List: Toronto roundtable topics & schedule

Roundtables are your chance to connect with other creatives in a small group setting. Bring your questions, offer advice and participate in conversations that will leave you feeling engaged and energized. You’re welcome to bring your breakfast/lunch and eat during the conversation.

Sign up for roundtables when you register for the conference or in the Attendee Portal. Email [email protected] if you need help accessing the Attendee Portal.

Pricing: $10 CAD

November 2, 8:15 to 9:15 a.m.

1. Speaking the same language: Building brilliant 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: Michael Young RGD
Michael is a Toronto-based designer working at the Government of Ontario. With over 15 years of experience in the design industry, he helps public and private sector organizations create attractive designs that are AODA compliant and user-friendly.

2. Challenges of working in a non-creative environment
Possible discussion topics include: how to balance maintaining your creative integrity as a graphic designer and meeting the rigid, non-creative demands of a corporate work environment; how to communicate the value of design thinking and creative solutions to colleagues or leadership who may not have a background in design; and how to inject fresh ideas into your work while staying within the constraints of strict brand guidelines and established design conventions.
Moderator: Deanna Tosto RGD
Deanna always enjoys the inspiration, ideas and burst of creative energy she gets from attending DesignThinkers. As someone with both in-house corporate and design studio experience, she has learned that the dynamics in these two types of design environments are very different.

3. Champagne taste on a beer budget: Doing more with less
Let’s brainstorm alternative ways to provide creativity to our clients as well as educate them about our experience and the value of the work we provide.
Moderator: Teressa Kelly RGD
Teressa has been a graphic designer for over 25 years. Eighteen of those years were spent working for not-for-profit organizations. She has also been part of an in-house design team in the insurance industry. In 2023, Teressa took the leap, and these days she is flying solo and working directly with clients (and sneaking off to the lake as often as she can).

4. Passion projects: Making work for fun, because it’s fun to do
What really piques your curiosity? Come join our roundtable conversation where we’ll 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: Rachael Seatvet RGD
Rachael (she/elle) is a Tio’tia:ke/Montréal-based graphic designer focused on research, value centered design, and curiosity. Friend to all dogs and speaker of English and French.

5. 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: Brent Roth RGD
Brent is the owner and Chief Creative Officer of Creativesphere, a creative firm based in Waterloo, ON. With a career spanning three decades, Brent brings a strategic approach to his work, ensuring outstanding creativity and results for his clients.

6. 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: Stüssy Tschudin RGD RCA
Born and raised in Switzerland, Stüssy was a Swiss banker by day and graffiti artist by night. His passion for the creative ultimately led him back to school and toward a career as a graphic designer. He’s a conceptual and visual thinker and brings innovative and strategic insight to every project he oversees at Forge. His dedication to design and communication excellence, combined with his business experience, set the perfect foundation for running a successful design business.

November 2, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

1. Who isn’t at the table? Designing for diversity, equity & inclusion
Moderator: TBD

2. 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: James Martin
James, AKA Made By James, epitomises his tagline, “Design your own way”. He is the Nonconformulator of logo design, and his rebellious creativity has allowed him to thrive in one of the most competitive markets on the planet. He pioneers the void between designer and strategist with his unique approach to Brand Identity Design.

3. The business of design: Aligning design practices with business mindsets
Do clients need to understand design? Do they even have to care? What if all they care about is their business succeeding, and they know they hate blue? The intention of this roundtable is to discuss the age-old “designer vs. client” topic and the intersection of creativity and business. Let’s share how we approach the challenge of creating valuable design that makes a difference for the organizations we serve.
Moderator: Dave Dick RGD
Dave is an award-winning art director, strategist and a founding partner of Humanfolk — a branding agency helping people build deep connections with the ones they serve. Dave’s career spans agency, in-house and now business owner which has left him with a fascination of the intersection of design, business and people. Dave has delivered solutions for such brands as Food Network, Pillsbury, Cineplex, The Rec Room, UofT and CBC.

4. Design dialogues: Navigating challenging client conversations
Get ready for a fun and lively roundtable as we dive deep into the client-designer dynamic. We’ll share stories and swap strategies to broaden our perspectives on client communication, and you’ll leave with practical strategies to try in our own design practices.
Moderator: Elana Rudick RGD
Elana is the Founder and Creative Director at Design Is Yummy — a Montreal-based design studio that thoughtfully communicates brand identities for clients dedicated to community impact. Over the past 15 years, she has collaborated with countless creatives, built successful design teams, and fostered meaningful relationships with clients across the globe. When not working on her RGB glow, you can find Elana picking through design books or at home baking with her two small humans.

5. 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.
Moderator: Sarah Prouse RGD
Sarah is Creative Director at Fusion Design Group where she manages the creative team and also uses her talents as a graphic designer, illustrator and photographer to develop concepts and execute on visual identities, campaigns and large reports for an array of clients.

6. 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 UX and UI principles. We’ll 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: Ian Chalmers RGD
Ian is a designer entrepreneur and founder of the Pivot Design Group, a service design agency, DesignMeets, an event platform that examines the social impact of design and ARCTRN Group, an initiative dedicated to exploring data visualization through stories and insights.

November 3, 8:15 to 9:15 a.m.

1. Work smarter, not harder: Strategies for creating great work, efficiently
Designers do what they do best: design. By reducing administrative and mundane tasks, designers can focus on the project at hand. But how best to do this? Join this session to discuss techniques and processes to help.
Moderator: Natalie Coombs RGD
With 30+ years’ experience in both small agency and in-house design, Natalie currently supports and maintains the integrity of corporate communication standards with regard to the graphic and written brand identity of EY. She oversees design projects from concept through production, balances multiple priorities and plans out resources to meet client commitments and deadlines.

2. 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: Victor Szeto RGD
Victor is the Creative Director at Green Living Enterprises. Having worked in a variety of media in the graphic design field, Victor brings more than a decade of invaluable visual knowledge to the table. He is proud and fortunate to constantly be collaborating with passionate and interdisciplinary teams where he gets to create, develop and execute a variety of visual communications on a daily basis.

3. 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: Greg Dubeau RGD

4. 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: Teressa Kelly RGD
Teressa has been a graphic designer for over 25 years. Eighteen of those years were spent working for not-for-profit organizations. She has also been part of an in-house design team in the insurance industry. In 2023, Teressa took the leap, and these days she is flying solo and working directly with clients (and sneaking off to the lake as often as she can).

5. “Don’t you just make things pretty?”: Turning clients into design advocates
Moderator: Juliana Camargo RGD
Juliana has a background in Architecture but, like many others, found her passion in Graphic Design. With more than six years of experience in the area, she has helped clients to find their voice through visual communications by making them part of their brand discovery process which encouraged them to become design advocates.

6. The gentle art of feedback: How to give it and get it
Moderator: Natalia Reis RGD
As VP Brand at Q30 design, Natalia brings passion to her craft. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from York University, and a Specialised Honours in Visual Communication, she is extremely well suited to visual design. For over 29 years she has designed high calibre communications for clients in the corporate, institutional and nonprofit sectors including TD Bank, Independent Electricity System Operator, Ontario Hospital Association, George Weston and Loblaw, among others.

November 3, 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

1. The gentle art of feedback: How to give it and get it
There is no one size fits all methodology for giving or receiving feedback. It can improve ideas and strengthen relationships. It can also stir up emotions and halt progress. Even when delivered with positive intent, feedback requires trust between participants. What’s your perspective?
Moderator: Howard Poon RGD
Howard has a reputation for frank feedback and has a low tolerance for complexity. As VP Design for DDB Canada, Howard collaborates with a cross-disciplinary agency team of strategists, creatives and designers to use insight-driven design to build exceptional brands.

2. Beautiful, creative + accessible: Strategies for accessible design
Moderator: TBD

3. Overcoming creative burnout
Is creative burnout real? Yes! Can it easily be prevented? Yes! In this discussion, we will talk about both the reactive and proactive measures we can put in place to navigate creative block. How good habits, routines and business processes can change the game for you and what to do if you find yourself creatively inactive.
Moderator: James Martin
James, AKA Made By James, epitomises his tagline, Design your own way. He is the Nonconformulator of logo design and his rebellious creativity has allowed him to thrive in one of the most competitive markets on the planet. He pioneers the void between designer and strategist with his unique approach to Brand Identity Design.

4. 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: Sarah Prouse RGD
Sarah is Creative Director at Fusion Design Group where she manages the creative team and also uses her talents as a graphic designer, illustrator and photographer to develop concepts and execute on visual identities, campaigns and large reports for an array of clients.

5. All hands on deck: The designer’s role in combatting climate change
“Saving our planet is now a communications challenge.” Starting from David Attenborough’s famous quote, we’ll explore the role of graphic and communication design in shaping a more sustainable future. How are we uniquely positioned to address climate change? Who is doing inspiring work? Let’s discuss.
Moderator: Laura Stein RGD
Laura is Chief Creative Officer at Bruce Mau Design. Bruce Mau Design is a research-based design studio delivering inventive and rallying design across all the places where people connect. At BMD, Laura provides overall creative and strategic direction across a variety of project types, from a museum in Abu Dhabi to a greenway in Austin to a global performance brand based in Tokyo. She is currently an instructor at Daniels Faculty of Architecture at UofT, teaching a course entitle Brand and Storytelling: The Climate Movement.

6. 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: Brent Roth RGD
Brent is the owner and Chief Creative Officer of Creativesphere, a creative firm based in Waterloo, ON. With a career spanning three decades, Brent brings a strategic approach to his work, ensuring outstanding creativity and results for his clients.

7. 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.
Moderator: Ruth Farrugia RGD
Ruth has worked as an in-house graphic designer for the City of Côte Saint-Luc for over 20 years. A Certified RGD since 2016, she hosts and moderates the RGD Designers for Municipalities Virtual Community, where in-house designers for cities and regions share their experiences, exchange advice and resources.