of the emerging research questions animating the field.Ìý

10 Year Celebration of the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business

Calling all creators at University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ’s Stratford Campus! Are you passionate about what you do? Can you race against the clock to find creative solutions to pressing problems?

Open to allÌýUW Stratford CampusÌýstudents, regardless of technical background. NO TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REQUIRED! Join us in this rapid version of a creative hackathon where participants will be teamed up at the event and work together to ideate, research and brainstorm solutions to problems in a surprise creative problem space all in 2-hours. Present your 3-minute pitch of a solution and you could win some great prizing if you’re selected as people’s choice vote.

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