Side Projkt Club (SP.C)
Most creative communities are built around the founder. SP.C was built around the format.
Most creative communities optimize for finished work. SP.C was built for everything before that: the scrappy, the stuck, the almost-there. The design challenge was making vulnerability feel safe enough to be repeatable, across different venues, ticket prices, room sizes, and hosts. Every element was tested across 18 sessions: presenter limits, break timing, facilitation prompts, acoustics. When the format held, I documented it into a Host Playbook so others could carry the culture without losing what made SP.C feel like SP.C.
My Role
Founder, Experience Designer, and Host (2022 to 2025). I designed the session format, iterated every operational variable across three seasons, and built the Host Playbook from the ground up.
Outcome
272 total attendees across 18 events over three seasons, including a 49-person Season 1 finale exhibit. Typical sessions drew 10 to 20 people. 120+ unique members over the full run. The Host Playbook is complete and transferable.
Credits
Founded by Emily Kao // Volunteers: Malavika Ravi, Kerry Cahn // Venue partners: Artshack Cafe, Living Skins
Links
“I usually hate networking events. This felt completely different. I just felt natural connecting with people.” — Malakai, SP.C Attendee
Slide from a deck prepared for a grant application
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook (click on image to access full deck)
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
Sample pages of the SP.C Host Playbook
