The RGD's In-House Design Conference brings together over 250 creatives in Toronto

“I loved the content! Overall, a focus on strategic positioning and less on creative inspiration was exactly what I was looking for. It's tough to come back to the office and explain to my boss that I got value out of feeling inspired. I was able to bring back a lot of ideas to continue our journey away from being order takers who just make things look pretty!”

Sam Culham RGD

The day started with morning roundtables, offering attendees the chance to connect over coffee and conversation.

The first talk of the day was delivered by Kathleen Scott RGD on an exploration of foundational strategies for in-house design success. Followed by Renee Ellis, sharing ways to harness creative tech and optimize workflow. Michael J. Young RGD's presentation focused on designing in multiple languages, while Andy Epstein tackled the often-unspoken cultural challenges of internal creative teams in navigating corporate politics.

Cecilia Mok presented insights on creative brand extensions, followed by Michael Carrick’s hands-on session AI for Designers, which showcased practical tools to support, not replace, creativity. The morning closed with Jesse Krinsky’s talk on communicating the value of creativity, where attendees learned strategies to better frame creative work in business terms.

“I loved hearing from professionals in high profile organizations, seeing examples, how they resolved challenges. The event allows us to relate to other professionals about staying on top of trends, how to better communicate visually. Loved being at the Reference Library. Catering was great.”

Teresinha Costa, Graphic Design Specialist, Communications & Public Affairs, Faculty of Arts & Science at University of Toronto

Attendees joined lunch roundtable discussions and took part in speed networking sessions, where they mixed, mingled and made meaningful connections. Whether new to the in-house world or a seasoned pro, this fast-paced, engaging event offered a chance to swap stories, share tips and grow their creative circles. 

The afternoon resumed with Sabrina Young RGD leading Demystifying Accessible Data Visualizations, a deep dive into clarity, accessibility and design. Margaret Lee took the stage with The Art of the Encore, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how she reinvents the TIFF brand year after year while staying true to its core identity. Her session was followed by Ian Clarke, shared a talk on Designing an In-house Studio that Grows, Adapts and Delivers. Hands-On Approach to Service Design by Avinash Raj Empowering Partner Creativity by Wendy Millard RGD

“Majority of the content was very relevant—many times found myself thinking "wow, that's us ... that's exactly what we're dealing with.”

Matt Hasenbalg, Creative Services at Valvoline

As the day progressed, Amy Janzen RGD prompted attendees to reflect on the strategic role of designers in Nosy Designers Get Strategy. The final session, Break Out of Your Design Bubble, co-presented by Caroline Bruckner RGD and Geneviève Metropolis RGD, encouraged creative professionals to embrace collaboration across departments and broaden their influence within organizations.

The day wrapped with an In-House Social, where speakers, attendees and sponsors gathered over drinks and hors d’oeuvres to close the day. 

Recordings of all sessions will be available to attendees for the next three months. After which, they will be only available to the RGD Members.

Thank you to our event photographers Kate Trysh and Hiep Vu

Title Sponsor: Cella by Randstad Digital

Thank you also to sponsors: Canadian Tire, Displaay, Domtar, INFOCUS Consulting and Moveable