The American Design Club—AmDC—was conceived in the spring of 2008. At the time, American relevance in design was in question, and many postulated that US designers would never be as prominent or prolific as European designers. The founders saw that there was plenty of talent and ambition within American designers, but what was ultimately missing was a way for designers to share their work with a broad audience. The AmDC founding members created a platform where designers could launch new ideas and connect with each other. The AmDC began as a community that was submission-based, in which the strongest pieces would be displayed. This method enabled the AmDC to create shows that granted exposure to new designers.