Lane closures on the 401 slow down the already dawdling pace of the commute between Toronto and Waterloo Region, Canada’s top tech corridor.

Similarly, barriers exist between designers and developers in both places, which limits creativity and wastes time.

The minds behind Method Jam want to design a better way for creative teams in the two tech communities to collaborate.

Method Jam, a gathering that makes its debut in Toronto tonight, started out of just such a collaboration between Toronto-based creative firms Heist and GRAND, and Waterloo-based Boltmade.

“It’s all about building great things together,” says Ben Morris, VP of Engineering at Boltmade, who’s leading the discussion on ‘Exposing companies to the lean process.’

“Heist came to us a little while ago with the idea to connect Toronto and Waterloo with a series of events,” Morris says. “We loved the idea and Method Jam was born.”

No stranger to complex problems, Boltmade is more than a one-size-fits-all software solution factory, but rather, it looks for the best answer to fit a client’s particular needs.

Usually, the ideas that stick are formed organically.

The aim of Method Jam is to explore the process for designers, developers and project managers, and find opportunities to create better customer experiences.

Tonight’s kickoff event at Heist’s office is a trial run, but Morris is hopeful based on early results. “It sold out in under a week and it's looking like it's going to be a great event,” he says.

Future dates and locations have yet to be decided, but the intention is to alternate them between the two regions.

Closing the day-to-day gaps among the teams driving innovation is just one goal behind Method Jam, whose creators have a bigger gap they want to close.

“There are a lot of great things going on in both Toronto and Waterloo but we feel like there isn't as strong a connection between the communities as there could be,” Morris says. “Especially when you consider how close we are geographically.”

Events that connect the two ecosystems are just one among many steps in building an innovation supercluster.

“Improving transit between the communities would be a big help. It can take a couple of hours to drive,” Morris says. “The GO trains were a good start, but we need all-day service to be really viable.”