Fond—A Dinner Party Movement
Problem
Growing up in a digital-first world has tied our social identity to a hyper-connected system that often lacks genuine personal connection. As digital spaces dominate, the line between authentic relationships and performative interactions blurs. Young creatives face constant pressure to produce, define themselves, and stay financially afloat, all while navigating generational expectations. Burnt out and overwhelmed, collaboration—once a source of connection—now often feels more like work than a meaningful exchange.
Solution
After several trials and errors; after trashing a number of drafts and iterations, we created Fond: a movement that encourages young folks to share more dinners together. Fond acts as a resource, a conceptual space which young creatives can explore, interact with, and replicate.
At it’s core, it is a simple act of love & care.
Manifesto
Fond as an adjective is having an affection or liking for something. Fond as a noun is the flavorful browned bits that stick to the bottom of a pan after cooking. These bits act as the foundation of a good dish–it gives it depth, personality, and warmth. Fond finds friends because two friends found Fond, over dinner. This idea is driven by human interaction and the need to feel connected. Fond acts as a curator, a resource, a set of intentions for the purpose of repeated application and evolution. It reinvents the third space—a judgment free zone dedicated towards rest and forming meaningful and lasting friendships. Fond embodies the post-digital, the word of mouth.
Intentions
- Move with curiosity
- Get to know your surroundings and guests
- Take careful time to set the stage, curate a mood
- Work shall not be discussed at the dinner table
- Trust your gut and follow your nose
- The gathering must end, so the next one can begin
- Always cook and eat with love
About Fond
Fond is an ever evolving movement with several moving parts. It travels through talk rather than a digital algorithm. The motivation behind manually spreading the word is the need for explicit acts of care. It makes us put in the effort, it makes us go the extra mile. It starts in the flesh and ends in the flesh.
The Website
While Fond as a whole relies on personal connection and word of mouth we still recognize the need for a central and accessible resource for those that want to continue on the ethos of Fond. The website embraces the beliefs of web 1.0, i.e. read-only information repositories, acting not as a means of connection but a way of disseminating what Fond stands for. This website also becomes a means for those that have benefited from Fond to give back through email submission of past dinner party invites providing others that find Fond later to take their own inspiration and carry it forward into their own personal gatherings.
Living the Research
The core ideas behind Fond were shaped through lived experience, academic research, and reflections on past dinner parties hosted by Sarah. Initially guided by a framework called PAIR (Prototype, Ambiance, Interaction, Release), we realized Fond was more than a concept—it was a movement meant to serve our community. After weeks of late night planning and pouring in our own resources, we hosted a 45-person dinner party/potluck titled A Night Under the Sea, which offered guests a chance to escape and connect. Despite the rain, the evening unfolded effortlessly as friends and strangers came together, dish by dish.
We used the dinner as a way to introduce our friends to Fond. As guests left, we handed them homemade fortune cookies with a note inside with the Fond website’s launch date and found on the website a prompt: “write a love letter to a fellow guest.” It was a simple but successful way to encourage connection and gather feedback for future Fond dinners.
