Student RGDs and Associate RGDs are invited to apply to win free attendance at DesignThinkers Toronto. Nine scholarship packages are available, each including a free ticket and $500 cash to help cover the costs of attendance.

Update (September 12): A new scholarship has been added, bringing the total up to nine.

How to apply

To apply, submit a 30-second to 1-minute video expressing your enthusiasm for DesignThinkers and why you wish to attend.

Criteria 

Applicants will be judged on their creativity and passion. Priority will be given to applicants who reside more than 100km away from the conference venue.

Deadline

11:59 pm PT on Sunday, September 22, 2024

These scholarships are generously provided by Cinnamon Toast, Davis, Frontier, Fusion, Key Vision Design, Pound & Grain, Razor Creative Solutions, Significant Other and 123w.

Interested in supporting emerging designers? If you are interested in sponsoring a scholarship, email [email protected].

Leland Maschmeyer is co-founder and CEO at COLLINS. Ahead of his talk at DesignThinkers in Toronto, we asked him a few questions about his time at Chobani, what trend he thinks will impact the design industry and more.

Under your leadership, the two companies you’ve worked with have received numerous accolades for pushing boundaries and setting the bar for outstanding work. What is your leadership style like? How do you inspire your teams towards greatness?

There are many styles of leadership. I have come to know that my dominant style is known as “transformational” leadership. You can read online about the basics of it, so I’ll focus on my personal tenant: empower small teams with significant responsibility, shared context, decision rights and clear success criteria will always make dreams come true.

You were responsible for Chobani’s much lauded brand and company growth, with it being recognized for its innovative approach to design, creativity and marketing. While you were there, the brand’s value expanded from $1B to $10B. What’s one of the biggest lessons you learned from your time at Chobani?

In the early 2010s, I had an itch I couldn’t scratch: I felt that brand systems were no longer fit for purpose. It’s not that a classic kit (logo, typeface, colours and secondary graphics) wasn’t useful. It’s that the many uses, value and approach to creating them has become completely misaligned with what contemporary brand building demands.

The 1980s gave birth to the brand identity system kit. But as the branding challenges of business changed so dramatically over the following 30 years, you would have imagined that the marketing and brand profession would have responded and evolved.

It did not. I mean, not at all. It was stuck, lost some back somewhere in 1983. I mean, it had not changed much since I was a toddler.

In 2016, I joined Chobani to test my thesis of what a real, next-generation brand solution could be. After our remarkable five-year run there, I left the company with, I think, my thesis proven. I believe the “brand world system” building is the next era. This is a culture-centric, community-conscious approach to designing a brand. It weaves together the diverse scope of expression with which contemporary brands struggle. It’s still a kit of workable assets and rules. But its starting point is different, it defines a much broader scope of brand activity, and the management of it – over time – is much different.

Since I returned to COLLINS, we’ve been building brand world systems with many of our clients, helping them enjoy the benefits of what we learned with Chobani.

We love to show our highlight reels in this industry, but we’ve all worked through disappointment and perceived failure—we lose a pitch, a campaign doesn’t land how we’d hoped. How do you manage through these dips?

While failures leave bruises, I never let them define me. I always try to build with or from them. My advice, find one good lesson in a failure and it will not be a failure. The failure is to brood and beat yourself up. Learn and move. Failures are the bricks building the cathedral of success.

Besides AI, are there any emerging trends or technologies you foresee impacting the future of design?

Distributed/remote work will, over the long term, have a dampening effect on revenue for the vast majority of design firms. It will increase the pool of competition among design firms, drive down the fees that design firms can command, and will push revenue distribution towards a power law curve. (A what?)

This will force design firms to find ways to meaningfully differentiate their offering to command a desired – even necessary – price point. So, the way I see it, it will be difficult, but soon enough it will be better for our profession. It’ll bring focus.

This year’s conference theme is “Into the Rabbit Hole.” Is there any topic or idea that you’ve been diving into lately?

I have been diving deep into how professional sports teams build their draft-day strategies and how they evaluate the most extraordinary prospects. I am obsessed with finding great, talented people and building great, talented teams.

DesignThinkers is turning 25 this fall. To celebrate this milestone and say thank you for your support, we’re giving away 25 free tickets to past attendees.

To enter, share your favourite photo(s) from the conference on Instagram or LinkedIn. Whether it’s of a memorable talk, you with a speaker, a group photo with your friends or colleagues or something else entirely, we want to see it.

Instructions: 

1. Make a post featuring a favourite photo (or photos) from the DesignThinkers conference
2. In the caption, give a bit of context and share why the moment matters to you
3. On Instagram*, tag @rgdcanada on the photo itself and use #rgdDT. On LinkedIn, tag the RGD’s page in the caption and use #rgdDT

*Ensure your Instagram profile is public. Instagram posts must be on the feed, not stories. Stories will not count towards the giveaway.

Photos can be your own or from the RGD’s Flickr albums. If using Flickr photos, please credit the photographer if they’re listed (at the top of the album when you are viewing it).

Deadline:

The contest is open until Friday, September 6. 25 winners will be selected at random, and then notified and announced by Tuesday, September 10. Only one post per entrant.

Roundtables are your chance to connect with other creatives in a small group setting. Led by senior design professionals, roundtables are being hosted on both conferences days from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Bring your questions, offer advice and participate in conversations that will leave you feeling engaged and energized.

Here are the topics on this year’s schedule for Day 2:

November 8th, 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

• Mission possible: Finding purpose and passion in your work
  Do you yearn for a job where you can unleash your creativity and make a tangible impact every day? This roundtable explores the myriad of possibilities and personal satisfactions that come with working in an environment that aligns with your values.
  Moderator: Scott Ferguson RGD
  Scott has over 20 years of experience in motion graphics, 3D design, video production, illustration and more. He has worked with networks like Much, MTV and HBO. Throughout his career, Scott has experienced both the highs of following his passion and the challenges of losing it along the way. Now, he’s focused on helping fellow designers navigate their own creative paths and rediscover purpose in their work.
• Who isn’t at the table? Designing for diversity, equity & inclusion
  Together, we will explore the vital themes of diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to design and creativity. Let’s discuss the ongoing work, practical steps and visionary goals that bridge the gap to a more inclusive and representative future for design and creativity.
  Moderator: Alan Joson RGD, Graphic Designer for The Michener Institute of Education at UHN
  Alan balances his role as an in-house graphic designer with an active freelance design career, where he works with clients from varied backgrounds, ensuring their unique voices and identities are reflected in every project. Alan remains committed to exceeding client expectations while promoting the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in all his work.
• Me, myself and I: Succeeding as a solo practitioner
  There is no blueprint to working for yourself. Let’s discuss the successes we’ve accomplished and failures we’ve endured, so we can all learn from each other and grow our businesses.
  Moderator: Michelle Hopgood RGD, Founder, Creative Designer & Information Specialist at Hopgood Creative
  With over 15 years of experience in design, information, knowledge and information management, Michelle helps researchers, academics, and thinkers use the power of design to explain complex ideas. 
• Imposter syndrome who? Gaining confidence in your skills and abilities
  Let’s talk about some of the situations we’ve faced and share strategies you can pull from your back pocket when those negative feelings bubble up in the future.
  Moderator: John Furneaux RGD, Managing Director, Toronto, at PS&Co Brand Studio
  At PS&Co, John oversees strategic and creative development. Previously, he held executive positions at leading brand consultancies including Identica Branding, karacters design group, Ove Design and Publicis Brand|Design. John teaches at George Brown College in their Design Management. 
• Challenges of being an in-house designer for government
  Designing for government and government agencies bring its own unique challenges. In-house designers for governments of all levels (municipalities, provincial, state or federal) are invited to join us to discuss and exchange strategies and solutions to address these challenges.
  Moderators (2 groups): Carla Thibodeau RGD / Carolyn Harman RGD
  With 15 years’ experience, Carla currently works as the in-house designer at the Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick, the province’s financial regulator. She has worked for a book publisher, a non-profit organization, the Department of National Defence and as a freelancer. She is working towards attaining Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies certification through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. / Carolyn is an innovative and creative thought-leader who has worn a multitude of stylish yet professional hats from an exciting 27-year career in graphic design, marketing and communications. She has designed and strategized with brands like Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Destination Canada and the City of Ottawa, and currently leads the marketing team for a high-tech start-up in Ottawa.
• Colouring inside the lines: Fostering creativity within the confines of a brand
  The same branding, same colours, same style day in and out. It can get boring. How do we foster that creative itch and stay motivated while adhering to our often strict brand guidelines? Join us to discuss techniques for pushing the brand envelope, trying out new, potentially radical ideas, all while still staying brand faithful.
  Moderator: Dee Olher RGD
  Specializing in visual and motion design with expertise spanning UX/UI design, art direction and 3D technique, Dee is deeply committed to crafting designs that strike a balance between simplicity and impact, focusing on delivering messages that not only communicate clearly but also leave a lasting impression on the audience. 
• The comparison trap: How to revel in competition and celebrate other people’s success
  Who hasn’t fallen into the trap of comparing ourselves, and our work, to others and feeling pretty awful about it? Let’s discuss constructive ways to navigate this habit and build our confidence. We will learn tools and techniques for returning to what matters.
  Moderator: Radim Malinic, Creative director, Designer & Best-selling Author
  DesignThinkers speaker, Radim runs Brand Nu Studio, an award-winning branding and creative studio, and Brand Nu Books, an independent publishing imprint.
• Beautiful, creative + accessible: Strategies for accessible design
  Join a discussion that will address questions that include:
  – When, and how, do you consider accessibility when you’re launching a project?
  – What is a piece of advice or information you learned that changed the way you think about accessibility?
  – What is your favourite tool for streamlining accessibility in your projects or organization?
  Moderator: Catherine Ryan, Associate Creative Director at Context Creative
  With over 11 years of experience in branding, campaigns, web design and UX, Catherine has worked both in-house and at design and communications agencies, applying a broad range of expertise to her projects. 
• User-centred design: Where humans reign supreme
  The application of user-centred design is constantly changing. Do you spend much of your time thinking about how the user can be better served by the designs you create? How do we ensure that users are the main focus of our designs, and that those users find our designs easy to navigate? Join us to discuss how design can be employed to make things easier, rather than just help address the bottom line.
  Moderator: Amelia Nash RGD
  Amelia is a Canadian expat based in New York City, where she merges her roles as a designer, brand strategist, and creative director to build bold, sustainable brands. With over 12 years of experience, she’s driven by a deep curiosity and passion for exploring open and equitable design practices.

November 8th, 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Led by senior design professionals, roundtables are being hosted on both conferences days from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Bring your questions, offer advice and participate in conversations that will leave you feeling engaged and energized.

Here are the topics on this year’s schedule for Day 2 Lunch Roundtables:

• Making Side Projects Central
  How to pursue self-initiated projects, why they matter, how to make them happen, how to stop thinking of them as ‘side’ projects and see them as central to what you do as a creator.
  Moderator: Nick Asbury, Writer, Critic, Poet, Songsmith, Humorist, Essayist & Speaker
  Based in the UK, Nick is a one of the most awarded writers in the D&AD Writing for Design category. His most recent book is a critique of the purpose movement called The Road to Hell. He is featured in The Copy Book: How Some of the World’s Best Advertising Writers Write Their Advertising and co-authored the latest edition of A Smile in the Mind: Witty Thinking in Graphic Design.
  
• Improving your leadership skills
  We will discuss how to inspire creativity, foster collaboration and effectively communicate to maximize your team’s potential. You’ll gain insights into strategies and tools for enhancing your leadership skills, as well as learn how to serve as the foundation and support of your team, fostering unity and facilitating growth.
  Moderator: Kathleen Scott RGD, Creative Strategy Team Lead at Bruce Power
  For over a decade, Kathleen led the Team at Bruce Power  where they deliver all things design, including a complete rebrand for the company in 2019. 
• Beautiful, creative + accessible: Strategies for accessible design
  Join a discussion that will address questions that include:
  – When, and how, do you consider accessibility when you’re launching a project?
  – What is a piece of advice or information you learned that changed the way you think about accessibility?
  – What is your favourite tool for streamlining accessibility in your projects or organization?
  Moderator: Marin Hudson RGD, Owner + Creative Director at Kitestring
  A community-minded graphic designer based  in Hamilton, Marin finds joy working with people to bring impactful branding and compassionate campaigns to life. As an educator, Marin strives to show students the value of curiosity and connection, prioritizing the human experience through kindness, accessibility and collaboration.
• Colouring inside the lines: Fostering creativity within the confines of a brand
  The same branding, same colours, same style day in and out. It can get boring. How do we foster that creative itch and stay motivated while adhering to our often strict brand guidelines? Join us to discuss techniques for pushing the brand envelope, trying out new, potentially radical ideas, all while still staying brand faithful.
  Moderator: Fe Wyma RGD, Senior Consultant of Communications & Creative Services at NVision Insight Group and Founder of Kapwa Communications
  For more than 20 years, Fe has provided visual communications, branding and corporate training services to both the public and private sectors. Fe is also a graphic design educator who shares her love of layout and typography.
• Futuristic fantasy to practical reality: Leveraging AI tools in the design process
  Have you experimented with AI to enhance your workflow? Have you used AI to gain insights about user behaviour? Have you used AI to boost your creativity? Join us for a discussion of designers’ experiences with AI and what impact we think it will have on the design industry.
  Moderator: Geneviève Metropolis RGD
  Geneviève is a strategic design leader with over 20 years of experience in communication, UX and service design. She has held leadership roles at Shopify, Canada Post and SickKids Hospital, where she led teams in creating human-centred digital experiences. Currently driving the e-comm UX strategy for Canadian Tire & SportChek, Geneviève is passionate about fostering collaboration, systems thinking and innovation in digital spaces.
• The need for speed: Addressing time constraints within the design process
  In competitive markets, the need for efficiency in all areas of business has been steadily increasing. How do designers develop creative solutions and contribute to business success while remaining true to effective design processes and maintaining a healthy work-life balance? What role can AI play? What processes and strategies contribute to more effective cross-disciplinary collaboration and integration? Join us as we discuss the need for speed without sacrificing the quality of the work or our mental health.
  Moderator: Radim Malinic, Creative Director, Designer and Best-selling author
  DesignThinkers speaker based in the UK, Radim runs Brand Nu Studio, an award-winning branding and creative studio, and Brand Nu Books, an independent publishing imprint.
• Speaking the same language: Building working partnerships in cross-disciplinary teams
  Designers today work in increasingly diverse teams. Come discuss how to work effectively with other creative and creative-adjacent roles such as writers, subject matter experts, media specialists and production. Share insights and strategies for articulating design decisions and resolving conflict.
  Moderator: Adriana Ivory RGD, Executive Design Director at The Garden
  Adriana is a multi-disciplinary designer, creative leader and part-time educator that strives to create the best and most purposeful work. Her passion for design stems from her desire to problem solve: to think about things differently, and derive creative solutions that both function well and look great. 
• Understanding the midlife transition: Navigating career change and personal growth
  The mid-career slump is a real and terrifying prospect. Figuring out a path through means reflecting on what you actually want next — not from your career, but in your life. Let’s discuss how to discover what you really want from your next career move, and how to leverage experiences and competencies to craft the fulfilling career you only thought possible in your dreams.
  Moderator: Faron Dawe RGD, Freelance Designer & Principal at FARON.DESIGN
  Based in Moncton, NB, Faron focuses on brand visual identity design, web user interface design and consulting in-house teams on larger design-based projects. He is also working on a passion project called Creative Union, a club for creatives to connect and empower one another to elevate the profession.
• The power of strategic design and the evolution of the “thinking” designer
  Through a traditional lens, design is about crafting visual outputs and tangible artifacts. Yet there is a world of opportunity that opens up for businesses and organizations who view their customer experience through the lens of interconnected systems that can be optimized by thoughtfully applying design to everything we see, touch and experience. How do designers shift from light-touch Jack-of-all-trades practitioners to strategic thinkers who thoughtfully apply their design skills throughout the human experience?
  Moderator: Nicola Ryan, VP of Product Design at Conde Nast
  Nicola is a design leader working at the intersection of brand, storytelling and technology. At Condé Nast, she leads the design and UX of digital experiences across their portfolio of brands, including The New Yorker and Wired.
• Spaces & Places: Designing for the Built Environment
  How do designers contribute to city-building projects that shape our urban spaces? From architecture and urban planning to wayfinding, placemaking, and community engagement, creatives in the built environment collaborate across disciplines to address the evolving needs of our cities. Whether you’re active in this field or just curious, join us to exchange stories, share career insights, and explore how we can make a positive impact in our communities.
  Moderator: Jay Wall RGD
  Jay is a creative director dedicated to social change, with a focus on brand design and communications for community engagement. Based in Guelph, he was previously the founder of RallyRally and principal creative director at Briteweb. Named one of Canada’s top public space champions by Spacing Magazine, Jay is also a design professor at George Brown College.

DesignThinkers attendees will be able to pre-register for discussions. Keep an eye on your email for the sign-up form.

Roundtables are your chance to connect with other creatives in a small group setting. Led by senior design professionals, roundtables are being hosted on both conferences days from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Bring your questions, offer advice and participate in conversations that will leave you feeling engaged and energized.

Here are the topics on this year’s schedule for Day 1:

November 7th, 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

• Overcoming creative burnout
  For designers and other creatives, the line between work and play is often difficult to define. As a result, the threat of burnout is particularly complicated. What happens when the thing that brings you so much joy becomes a source of so much stress and anxiety? Join us for a discussion about tactics and strategies to avoid burnout and to recover when you actually hit that wall.
  *Note: this roundtable has two moderators
  Moderator: Radim Malinic, Creative Director, Designer and Best-selling author
  DesignThinkers speaker based in the UK, Radim runs Brand Nu Studio, an award-winning branding and creative studio, and Brand Nu Books, an independent publishing imprint.
  Moderator: Marin Hudson RGD, Owner/Creative Director of Kitestring
  A community-minded graphic designer based  in Hamilton, Marin finds joy working with people to bring impactful branding and compassionate campaigns to life. As an educator, Marin strives to show students the value of curiosity and connection, prioritizing the human experience through kindness, accessibility and collaboration.
• Good design is for everybody: Sharing accessibility tools, resources and processes
  Join this conversation about the role of accessibility in design and how it can benefit us all. We will share our knowledge and experiences with each other, whether you’re a seasoned accessibility advocate or new to the concept. We’ll focus on the latest tools and technologies available for designers and developers to create accessible products, along with tips and tricks we can use in our everyday practices.
  Moderator: Carla Thibodeau RGD, Designer at the Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick
  Carla has worked for a book publisher, a non-profit organization, the Department of National Defence and as a freelancer. She is working towards attaining Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies certification through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. 
• Futuristic fantasy to practical reality: Leveraging AI tools in the design process
  Have you experimented with AI to enhance your workflow? Have you used AI to gain insights about user behaviour? Have you used AI to boost your creativity? Join us for a discussion of designers’ experiences with AI and what impact we think it will have on the design industry.
  Moderator: Jo Roca, Creative Venture Partner at Accept & Proceed, Creative Director & Partner at My Big Moments
  Originally from Colombia, Jo has worked with organizations big and small on complex challenges ranging from strategy, ideation and concept development to product launch, experience design, branding and place making. Her experience includes being Executive Creative Director at the brand agency For The People and being a Creative Director at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
• Mental health and creative sustainability
  When we’re mentally balanced, we’re more likely to approach problems creatively, be more patient with the design process and be more accepting of feedback. Join us as we talk openly about our mental health challenges, contemplate how being a designer may exacerbate them and consider how employers and colleagues can be more supportive.
  Moderator: Carolyn Harman RGD
  Carolyn is an innovative and creative thought-leader who has worn a multitude of stylish yet professional hats from an exciting 27 year career in graphic design, marketing and communications. She has designed and strategized with brands like Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Destination Canada and the City of Ottawa, and currently leads the marketing team for a high-tech start-up in Ottawa.
• The business of design: Aligning design practices with business mindsets
  It can often be challenging for designers to balance our creative visions with successful business outcomes. Whether it be for our clients, who would like to understand the ROI behind every project, or for ourselves, focusing on setting up our own businesses to be financially viable, there is a constant struggle between left and right brain. Let’s chat about how we can combine the best of both worlds.
  Moderator: Amanda DeVries RGD, Principal & Creative Director of Eye Candy Design
  Amanda’s firm is a boutique branding and packaging design firm that creates fresh, iconic work for food and beverage companies. She has nearly 20 years experience as a brand consultant, art director and graphic designer.
• Future-proofing your design career: Skills for the next decade
  As technology advances and consumer preferences shift, adaptability emerges as a critical trait for designers. We delve into the importance of mastering not only the latest design software and tools, but also fostering a deep understanding of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design principles. Our conversation will touch on the rising significance of ethical and sustainable design practices, emphasizing the role designers play in addressing global challenges. Join us to gain insights into how to navigate the dynamic design industry and ensure your career remains future-proof.
  Moderator: Genevieve Ross, Creative Director at Stocksy
  At Stocksy, Genevieve leads creative strategy for the cooperative’s collection of high-quality stock photography and video. Working with a talented team of editors, researchers and artists, she ensures the aesthetic and creative integrity of the collection across various media types, genres and themes.
• Unmute yourself: Strategies for speaking up and being heard
  In this discussion, we will explore communication and presentation techniques designed to captivate your audience’s attention. You’ll discover how to refine your storytelling skills and effectively integrate data, anecdotes and visuals to convey your message with greater impact. We’ll also share valuable insights and best practices to help you become a more persuasive and engaging communicator.
  Moderator: Taralyn Carver RGD, Creative Director & Co-Founder of BOLD LIP
  BOLD LIP is an agency built to empower creatives—especially women—with the mentorship, time and support needed to produce exceptional work. At BOLD LIP, Taralyn leads a dynamic team that partners with clients at key moments, whether launching fresh identities, revitalizing established ones or maintaining beloved presences.
• Inclusive design research
  In today’s data-driven world, understanding all users is paramount to design effectiveness. Gathering valuable insights from target audiences refines products or services, enhance experiences and allows for more informed decisions. Join us as we explore essential considerations for building and managing meaningful design research, discuss the complexities of decolonizing research practices and the importance of inclusive participation in design research.
  Moderator: Josh Skinner, Product Designer & Educator
  With over 12 years of experience in the design industry, Josh has worked in a variety of sectors, from creative agencies to major financial institutions like the Bank of Montreal and organizations in the tech sector such as Lever and Loop. He is passionate about equity and accessibility, and continually educates himself on these topics to advocate for inclusive design. Also, he has taught at the post-secondary level for over 7 years.
• Design for social good: Creating a better world
  Our world is fraught with challenges, and design plays a considerable part in tackling them. Ultimately, design is about communication. So, how do we design experiences that help users understand, learn and derive meaning from the world around them? These are communication, industrial design and educational problems, and how designers tackle these spheres has a massive impact on changing lives. Let’s discuss how we embrace these subjects to become better members of society and ensure that we wield our skills for the betterment of all.
  Moderator: Juliana Camargo RGD, Principal of Power House Design
  With 7 years of experience working with social impact organizations, Juliana uses her problem-solving mind to work with diverse communities and leverage their unique storytelling to develop brand strategies while creating core assets like brand guidelines, reports and information graphics.
  
• Data-driven design: Leveraging analytics for design effectiveness
  While data-driven design helps to create user-centric solutions, designers must balance it with the importance of creativity and intuition in the design process. How do we use data with creating design that lacks originality and innovation? Join us as we discuss ways to use data while still trusting our instincts and expertise.
  Moderator: Hamilton Ofiyai, Mitchell Press
  Hamilton is Co-Founder & Director of Innovation and Technology for Mitchell’s Project28 Web Marketing Division. P28’s focus is to Maximize our partners ROI though intelligent Data to inform marketing and design decision making.

November 7th, 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

• Comic Sans, You Suck: Sharing your best stories of inappropriate font usage
  Get ready for a deep dive into the world of “bad “fonts! Join us as we explore what makes a font choice cringeworthy, debate whether Comic Sans deserves its infamous reputation, and uncover why people love the fonts we love to hate. Expect spirited discussions and a few design horror stories! (p.s. We ARE hating on the same fonts, right?)
  Moderator: Ronald Tau RGD, Graphic Designer, Creative Director & Founder of Meat Studio
  Ronald’s firm specializes in brand identity design and typography. His work has been recognized by TDC, ADC, ADCC, Tokyo TDC, Communication Arts, Creative Review, RGD Ultrabold, Applied Arts, Vice, 032C and It’s Nice That. He teaches typography and graphic design at York University and George Brown School of Design.
  
• Passion projects: Making work for fun, because it’s fun to do
  What really piques your curiosity? Come join our conversation as we explore the significance of passion projects, discuss the habit of chasing curiosity and find ways to carve out time for creative fun, without getting stuck in a perpetual cycle of productivity.
  Moderator: Talia Cotton, Founder & Creative Director of Cotton
  DesignThinkers speaker, Talia is a designer, coder, creative entrepreneur and leading specialist in the intersection of branding and technology. Fast Company recently described her as “one of the leading graphic designers of the moment to embrace the possibilities of code.”
• Future-proofing your design career: Skills for the next decade
  As technology advances and consumer preferences shift, adaptability emerges as a critical trait for designers. We delve into the importance of mastering not only the latest design software and tools, but also fostering a deep understanding of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design principles. Our conversation will touch on the rising significance of ethical and sustainable design practices, emphasizing the role designers play in addressing global challenges. Join us to gain insights into how to navigate the dynamic design industry and ensure your career remains future-proof.
  Moderator: Radim Malinic, Creative Director, Designer and Best-selling author
  DesignThinkers speaker based in the UK, Radim runs Brand Nu Studio, an award-winning branding and creative studio, and Brand Nu Books, an independent publishing imprint.
• Building stronger design processes
  Process is the key to profit, but a good process often takes years to nurture and is often tailored to an individual, especially in the design world! We will discuss topics like defining chinks in the armour, identifying problem areas, the importance of trying new things and using technology to help build more robust systems and easily replicable processes.
  Moderator: Dave Dick RGD, Creative Director, Strategist & Founding Partner of Humanfolk
  Dave’s career spans agency, in-house, business owner and education. He has delivered solutions for such brands as Prime Video, General Mills, Food Network, Cineplex, University of Toronto, Corus Entertainment and CBC.
• Tell a stronger story: Strategies for effective communication and presentations
  In this discussion, we will explore communication and presentation techniques designed to captivate your audience’s attention. You’ll discover how to refine your storytelling skills and effectively integrate data, anecdotes and visuals to convey your message with greater impact. We’ll also share valuable insights and best practices to help you become a more persuasive and engaging communicator.
  *Note: This roundtable has two moderators.
  Moderator: John Furneaux RGD, Managing Director, Toronto at PS&Co Brand Studio
  At PS&Co, John oversees strategic and creative development. Previously, he held executive positions at leading brand consultancies including Identica Branding, karacters design group, Ove Design and Publicis Brand|Design. John also teaches at George Brown College in their Design Management.
  Moderator: Fe Wyma RGD, Senior Consultant of Communications & Creative Services at NVision Insight Group and Founder of Kapwa Communications.
  For more than 20 years, Fe has provided visual communications, branding and corporate training services to both the public and private sectorst. Fe is also a graphic design educator who shares her love of layout and typography with emerging designers.
• User-centred design: Where humans reign supreme
  The application of user-centred design is constantly changing. Do you spend much of your time thinking about how the user can be better served by the designs you create? How do we ensure that users are the main focus of our designs, and that those users find our designs easy to navigate? Join us to discuss how design can be employed to make things easier, rather than just help address the bottom line.
  Moderator: Elyse Maxwell RGD, Senior Graphic Designer & Project Manager at Patch Design
  From developing comprehensive branding systems to designing packaging and print materials, Elyse enjoys working directly with clients to find solutions to their challenges.
• The power of strategic design and the evolution of the “thinking” designer
  Through a traditional lens, design is about crafting visual outputs and tangible artifacts. Yet there is a world of opportunity that opens up for businesses and organizations who view their customer experience through the lens of interconnected systems that can be optimized by thoughtfully applying design to everything we see, touch and experience. How do designers shift from light-touch Jack-of-all-trades practitioners to strategic thinkers who thoughtfully apply their design skills throughout the human experience?
  Moderator: Adriana Ivory RGD, Design Director at The Garden Collective
  Adriana is a multi-disciplinary designer, creative leader and part-time educator that strives to create the best and most purposeful work. Her passion for design stems from her desire to problem solve: to think about things differently, and derive creative solutions that both function well and look great. 
• From concept to completion: Managing design projects in-house
  Dive into the different aspects of project intake systems and project management processes within in-house design environments. Share strategies, best practices and key challenges for navigating design projects efficiently and effectively. Benefit from group insights to optimize your workflow and elevate project outcomes.
  Moderator: Pina Nicoli, Group Account Director at Cella
  Pina is a proven People Leader with considerable experience in building and leading large teams, driving results, developing and optimizing workflow processes, business to business sales and service delivery.
• Colouring inside the lines: Fostering creativity within the confines of a brand
  The same branding, same colours, same style day in and out. It can get boring. How do we foster that creative itch and stay motivated while adhering to our often strict brand guidelines? Join us to discuss techniques for pushing the brand envelope, trying out new, potentially radical ideas, all while still staying brand faithful.
  Moderator: Jessica deVaal RGD
  Jessica draws upon more than 25 years of design experience in the education, medical and financial sectors. She has a three-year diploma in Technical Illustration from Sheridan, was a proofreader for eight years at the University of Toronto, and currently is a designer with Deloitte Canada. Her passion is problem solving and she loves a good design challenge or even a good puzzle.
• Me, myself and I: Succeeding as a solo practitioner
  There is no blueprint to working for yourself. Let’s discuss the successes we’ve accomplished and failures we’ve endured, so we can all learn from eachother and grow our businesses.
  Moderator: Faron Dawe RGD, Freelance Designer & Principal at FARON.DESIGN
  Based in Moncton, NB, Faron focuses on brand visual identity design, web user interface design and consulting in-house teams on larger design-based projects. He is also working on a passion project called Creative Union, a club for creatives to connect and empower one another to elevate the profession.
• Students only: Embrace your design identity and build your creative confidence
  Confidence is key to becoming a successful designer, but how do you garner confidence in a world of criticism and imposter syndrome? Join us in this roundtable to discuss simple tips and tricks to build creative confidence that will help you navigate your early career as a student and designer.
  Moderator: Elana Rudick RGD, Founder & Creative Director of Design Is Yummy
  Design Is Yummy is an award-winning, Montreal-based design studio known for its bold, purposeful approach. With a firm belief that the “why” is more important than the “what”, Elana leads her team in collaborating with brands in the arts and culture, education, healthcare, government and not-for-profit sectors. 

DesignThinkers attendees will be able to pre-register for discussions. Keep an eye on your email for the sign-up form.

Playful Printing
Hosted by Diana Varma RGD
Date/time: November 7, 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM

What do you get when you cross an iconic kids toy with a 500 year-old communication technology? Playful printing! In this workshop, you’ll experience printing infused with play; conceptualizing, assembling and printing your very own letterpress art. As you create, you’ll also learn about the history of letterpress printing and the ways in which it’s making a resurgence today. Join us for this hands-on workshop that will make your inner child (and Gutenberg!) proud.

Type Design Crash Course: Crafting Unique Letterforms
Hosted by Carl Shura
Date/time: November 7, 1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

Discover your Creative Archetype. Unlock your Creative Potential.
Hosted by Dominic Prevost
Date/time: November 7, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Creatives know how to come up with solid ideas, but the creative process is often messy and inconsistent. Sure, we can blame it on the timeline, the brief, the team or the lack of sleep… But have you ever taken the time to think about how you think? The creative process is not one size fits all, and there are many different ways to harness our creativity. Which is yours? Let’s find that out together. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll be answering a series of prompts — backed by some real-world anecdotes from Dominic’s experience working in design studios and ad agencies, big and small, to figure out your “Creative Archetype,” and how to tap into your traits to make the best of your inspiration. We’ll discuss procrastination, late nights, stress management, organization, ideation, creative rituals and triggers (both good or bad). The list goes on… Think Myers-Briggs, but for the creative process. At the end of this workshop, you’ll have a completed questionnaire that will outline your “Creative Archetype:” your strengths, challenges, a road map of goals/improvements and a deeper understanding of what gets your creativity flowing.

Building Creative Confidence Toolkit
Hosted by Radim Malinic
Date/time: November 7, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

This workshop cultivates creative resilience and enhances collaborative skills through practical exercises, with participants working in pairs throughout. Using interactive techniques, attendees learn to centre themselves, improve communication and embrace bold ideas without the fear of being wrong. These habits boost creative confidence, spark innovative thinking and nurture a supportive collaborative environment. The idea is to recognize simple tools to overcome creative blocks, generate fresh perspectives and turn collective brainstorming into impactful outcomes

Key features: 

• Enhance listening skills: Learn active listening techniques to deepen understanding, build trust and strengthen relationships.
• Develop effective communication: Cultivate clarity, empathy and confidence in speaking to convey ideas with impact and influence.
• Heighten awareness: Practice mindfulness breathing techniques and self-reflection to increase focus and foster greater self-awareness.
• Embrace failure and uncertainty: Shift perspectives on failure and uncertainty as opportunities for learning, innovation and personal growth.

You’ve been in the design industry for over 20 years. What inspired your shift from client work towards focusing on educating and mentoring designers?

I am always eager to take on new challenges and believe my mission for the next 20 years is to infuse realism and honesty into design education. I grew up in a design environment that valued craft, patience and perseverance. However, social media has led a generation to believe that these qualities no longer matter. Many now focus on meaningless productivity rather than meaningful action. The proliferation of AI prompts, outdated college curriculums and productivity hacks from design influencers fail to prepare real designers for the real world. I believe that if I can help designers navigate the unpredictability of dealing with actual clients, the predictable aspects of design will become second nature.

Where does traditional design education fall short? How is your approach addressing these gaps?

Traditional design education often emphasizes theoretical knowledge over practical experience. While students may graduate with strong technical skills, they often struggle to apply these skills in real-world situations, particularly when dealing with clients and project constraints. The curriculum focuses heavily on essential elements such as typography, portfolio development and the history of design. Although this foundational knowledge is important, the curriculum insufficiently addresses communication, soft skills and the unpredictable traits that define a successful professional in the real-world design industry. Furthermore, there is limited emphasis on entrepreneurship, leaving graduates unprepared for the multifaceted roles they must assume to stand out in a competitive field.

Shifting to brand design, can you share a bit about a pitch that went really well? What was your biggest takeaway from it?

I have never pitched for work. To me, the idea of giving away a load of ideas for free, especially when competing against five others also working for free, has never made sense. There only ever seems to be one winner in these scenarios, and it’s rarely the design teams pitching. My biggest takeaway for anyone reading this is that you can build a successful and fulfilling design career without ever needing to pitch for work. Instead, I’ve always focused on becoming a niche. My strategy revolves around creating a pull towards my services, rather than pushing my services onto others. While pitching can be effective for some, it’s not a path I have personally aligned with.

You have over 750k followers on Instagram! Your community is engaged and you’re always sharing content that’s both entertaining and useful. In your experience, what makes a designer worth following? Do you have advice for designers who want to share more of themselves and their work online? 

Firstly, remember that no one will remember you on your deathbed for having an Instagram following, so don’t measure your success by audience size. Many successful designers aren’t even present on social media. However, social media can be a great way to connect with others and establish yourself as a consistent contributor to the design community.

Always remember why you’re sharing your work. Is it to attract clients? To educate others? Knowing your purpose is crucial. Storytelling and offering value are effective ways to engage with your audience. Finally, keep in mind that no one cares as much as you do. Done is better than perfect, so just post your work and move on.

This year’s conference theme is “Into the Rabbit Hole.” Is there any topic or idea that you’ve been diving into lately? 

Human behaviour is my constant obsession. Understanding the biology and reasoning behind our choices and actions absolutely fascinates me. One of the main reasons I want to dive deeper into the education space is because many people adopt a one-size-fits-all approach to pricing, selling, creativity, and business. They often believe their way is the only correct way.

By learning more, I’ve embraced a one-size-fits-one approach, which has profoundly benefited me as a designer, educator and human. Recognizing that everyone I meet is different makes the idea of treating them all the same feel ludicrous.

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.