While Paula Scher, at 75, declared that she is not done yet, Chris Do provided practical tools to master your next sales pitch — on November 2–3 the creative industry came together for our DesignThinkers Conference to celebrate everything design.

Hugs were exchanged, ideas shared and connections made — in what was our highest attendance ever; the energy was electrifying.

With an option to choose from three streams of talks, attendees also had opportunities to join studio tours and hand-on workshops, engage in conversations with peers on pertinent topics at the roundtable discussions, participate in speed networking and much more.

The conference also had the option for live streaming for those who preferred to attend from their home or office. All attendees have access to presentation recordings until the end of January, after which time they will be made available to RGD Members. You can still register to get access to the recordings on Pheedloop.

Pre-conference programming featured Accessibility Workshops by Meggan Van Harten RGD and Davide Dorigo Provisional RGD from Design de Plume, guided tours to leading creative studios in Toronto and a ceremony celebrating of the winners of the 2023 Branding Awards.

Day 1 of the Conference began with keynotes by Chris Do and Forest Young and featured talks by speakers who included Emmi Salonen, Farai Madzima, Noel Cottrell, Rejane Dal Bello, Renato Fernandez, Dalit Shalom, Paul Trani, concluding with delegates’ favourite talk by Paula Scher. Day 1 closed with a Party at Bier Markt, where delegates and speakers connected over delicious hors d’oeuvres, drinks and conversations.

Day 2 was packed with as much inspiration as the first with keynotes by Tina Roth Eisenberg and Eleni Beveratou and talks by Lauren Scully & Brian Studak, Min Lew, Catalina Estrada, Zipeng Zhu, Jay Demetillo, Dorothéa Bozicolona-Volpe, Krys Blackwood, Hajj Flemings, ending the day with a Keynote by Stefan Sagmeister. The day also featured a panel discussion on collaborative design workflows and a Never Have I Ever session with Stefan Sagmeister, Min Lew, Forest Young, Eleni Beveratou and Tina Roth Eisenberg hosted by Julian Brown RGD.

Delegates and speakers were invited to share thoughts on social media using the hashtag #rgdDT.

Registration for DesignThinkers 2024 Vancouver taking place on May 28-29 will open in December. Stay tuned!

Thank you for our volunteer photographers Nadia Otake Provisional RGD & Eric Forest RGD for day 1 and day 2 of the conference

Thank you also to Industry Partners: Adobe, Acumen (signage), Flash, Mohawk, Forge Media + Design (website) Porter (travel) and Sid Lee (branding); to Gold Sponsors Cella, CtrlPrint, Deloitte, Domtar, Monotype, Moveable, Rightsleeve, The Futur, York University School of Continuing Studies and Silver & Bronze Sponsors AZURE, Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dalton Maag, Issues Magazine Shop, Mitchell Sandham, StickerYou, Swipe Design and WeirFoulds LLP.

Eleni Beveratou is a typeface designer and Creative Director at Daalton Maag. In advance of her keynote at DesignThinkers Toronto, we asked her a few questions about working in type design and how typography is evolving in our digital landscape.

Type is not only a fundamental aspect of graphic design, but also of written communication in general. What do you love most about working in this area of communication design?

It’s hard to choose, but my absolute favourite aspect is creating typefaces that span more than one writing system. Perhaps this is due to my Greek background, where I often see exceptional brand identities in the Latin writing system, particularly in English, which default to aesthetically poor or standard fonts when translated to other writing systems. When that happens, the impact of a brand weakens, which is disheartening. Therefore, when given the opportunity to create a typeface that transcends linguistic boundaries and resonates on a global scale, I feel that we contribute towards a more inclusive world.

Could you tell us about a typography trend or new application you’ve observed lately that has you particularly excited?

Type design currently finds itself at a crucial juncture, thanks to rapid advancements over the last five years or so. One development that particularly stands out to me is having typefaces that can seamlessly adapt to the light and dark modes in digital environments.

Nowadays, while users can choose to view the same content in light or dark mode, the way that typefaces interact with these backgrounds often gets overlooked. Black text on a white background will appear lighter than the same typeface at the same weight when displayed white on black. Our library typeface, Darkmode, tackles this very common UI issue, highlighting the critical role of type in the way that we consume content.

Digital platforms are changing the way we interact with content. How do you see the role of typography evolving in this landscape?

During this change, it’s crucial that we don’t repeat any mistakes of the past. The transition from print to digital environments led to many well-established typographic rules being overlooked, resulting in poor on-screen readability. This was largely because of a lack of research into reading habits and the craft of typography in print.

For those involved in the creation of new media and platforms, it’s imperative to gain an understanding of how users engage with written communication and the critical factors that influence readability. We must decide which reading habits of the past will be adapted, omitted, or replicated, and act accordingly with solutions like Darkmode that I mentioned above.

That said, your DesignThinkers talk is titled, “Typography in Digital Environments and Future Technologies.” Without giving too much away, what can attendees expect from your session?

Attendees can expect to hear me complain about how a bad typographic choice led to me missing a flight… All jokes aside, we will explore the world of typography and look at how it will manifest across future technologies, accessibility, and global reach. While we often focus solely on the visual aspects of typography, there is so much more to consider for effective, inclusive, and emotionally resonant communication for brands of all sizes.

What are you most looking forward to about coming to DesignThinkers in Toronto?

Toronto holds a special place in my heart as one of the first cities I visited in my current role. Even doing my research before arriving, I was struck by the city’s robust design community, showcased by an amazing comprehensive directory of all the design-related studios and individuals. I have yet to encounter such a thorough resource for any other city. Upon arriving in Toronto, the second thing that impressed me was its strong culture of knowledge-sharing among design peers. I can’t wait to hear more about good design, meet more passionate designers, and be part of such a strong community.

Catch Eleni’s keynote, “Typography in Digital Environments and Future Technologies,” on November 3 at 10:30 a.m. EST.

There’s no shortage of things to see and do at DesignThinkers Toronto. We asked Olivia Montagnese Provisional RGD, who has attended DesignThinkers nine times, what a typical “day in the life” at the conference looks like for her.

The doors are open. What are you up to?

On the first day of DesignThinkers, I like to arrive at the venue shortly after registration opens so that I’m able to thoroughly browse the supplier showcase booths and the giveaway table before it gets too busy. My friends try to get there around the same time as me so that we’re able to catch up, talk about what sessions we are excited to see, get breakfast and find good seats. Since there is so much excitement on the first day, arriving early and already having my schedule planned out helps me to feel more calm and ready for the busy day.

And lunch?

During lunchtime, my friends and I usually spend some time catching-up with other colleagues from the industry, and then we usually get lunch in together in the area.

You’ve watched a lot of DesignThinkers presentations over nine years! Any favourites?

There have been so many informative and memorable presentations, but some of my favourites that have resonated with me have been from Anton and Irene, Blake Howard, Emily Oberman, Aaron Draplin, Gemma O’Brien, Jessica Hische, Wade Jeffree and Leta Sobierajski, Vèronica Fuerte and Adam J. Kurtz.

I especially admire Timothy Goodman and Meg Lewis’s work, so it was such a special opportunity to be able to meet and chat with them.

The conference has more than just presentations, though. What do you do during your breaks and downtime?

During breaks, I usually chat with my friends, and visit the showcase booths, specifically spending a lot of time at the Swipe pop-up to hoard more design books 🤓

The delegate party is always a blast. How do you feel about it?

The delegate party is always such a fun way to end to the first day of the conference. Due to the pandemic, I’ve really missed it as the energy was amazing, and it gave me more time to catch-up with those in the industry that I don’t see often.

Olivia Montagnese (she/her) is a designer and artist based in Toronto. She’s interested in the arts and culture scene and hopes to shift perspectives and create unique and meaningful experiences through her work. She graduated from Humber College’s Graphic Design program in 2018, and currently works as a Designer at q30 design. When not designing, she can be found exploring new cafes and bookstores, taking film photos, curating playlists, and as of recently, taking pottery classes.

Fast Company Creative Director Mike Schnaidt is an award-winning designer whose resume includes leading design positions at Men’s Health, Popular Science, Esquire and more. In advance of his presentation at DesignThinkers Toronto, we asked him a few questions about his career in editorial design, creating comprehensive brand ecosystems and what it means to be a strong creative leader.

You’ve worked for a number of prestigious publications during your career. What initially drew you to editorial design? What keeps you there?

As a kid, I loved comic books. X-Men. Batman. Deadpool. When I was a design student, magazines appealed to me because the art of sequential storytelling felt similar to the comics that initially stoked my creativity. Today, the role of an editorial creative director has evolved from when I first started, and that’s what keeps me excited. Magazine pages are only one part of a larger design universe that includes events, awards, podcasts, videos and so much more. My editorial experience built a necessary foundation to extend into branding.

That said, your talk is titled “I Never Had a Plan.” Without giving too much away, what can attendees expect from your session?

Speaking of being a kid, I’m a forever student. I love learning. Throughout my career in publishing, I’ve chased jobs based on what I was curious about: pop culture, fashion, science, health and business. I’ve worked alongside some of the best journalists, and learned a lot in the process. And so, I wanted to try my hand at a book. It’s tough! And it’s fun! So if you want to see someone get excited on stage about writing a book, come watch my session. And even if you don’t want to write a book, you’ll grab some takeaways for building a fulfilling creative life.

Fast Company has a massive brand ecosystem, existing across a number of mediums and platforms. Is there a project or campaign that you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of? What is it and why?

Our biggest event is the Innovation Festival, and I love seeing it come to life. It brings together everything I enjoy: branding, typography, animation and environmental design. There’s something so cool about seeing your design system come to life in an event space — especially after staring at it on your tiny laptop screen for months leading up to the event. I can’t wait to experience the event this September.

You’ve worked as a creative director for over five years. What do you think makes a great leader in design?

The ability to admit when you’re wrong. Design is a series of decisions, and I don’t always make the right ones. But I will say, “Hey, my bad. I led you down the wrong path. Let’s try it your way?” Nine out of ten times, the work drastically improves when I say something like that. Now that’s a good decision.

What are you most looking forward to about coming to DesignThinkers in Toronto?

There are so many talented speakers that I’m excited to meet. But I’m equally excited to chat with audience members and learn about their creative journeys. Plus: Canada!

Watch Mike’s talk, “I Never Had a Plan,” on November 3 at 11:30 a.m. EST.

Student RGDs, Junior Affiliates and Provisional RGDs are invited to post on Instagram or LinkedIn for the chance to win a $500 scholarship and free registration to DesignThinkers 2023 in Toronto.

Seven $500 scholarships will be provided by industry sponsors BLVD, Cinnamon Toast, Davis, Frontier, Fusion Design Group, Office/Bureau and Pound & Grain. The scholarships will help cover the winners’ expenses to attend the conference. They will also receive a free two-day registration to the event.

The theme for our DesignThinkers 2023 Toronto Scholarship Program is the “Future of Design.”

How to enter

1. Set your Instagram profile to public. Then, post a piece of work that best represents you and your goals for the future (e.g. an area you’d like to work in).

2. For an additional opportunity to be considered by our judges and receive a Scholarship, also post a project on LinkedIn.

3. Hashtag your posts with #HeyRGD and #HeyRGDTO. You must use both hashtags.⁠

4. Complete the application form.

The deadline to enter is September 15.

Winners will be chosen based on the strength of their work and responses on the form.

If you’re interested in sponsoring a scholarship or have any questions, email Hilary at [email protected].