IxDF Denver Happy Hour: Filter your focus through career transition with Matt Cicanese
Design Dinner
- Date
- Time
- –
From Ponder to Paper at Edgewater Market with Matthew Cicanese
Put the phone away, grab a pen, and join us at Edgewater Market for an old-school, pen-to-paper workshop with photographer and coach Matthew Cicanese.
Matthew is a National Geographic Explorer, Canon Educator, Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and the founder of Fixing Friction. For more than 20 years he has helped people see what others miss, first through a camera lens (he found his voice behind one at age 14) and now as a coach who helps people and businesses cut through the noise, find clear positioning, and map a path forward. Helping Organizations Reduce Friction Through Accessibility, Neurodiversity, Leadership & Wonder!
He has worked with teams at Canon, Amazon Robotics, and the U.S. Forest Service, and has spoken to more than 5,000 people about communication, leadership, and removing the barriers that keep us stuck.
Learn more about Matt here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcicanese/
This isn't a keynote, though. It's a small, hands-on session where you'll slow down and do the work by hand. If the world around you feels hard to read right now, if you're between chapters, changing careers, starting something new, or just not sure what comes next, this workshop was made for you. You'll leave with a clearer picture of where you are, what's getting in your way, and what your next step could be.


Design Dinner
Attendance is free.
No IxDF membership required.
Meet people who love design as much as you do. Together we learn new skills, grow our networks, and discover new job opportunities.
Join us to make lifelong friendships over coffee and a shared love of design! ❤️
CEO & Co-founder
UX Designer
An IxDF Local Group connects you with people in your city who are building and applying design skills in their work. Together, you'll strengthen your craft, expand your network, and put theory into practice.
IxDF Local Groups meet regularly in person at cafés, company offices, or creative spaces to share ideas, give feedback, run workshops, and learn from each other. Many groups also organize IxDF Design Dinners, where the conversation goes deeper over a meal. These aren't just social events. Members find collaborators, clients, job leads, and future teammates through them.
You'll also have access to a private online forum where you can get career advice, honest feedback, and support from people who understand the work.
You don't need to have a "designer" title to join. If you care about how design shapes products, careers, and organizations, you belong here.
Join and you'll discover new skills, explore job opportunities, and build relationships with people who understand the power of great design.
Your IxDF Local Leader organizes meetups based on what members want most. Sessions range from hands-on and structured to relaxed and informal.
Some examples of what you'll find:
Presentations from local designers, followed by Q&A
Lightning talks where members share lessons learned from real projects
Workshops where you work through a real design challenge together
Portfolio reviews where you get honest, practical feedback
Coffee meetups and design dinners with open conversations about where the industry is heading
Any member can propose, organize and post a meetup. You don't have to wait for your Local Leader to take the initiative.
What stays consistent is the people. You'll find designers and professionals who ask good questions, share what they know, and show up for each other between meetups too.
Yes, absolutely!
Design skills make you more effective in any role. Product managers, developers, marketers, researchers, and founders all work better when they understand how to think like a designer.
IxDF Local Groups reflect that. Members come from all kinds of professional backgrounds, not just design. What they share is an interest in how design shapes products, decisions, and careers.
You'll fit right in regardless of your background.
In a world that's getting more artificial and competitive, IxDF brings the heart back, so you never have to face the job market alone.
Learn together, get mentored, find your next job, and build friendships that grow your career.