Smol Gardens: Design the Future Workshop

A workshop on responsible computing design and accountable AI practice
About this Event

Join us for an afternoon of collaborative design thinking, sketching future scenarios and listening to Ignite talks from selected speakers in the community.

Led by the Open Civic Tech team, in collaboration with NYU ITP, SVA IXD and Superbloom Design, we'll explore how AI systems can be designed responsibly and learn about the Smol Gardens Accountability framework.
We’ll start with an intro to small language models and socio-technical thinking, then work through real design challenges in small groups and cap off the night with selected pitch presentations.
Smol Gardens: Accountable Tech Guide is an initiative by the Open Civic Tech team.

Learn how it got started: smolgardens.com
Email: [email protected]

Event Details

• When: November 6, 2026 | 1:00 - 4:00 PM
• Where: NYU ITP/IMA, 370 Jay Street, Brooklyn, 4th Floor.
  Must bring ID to enter.
• Cost: $15 registration fee. | Ignite Talk presentors and students register for free.
• Food: Yes, we're providing pizza and drinks

This workshop is best for:
- Builders working for and within their community
- Designers who are testing their ideas and need a platform to present it
- Community leaders who want to collaborate with mission-aligned individuals.
- Those who are looking for a space to discuss

Interested in speaking on Accountable AI topics?
We are seeking project presentations for the Smol Gardens Accountable AI for civic tech workshop happening on Nov 6th, at NYU IMA/ITP Brooklyn Campus.
Presentations could be in a speculative format, or from your existing work, and proposed topics chosen must align with Smol Garden’s 10 design principles.
It’s a casual night to pitch your ideas and a chance to meet like-minded people who could be your future collaborators.

Submission Details

• What: 7-minute presentation
• Topic: Must align with Smol Gardens principles:
• Format: Google Slides (20 slides auto-timed for 30 seconds). What is an Ignite talk?
• Submission deadline: November 1st
  To submit, complete the form here

Agenda

🕑: 01:00 PM
Intro on Smol Gardens
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Guided Discussion
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Breakout: Team Sketching
🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Lightning Talks