Introducing the RGD Project-Based Mentorship Program
Written by Rupsha Mutsuddi Associate RGD, Rupsha Mutsuddi
The RGD's Project-Based Mentorship Program combines the team-based approach of the Designathon with the project-focused nature of the previous Internship Mentorship Program.
Teamwork, mentorship and experiential learning are key components of success within the design industry. In the past, the RGD's Designathon program provided opportunities for students to collaborate with industry professionals in short time frames to create small-scale projects for non-profit organizations. The RGD's Internship Mentorship Program, which ran during the COVID-19 pandemic, gave Student RGDs looking for internships the opportunity to collaborate with a Certified RGD mentor on a project.
Inspired by these programs, this twelve-week program aims to assist emerging designers in filling gaps in their portfolios with projects they haven’t had the opportunity to do in their school curriculum or professional workplaces. Emerging designers or upper year Student RGDs will develop skills such as project management, giving and receiving feedback and rationale writing.
A Certified RGD acts as a design leader. An Associate RGD or upper-year Student RGD acts as design manager/project coordinator and 1-2 Student RGDs act as designers. Each team will work on a mock project (proposed by the Certified RGD or the RGD Mentorship Committee). If you're curious about the work, see the results from 2024 here and here.
Complete the form to register by March 13 to choose mentors from the list below.
We have several different mock projects for applicants to choose from; everything from branding for in-person events to creating apps or websites for not-for-profit organizations.
Mentors
Claire Blair
With over 20 years of experience in the Graphic Design world, Claire has developed a deep understanding of visual communication and design strategy. For the past seven years, Clair has honed her skills at the Earls Restaurant Group, developing a deep understanding of the food and hospitality industry. Prior to this, Claire enjoyed a successful freelance career, collaborating with a diverse range of clients including apparel, packaging, real estate and the public sector. While Claire is proficient across a wide spectrum of graphic design, her true passion lies in crafting visually compelling and strategically effective designs for the food and hospitality sector, with a particular focus on menu design. Claire grew up in the small coastal community of Sechelt and has lived in NYC, Portland and currently resides in Vancouver.
Project Description (Branding): The mentees would develop a brand identity and the branding touch points for a new restaurant concept. Our team will create the restaurant concept and brainstorm possible locations.
David O’Connell RGD
David O'Connell is the founder and creative director of BANG! creative, an award-winning brand design studio with a reputation for delivering impactful, innovative solutions. With over 20 years of experience in the communication arts industry, David began his journey as a multimedia designer during a pivotal time in design technology—when long-form HTML was the new standard, InDesign was Aldus PageMaker, Photoshop just added layers and type rasterized as soon as it was placed. Animated GIFs or ShockWave File (swf) were created in Macromedia Director. Film was still a thing in photography and we used magnetic video tape, edited audio & video off-line and on-line with big manual buttons. We used 3.5" disks and a 100mb Zip drive was more than enough space. Throughout his career, David has worked with clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, developing brands that resonate across print, digital and broadcast mediums. David's specialities include creative direction, brand development, art direction, strategic marketing and advertising. Whether working in traditional media or the digital landscape, his expertise ensures that every project stands out and makes a lasting impact.
Project Description (Branding and Packaging): Mentees will work with David to help create branding and branding touchpoints for a new product launch of a beverage. The product will have an activation point, like a trailer or popup at a sporting event. The project would involve branding, packaging, website, digital ads and a printed ad or piece for a handout at the event.
Raymond Cheah RGD
Raymond Cheah RGD is an award-winning creative director with 20+ years of experience in brand strategy and design leadership, specializing in the non-profit sectors of education, healthcare and green technology. As an RGD Portfolio Evaluator, Project-Based Mentor and external mentor at George Brown College and York University, he is dedicated to fostering emerging talent. His mentorship approach emphasizes strategic thinking, hands-on collaboration and professional growth. Mentees working with Ray gain valuable real-world experience, receive personalized feedback and hone their creative leadership skills in a supportive environment, preparing them for successful careers in the design industry.
Project Description (Branding and Design for Social Good): Raymond will lead the team in developing engaging online/digital campaigns that raise awareness about the environmental and social impacts of overconsumption, focusing on e-waste, food and fashion. This initiative aims to inspire conscious purchasing decisions and meaningful local action for a more sustainable future.
Michael Gioffre
As a Partner and Creative Director of his own studio, Michael brings real-world experience in branding, marketing and business strategy. Michael has worked across industries like real estate, lifestyle and hospitality, leading teams of designers, writers and developers to create impactful brands. As a mentor, Michael will offer insights into both the creative and business sides of the industry—helping you refine your skills, navigate client relationships and build strategies that drive results. Michael’s approach is collaborative, positive and focused on helping you grow with confidence.
Project Description (Branding): Picture a vibrant new arts district in Toronto — a creative hub where artists, designers and makers converge. Over 12 weeks, you’ll shape its brand strategy, visual identity, place branding and launch campaign, positioning it as a must-visit destination for creativity and culture. By the end, you’ll have a meaningful, real-world branding project to showcase in your portfolio.
Magued Hanna RGD
Magued Hanna RGD, is a seasoned UX/Product Design Leader with over 20 years of experience creating intuitive and accessible digital experiences. He has successfully led numerous projects from concept to launch, aligning user needs with business goals. Alongside his professional work, Magued is passionate about mentoring the next generation of UX designers as an instructor at the University of Toronto.
Project Description (UI/UX): Magued will guide a team in designing a digital platform—whether a website, mobile app, or both—for a fictional client, ensuring a seamless and comprehensive user experience across all devices.
Anya Hamman
Anya Hamman is a platform designer with 8 years of experience crafting meaningful digital experiences for brands and people. From agency to in-house design roles, Anya has worked across diverse industries, designing solutions that are not only visually compelling but also user-focused and accessible. What drives me is creating designs that matter—whether it's leading a team to build a brand’s digital presence or refining the smallest interaction to improve usability. Anya works as a UI Design team lead at Nurun, a global design and technology consultancy that works with some of the world’s most innovative brands. We create products and services for the connected world through a combination of human insight, new technology and smart thinking.
The project's description (UI/UX): Anya will mentor a team in designing a digital platform that helps users make sustainable food choices, with a focus on reducing waste, meal planning and grocery management through an intuitive, accessible and engaging user experience. Designers will be responsible for branding, user experience design and creating high-fidelity interfaces and prototypes using Figma or similar tools.
Amelia Nash RGD
As the Brand & Marketing Manager for the School of Visual Arts Masters in Branding program, an award-winning designer and a published writer for PRINT Magazine, Amelia specializes in crafting strategic brand identities and design systems that are both visually compelling and culturally relevant. Mentees who work with Amelia will gain real-world insights into creative leadership, storytelling and the art of future-proofing brands in an ever-evolving landscape.
Project Description (Branding and Design for Social Good): In an era where sustainability is no longer optional, this project will challenge designers to develop a brand identity and government system that minimizes environmental impact at every touchpoint. From regenerative packaging to digital-first strategies, mentees will explore how branding can drive a circular economy. This project will push mentees to think beyond aesthetics and design for impact, longevity and responsibility in a world that demands sustainable solutions.
Balaji Ramakrishnan
Balaji is a UX professional and creative designer with over 15 years of experience transforming complex concepts into clear, user-friendly designs. Balaji is skilled in UX research, storytelling, user journey mapping and design systems. Balaji excels at finding creative solutions and aligning teams toward shared goals. Balaji collaborates closely with stakeholders to drive product innovation and keep pace with industry trends. Passionate about fostering creativity, Balaji advocates for initiatives such as hackathons and design thinking workshops to push innovation beyond boundaries.
Project Description (UX/UI): Mentees will design the user experience and associated user interfaces for an app known as SkillSwap. It is a platform where students can trade skills with each other. Instead of paying for courses or tutoring, users can offer their expertise in one area in exchange for learning something new.
Josh Skinner RGD
Josh is a product designer with over 13 years of experience in the design industry. Having 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 Apartment List, Josh has expertise in creating effective design solutions for complex problems. Josh is passionate about equity and accessibility and advocating for inclusive design. Josh is also an educator at Centennial College and has taught design principles and at the post-secondary level for over 7 years.
Project Description (UI/UX): Josh will lead a project focused on creating a transit app for a fictional city. This project will engage students in the design process, encouraging them to innovate and enhance the user experience and visual design to add value and delight to people.
Stephanie Strawbridge RGD
Stephanie offers expertise in the non-profit and education sectors. Currently, she works in government, where her projects are complex and far-reaching. She is passionate about usability, ethics and purpose-driven design. Over her career, Stephanie has worked in both creative agencies and in-house environments. She has also managed design teams. As your mentor, Stephanie can provide guidance on accessibility standards, web architecture and brand strategy. Let’s craft a compelling vision to resonate with audiences and achieve meaningful impact!
Project Description (UI/UX): Stephanie will be leading a website redesign project for the York Region Children's Aid Society. Designers will create a new logo and high-fidelity visual comps for the main web pages; Interactivity through a Figma or HTML prototype is optional.
Amanda Wood RGD
Pulled from a Website Based in the GTA, Amanda is a designer by training, a Creative Director by experience and a marketer at heart. With over 15 years of experience spanning B2B, B2C and D2C industries, Amanda currently works with various clients on a fractional basis, combining curiosity, passion and skill in every project to deliver exceptional results through data-led decisions and innovative thinking.
Project Description (Branding and Packaging): This project will focus on developing a visual identity and packaging system for a brand extension. Mentees will create branding assets, packaging designs, social media ads and a retail display concept for a fictional product expansion, such as supplements, skincare or home essentials.
Victor Szeto RGD
Victor is the Creative Director at Green Living Enterprises. Having had experience in various graphic design capacities, Victor brings almost two decades of invaluable knowledge to the table. He is proud and fortunate to be consistently collaborating with passionate and interdisciplinary people where he gets to create, develop and execute a variety of visual communications all the time. The types of projects he’s involved with include environmental graphics, campaigns and branding for TD Bank, the University of Toronto, POV Film, the Pembina Institute, Eva’s Initiatives, B Corporation, the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, the ROM, Cineplex and Scotiabank.
Project Description (Branding): Victor will lead the team in branding and creation of materials for an Awards event celebrating Canadian Investigative Journalism. There will be a variety of deliverables to choose from that will appeal to designers looking to strengthen their skills and add to their portfolio in the digital, print, motion or experiential field.
Program Credit:
Rupsha Mutsuddi Associate RGD
Rupsha Mutsuddi
Rupsha is a Designer specializing in Human-Centered Design, an Emerging Design Educator, and an Emerging Design Researcher. Rupsha is pursuing her Master of Design at York. Her work involves looking at the intersection of design, accessibility, and everyday health management. Her research focuses on designing interventions in augmented reality to assist with everyday activities for people living with early-stage dementia aiming to enhance their quality of life through the integration of rituals and habits. Supported by the Government of Canada Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant, she is working with people with dementia, their care partners, and community organizations across Ontario to design better ways to support people living with dementia in everyday life.
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