2025 Design Educators Conference Call for Speaker Abstracts
Design educators, practitioners and thought leaders are invited to submit proposals to present at the 2025 RGD Design Educators Conference taking place in partnership with George Brown College in Toronto on October 3, 2025, immediately after our Toronto DesignThinkers Conference, which takes place Oct 1 and 2 at Meridian Hall.
Deadline to submit: Monday, May 23, 2025, 11:59 pm ET
Submit an abstract nowPresentation Abstracts
Submissions should address how experimentation, failure and transformation intersect to reshape design and its societal role and can include original research, case studies or theoretical explorations relevant to the theme.
Abstracts should be no more than 500 words in length and include the title, objectives and intended outcomes of the presentation.
Presentation format: 20-minute talk + 10-minute Q&A
“At George Brown College’s School of Design, we are excited to embrace the intersections of ShiftShaping in design education in partnership with the RGD for the 2025 Design Educator's Conference. This collaboration represents our commitment to transformation—viewing uncertainty as a canvas for innovation, failure as a stepping stone for learning and bold experimentation as the pathway to evolution. Join us as we explore design’s potential to adapt, flourish and influence through a mindset rooted in curiosity, resilience and the courage to challenge the norms.”
Ana Rita Morais
Workshop Abstracts
Submitssions for interactive, hands-on, participant-driven sessions should explore the ShiftShaping theme through practical activities, collaborative discussions or creative exercises. Workshops should provide experiential explorations (e.g., practical tools, frameworks or techniques participants can implement) that are relevant to the theme. Proposals should be no more than 500 words in length and include the title, objectives and intended outcomes of the session.
Workshop Format: 60 minutes in length, and facilitators will be expected to provide detailed materials or outlines for participant engagement.
Selected speakers will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation.
Selected speakers will be provided with a 25% discount on registration for the Design Educators conference and DesignThinkers Toronto 2025, taking place October 1 and 2 at Meridian Hall.
Selected speakers will have the opportunity to contribute to a proceedings document which will be published after the event.
Please send questions to programs@rgd.ca
