Why I Built Pixel Parlour

I was one of the admins on one of the largest design WhatsApp groups in Sri Lanka since 2019. When COVID hit, there was this spike, Clubhouse exploded, people started talking, design communities popped up everywhere.

But most of them died out. They'd start with energy, then go quiet. No one stuck around.

I wanted to build something that would actually last. Something self-sustaining. But I also knew it couldn't be open to everyone. It needed people who were serious. People who wanted to build, not just talk about design trends.

So I made it paid. Started with $1, then moved to $3,not because I needed the money, but because people were still ghosting at $1. The price filters for intent. If you're willing to pay $3 and spend 10 minutes filling out an application, you're probably someone who'll actually show up.

The application matters. I built it to take at least 10 minutes. That's deliberate. If you're willing to spend that time explaining why you want to be here, you're showing you understand this isn't just another Discord you'll join and forget about.

We started small in late 2024. A Discord server. A few people I knew. Bi-weekly calls with no forced agenda, just open conversations about what people were working on.

What surprised me was how deep those conversations went. We'd start at 8 p.m. and people would stay until 3 a.m., talking about real problems in Sri Lankan design companies, design processes, what actually works and what doesn't. Not structured lessons. Just thoughtful conversations between people who cared.

In one of the very first meetups, Hasanga Abeyaratne said something that stuck with me:

"If we're doing meetups, let's make them about designers having a good time. Not another webinar. Not structured lessons. Just coffee and conversations. Let people actually connect."

I didn't forget that.

Last week we did our first meetup of 2026, and that's exactly what it was. No slides. No forced agenda. Just designers showing up, talking to each other, playing games, and having a genuinely good time.

The feedback has been incredible. People want more of this.

Here's the thing. Pixel Parlour is a paid community. We've had quiet months where nothing happened except a few calls. But people stayed. They showed up to the weekly sessions, shared what they knew, and stuck around even when there wasn't much going on.

That means something.

Right now we're about 30 members. Some are junior, learning fundamentals. Some are senior, looking for peers to think through complex problems with. What holds it together isn't skill level—it's intent.

We've had sessions on design workflows, but also on productivity tools, how to invest, how to work with developers without making their lives hell. It's design-led, but not design-limited. Because good designers need to know more than just design.

What I realized early on was that most designers in Sri Lanka were isolated. They didn't know other designers. They didn't have anywhere to share early work without it feeling like a performance. They were figuring everything out alone.

Pixel Parlour is trying to fix that. It's a place where you can share the messy middle of a project and get real feedback. Where you learn to build confidence, not just in your designs, but in walking into a room and knowing who to talk to.

This year feels different. We're doing more meetups, more learning sessions, more of the things that actually matter. But I can't do this alone. If you're interested in collaborating, whether it's helping organize, sharing knowledge, or just showing up and making these spaces better, let's have a quick chat

To everyone who's been part of this from the beginning: thank you. This is your community as much as it is mine.

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