We (you!) had a bonkers meetup year in 2014, with new groups forming all over the world and old groups growing. Already our 2015 calendar is bursting, with more than 25 Dribbble Meetups in the works. Not only are we excited for all of you to hang out, but also we’re thrilled to welcome Shopify back to the Meetups team and to announce two new Global Meetup Sponsors: Creative Market and InVision.
Please take a moment to learn a little more about each of these fine companies, and remember to raise a pint or coffee mug in their honor at your next Dribbble gathering. Together, they’ll be helping us support and grow Dribbble meetups around the world. Cheers!
Who
Creative Market provides a platform for independent creatives, with the aim of making beautiful design accessible to everyone. They host more than 650,000 artists, featuring more than 130,000 products, from fonts to invitations. Additionally, they’ve built an API which extends the buying/selling experience to where its creators are already doing their work.
Where
Though a few team members telecommute from as far away as the UK, most of Creative Market’s 19-member team works from its HQ, on Pier 9 along the waterfront of San Francisco’s Embarcadero. Virtually, Creative Market lives at Dribbble, on Twitter, and at creativemarket.com.
Why
“Plain and simple, we love Dribbble! Both the community and the team have been huge inspirations to our team over the years (almost all of us on the CM team have design backgrounds and Dribbble profiles). Dribbble is also a huge inspiration for Creative Market members as well. You can try looking, but it’s going to be a challenge to find a designer who has a shop on Creative Market who doesn’t also have a profile on Dribbble. So when Dan and Rich invited us to be a part of their meetups, we didn’t think twice.”
— Zack Onisko, Head of Growth and Marketing
Who
InVision is a design-collaboration platform putting design at the forefront of product development. InVision’s prototyping tool allows designers to brainstorm in advance of product engingeering, and allows clients to experience potential designs for themselves. Other features include in-project commenting, a real-time presentation tool, version control and sync. More than 600,000 designers use the platform.
Where
InVision HQ is located in the historic Club Row Building in midtown Manhattan, not far from Bryant Park and Grand Central Station. The company also has offices in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, but its employees telecommute from all over the world. Virtually, InVision lives at Dribbble, on Twitter, and at invisionapp.com.
Why
“Just as InVision has become the go-to platform for connecting design teams, Dribbble has become the go-to community for connecting designers around the globe. We’re excited about all the great projects we plan to launch over the next year with Dribbble.”
— David Malpass, Vice President of Marketing
Who
Shopify helps emerging businesses grow into successful companies by making great e-commerce affordable. The platform allows users to quickly create their own online stores without having to develop their own websites, and manage all aspects of their shops. Shopify’s Partner Program provides a great opportunity for designers to work with merchants and help them customize their shops. Shopify powers more than 120,000 online retailers, including Dribbble’s very own Equipment Shop.
Where
Home to the large number of employees, Shopify’s Ottawa Office is located a few blocks north of Bridgehead, where Shopify originally started. The office has a different theme for each of its six floors. The company also has offices in Toronto and Montreal, as well as employees telecommuting around the world. Virtually, Shopify lives at Dribbble, on Twitter, and at www.shopify.com.
Why
“As last year’s global Dribbble sponsor, we met so many talented and innovative designers from all over. We continued to build a strong Dribbble community (stay tuned for a Dribbble x Shopify Toronto Meetup early this year!), and had some fun with a design challenge that made for one of the most successful Dribbble Playoffs to date. We couldn’t wait to say yes again this year, and we’re in good company alongside InVision and Creative Market. We’re so proud to support Dribbble — their vibrant communities, their memorable events, and their design show-and-tell platform we’ve all come to love.”
— Harley Finkelstein, Chief Platform Officer
Find more Meetups stories on our blog Courtside. Have a suggestion? Contact stories@dribbble.com.
