Jennifer Taback RGD and Meggan Van Harten RGD, Co-Founders of Design de Plume Inc., have been attending DesignThinkers since they were students. Now running their own firm, they not only continue to attend the conference, but they also bring numerous members of their Sudbury-based team.

We spoke with Jenn (L) and Meggan (R) about why they prioritize attending DesignThinkers with their staff.

As a firm owner, why do you invest in this opportunity for your team?

Jenn: I’ve found so much value at the conference, all the way from being a student to a firm owner. I want my team to experience the same information, excitement and inspiration I have on their own creative journeys. There is nowhere else I can find such broadly informative sessions for all levels of my staff.

What is the make-up of your team that attends?

Jenn: It varies by year. We encourage staff to attend in person when they can, but having a virtual conference option allows more of our staff to participate. Especially our remote staff who live in their home communities.

Meggan: We’ve offered the conference to not only design staff, but also project managers and developers. Team empathy is very important for laying down trust and if everyone is exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking, it can only further team trust.

How has it been valuable for your team to attend as a group?

Jenn: Having a shared experience where we can cover different ground and come together to chat about how those ideas might impact our own work is so valuable to us. Even hearing the same talk, each member of the team takes away something different, and it’s really exciting to develop those different perspectives.

What keeps you coming back year after year?

Jenn: The variety of speakers, the great topics, and the amazing amount of energy that’s contained for a brief moment during the conference. It is one of my favourite times of the year!

Meggan: Being able to connect with the design community at large and seeing the growth of the industry on a large scale.

What would you say to a firm owner who might be interested in bringing their team?

Jenn: Make it a fun team trip, spend the day learning and soaking in ideas and have a great dinner to chat about where everyone’s thoughts are at afterwards!

If you could sum up the experience of attending DesignThinkers with your team in one word, what would it be?

Jenn: Renewing.

Invest in your team’s learning at DesignThinkers Toronto. Groups of 3+ people can register at the group rate, and groups of 10+ receive even deeper discounts. Email Heidi at [email protected] to enquire.

First attending DesignThinkers in 2002 as a student, Kathleen Scott RGD, Creative Strategy Team Lead at Bruce Power (L), now attends the conference alongside her team. We spoke with Kathleen about attending with her colleagues and why it’s a value experience for everyone.

What was the process like for getting approval for your team to go?

We’re fortunate that we work for a company that prioritizes continuous learning and professional development opportunities. Before our team registers, I have a conversation with our manager to confirm we are able to attend.

What is the make-up of your team that attends?

Six designers from our team attend.

How has it been valuable to attend as a group?

Nothing beats the shared experience of getting out of the office, watching inspiring design presentations and spending time in downtown Toronto together. Each designer on our team will have different takeaways and things they find worthwhile at the conference. It’s always interesting to hear each of their highlights. We return to work with new ideas and our creative batteries recharged.

What keeps you coming back year after year?

The quality of speakers and their presentations keeps us coming back to DesignThinkers year after year. I often say how lucky we are to have this world-class design conference right here, in Canada. The conference also allows us to see old colleagues and classmates that we may have otherwise lost touch with. It’s a fun reunion and great networking opportunity each year.

What would you say to a creative lead who might be interested in bringing their team?

If you’re a creative lead who is interested in bringing your team, definitely do it! It creates space for your team to learn, meet other design teams and provides exposure to current trends in the industry. I would also recommend checking to see if your company or department has a portion of their budget set aside for professional development to use for the conference. If not, see if attending DT can be included in next year’s budget.

If you could sum up the experience of attending DesignThinkers with your team in one word, what would it be?    

Energizing.

Grow together and learn as a creative team at DesignThinkers Toronto. Groups of 3+ people can register at the group rate, and groups of 10+ receive even deeper discounts. Email Heidi at [email protected] to inquire.

Roundtables are your chance to connect with other creatives in a small group setting. Led by senior design professionals, roundtables are hosted on both conferences days from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.

We also have Group Mentoring Sessions for Students and Associate RGD Members to discuss career-related topics.

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

Sign up for roundtables and group mentoring sessions when you register for the conference. Roundtables are $10 each unless otherwise noted as free. Group Mentoring Sessions are $5 each.

October 1

8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

• Ageism: Challenging assumptions
• Brand identity beyond the logo
• Cultural appropriation vs. appreciation: How can brands navigate cultural sensitivity and avoid missteps while celebrating diversity?
• Designing your career path: Navigating growth in an in-house environment
• Overcoming creative block
• Setting boundaries and managing scope: Ensuring healthy working relationships and project success
• Free software tools you’ve never heard of
• Me, myself and I: Succeeding as a solo practitioner
• Future-proofing your design career: Skills for the next decade
• The value of research in branding
• Group Mentoring (for Students & Associates) How to start freelancing
• Group Mentoring (for Students & Associates) on Getting a job at an agency or design studio

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

• Internships: Are they all that?
• How to grow as a designer when you’re a design team of one
• The value of research in branding
• Spaces & places: Designing for architecture, urban planning and placemaking
• The art of the brief
• Design leadership: How to foster trust, creativity and purpose
• Mental health in design: Nurturing creativity and clarity of mind
• Democratization of design: How to redefine your role when everyone’s a designer
• Work smarter, not harder: Strategies for creating great work, efficiently
• How to ask questions like a UX Researcher
• What makes a strong RGD application? Demystifying the process of becoming an RGD (free)
• Group Mentoring (for Students & Associates) on Getting a job at an in-house organization
• Group Mentoring (for Students & Associates) on Generalist vs specialization, Pros and cons

October 2

8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

• The gentle art of feedback: How to give it and get it
• Designers as System Builders
• Beyond numbers: Proving the value of design(ers)
• The role of typography in branding: How font choices impact brand perception and readability
• Rebranding in the modern era: Discussing the challenges and opportunities of rebranding in a dynamic market
• Future-proofing your design career: Skills for the next decade
• The Rise of the “Ugly”: Why ugly design Is winning in 2025
• Why is the world losing colour?
• AMA: Let’s talk RGD Certification (free)
• Group Mentoring (for Students & Associates) on landing your first job (interviews skills/prep and portfolios tips)
• Group Mentoring (for Students & Associates) on what design studios look for in a portfolio

12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

• Pricing and contracts in branding: Establishing fair compensation and clear agreements
• Me, myself and I: Succeeding as a solo practitioner
• Imposter syndrome who? Gaining confidence in your skills and abilities
• The evolution of a brand: How brands adapt and evolve over time while maintaining core values
• How to ask questions like a UX Researcher
• The role of intuition in design: Examining the balance between data-driven design and intuitive decision-making
• Stand up and stand out: Gaining respect working in-house for government
• Passion projects: Making work for fun, because it’s fun to do
• Co-creating with machines: Which tools do you use
• AMA: Let’s talk RGD Certification (free)
• Designers as system builders
• From freelance to founder: Business models for creative success
• Group Mentoring (for Students & Associates) on leveraging networking to get a job

Applications are open for small businesses selling Canadian-made, design-forward goods to be a part of the DesignThinkers marketplace at the conference in Toronto on October 1 and 2, 2025.

The marketplace is an opportunity to connect with 2,000 attendees and the RGD’s wider audience on social media and other digital channels.

Vendor spaces are 8-feet wide x 6-feet deep. All vendors receive a 6-foot table, chair, access to free Wi-Fi and one transferrable exhibitor badge.

Apply by Monday, August 25.

Our 2025 DesignThinkers Toronto scholarships are generously provided by: Fusion, Pound & Grain, Cinnamon Toast, Him & Her Inc., Razor, Davis Agency, Pixels and Pencils and Paul Jen Communications Inc.

Scholarships recognize outstanding emerging designers and offer a unique platform to showcase your creativity to the broader design community. This is your opportunity to gain exposure, connect with leading creatives and be part of the DesignThinkers conference.

Up to eight scholarship recipients will receive free registration to DesignThinkers Toronto 2025 and $500 in cash to help cover travel, accommodation and other expenses. This year, recipients and their work will also be showcased on the main stage screen during conference breaks. Entrants can win up to 2 cash prizes.

Eligibility criteria

To apply, you must be an Associate RGD Member in good standing at the time of the application deadline. Associate RGD Members have eight or fewer years of professional experience and graduation from a recognized post-secondary program (scan of transcript or diploma required). Review all the benefits of RGD Membership here.

If you received a DesignThinkers Vancouver 2025 scholarship, you are not eligible to enter for Toronto.

How to apply

To be considered, submit:

• One design project from your portfolio (can be personal, school or professional work)*
• A rationale for the project describing the context, process and solution*
• Responses to the following questions:
  • Why do you wish to attend DesignThinkers?
  • What do you hope to gain from the experience?

* If the project submitted is professional work, the information provided will be emailed to you and can be used for one of three case studies in an RGD Certification application. Find out about Certification.

Selection criteria

Applicants will be evaluated on the quality of the work and thoughtfulness of their responses.

Deadline to apply

11:59 PM PT on Friday, August 15, 2025. Submit your application here.

McLoughlinMcLoughlin

Guy Anabella is a fierce creativity professor and drag artist, drawing inspiration from her Guyanese heritage. Ahead of her workshop at DesignThinkers Toronto, we asked her a few questions about drag, its influence on her approach to teaching and what attendees can expect from the conference’s first-ever session hosted by a drag queen.

Can you tell us a bit about how you got into drag?

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been drawn to powerful, feminine energy—Whitney, Mariah and especially the Spice Girls were my icons. But growing up, I was taught that boys weren’t ‘supposed’ to like those things, so I pushed that part of myself aside for years. As I became more comfortable with my identity, I realized that drag was an incredible way to reconnect with those influences and express both masculine and feminine parts of myself. What started as lip-syncing Britney in my room has now become a way to heal my inner child and embrace the full spectrum of who I am. And also be so incredibly creative!

You’re an award-winning creativity professor. How does your work as a professor influence your approach to drag, and vice versa?

At first, I didn’t think academia and drag could influence each other—after all, you don’t often see drag in a classroom setting. There’s also this level of professionalism that you feel like you have to maintain. But I quickly realized they absolutely do intersect. Drag is an incredibly creative art form, from makeup and costumes to performances. It’s about expressing yourself, often in ways that challenge societal norms, and that’s a valuable lesson in creativity and design. In the classroom, I’ve found that students appreciate this unique perspective because drag artists (kings and things included), in their own way, have been teaching society about inclusion and self-expression for decades.

Is there a lesson in creativity and self-expression that you’ve learned from your drag journey that you find yourself teaching your students?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from drag is that true creativity comes from feeling psychologically safe. That’s why creating inclusive environments—whether in the classroom, the workplace or any creative space—is so important. When people feel accepted for who they are, they’re able to take risks, explore new ideas and ultimately be their most creative selves. For me, drag has reinforced that we need to build those spaces for everyone.

You’re leading a workshop at DesignThinkers where participants can design their own drag characters! Can you give a brief overview of what people can expect to do in the session?

Eeeee! What an honour! Shoutout to RGD for curating queer content! I’m really excited to lead this workshop at DesignThinkers. This is an opportunity for participants to explore their creativity through the lens of drag, no matter their gender or background. We’ll dive into the art of drag and use creativity exercises to help each person design a character that reflects their unique personality. This session is all about creative exploration and self-expression.

What do you hope participants take away from your workshop?

I hope participants walk away from this workshop with a deeper appreciation for drag as an art form and the creativity it embodies. Drag is about celebrating yourself, your gender expression and elevating all the positive things of who you are. It’s like stepping into a superhero version of yourself. I hope folks were able to see that they can access their drag persona at any time to embrace and amplify their unique strengths, creativity and confidence. I want them to feel inspired to apply these tools in other areas of their lives, whether that’s in design, problem-solving or self-expression. I also hope it sparks thoughts on how inclusivity can enhance their creative processes and overall work.

Secure your spot in Guy Anabella’s workshop, Design Your Own Drag Character! ($20), on November 8 at 11:30 a.m. Register when you purchase your conference ticket or according to the additional programming registration instructions in your pre-conference emails.

With the support of our sponsors, the RGD has awarded 9 cash scholarships to emerging designers to attend DesignThinkers Toronto this November 7-8.

Student RGDs and Associate RGDs were invited to submit a 30-second to 1-minute video expressing their enthusiasm for DesignThinkers Toronto and why they wished to attend the conference.

Each sponsor selected a winner and provided $500 for them to help cover their costs to attend.

Thank you to this year’s DesignThinkers Toronto Scholarship Sponsors: Cinnamon Toast, Davis, Frontier, Fusion, Key Vision Design, Pound & Grain, Razor Creative Solutions, Significant Other and One23West.

Below, we share their winning work. Click on each project to watch the video submission.

Deanna Auger Associate RGD

Sponsor: Significant Other

Malak Elsharkawy Associate RGD

Sponsor: Cinnamon Toast

Pulomāja Gajraj Student RGD

Sponsor: One23West

Rayna Lai Student RGD

Sponsor: Pound & Grain

Emily Norris-Jones Student RGD

Sponsor: Frontier

Brianna Petrut Student RGD 

Sponsor: Davis

Nafisa Sadia Student RGD

Sponsor: Key Vision Design

Briet Savard Gudjonsdottir Student RGD

Sponsor: Razor Creative Solutions

Vienne Seto Student RGD

Sponsor: Fusion Design Group