Event Recap: Demshot Design Jam at SFU Surrey

On March 6, 2026, the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue hosted a Demshot Design Jam at the SFU Surrey campus with students from SIAT (Interactive Arts & Technology). The event was part of the SFU Demshot Challenge, an initiative that invites students to develop creative responses to some of the challenges facing democracy today. About nine students joined us, ranging from first-year undergrads all the way up to master’s students.

The session was co-hosted by Melvin Singh from the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and Dr. Alireza Karduni from the SIAT faculty. We ran students through a few design rounds tied to the DemShot prize domains—first thinking about where democracy feels a bit stuck right now, and then starting to sketch ideas that might actually be tried or built.

It was quite refreshing just to sit in the room and watch students think through issues that ranged from AI regulation to how you might design processes that help build social cohesion. Turns out, good things tend to happen when students are given a sandbox to play in.

By the end of the session a few groups were already circling ideas they might take further and that’s exactly the spirit behind the SFU Demshot Challenge: putting the future of democracy directly in the hands of students.

Submissions to the Demshot Challenge are open to individuals or teams of up to three, and the best overall winning idea receives $1,000, among other prizes. Submissions close March 26th.

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Watch shortlisted SFU teams take their best shot at strengthening the resilience and renewal of Canadian democracy; pitching bold ideas to a live panel of judges for over $2,500 in prizes. Think hackathon meets design lab meets TEDx showcase, but with democracy at the center. Light snacks provided.

When: April 10
Time: 1:00–3:00 PM
Where: Halpern Centre, SFU Burnaby Campus

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