NewsNov 07, 2025

RGD launches new Project-Based Mentorship Program for Winter 2025-2026

Written by Rupsha Mutsuddi Associate RGD, Rupsha Mutsuddi

Image credits: Amelia Nash, Rachel Xu, and Jamie Arcega

The Project-Based Mentorship Program is a 12-week program designed to help emerging designers fill gaps in their portfolios with projects they haven’t had the opportunity to complete 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 senior designer 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 (part 1 and part 2) and 2025 (part 1 and part 2) spring round

For the first time, we are offering this program in the Winter, as a way to offer the opportunity to a broader array of emerging designers and mentors. The mock projects featured focus on branding, design for sustainability and UI/UX.

Complete the form and choose your preferred mentors by November 16 to be considered.

For this and future rounds, we require a $20 deposit that will be refunded to all those who complete their participation in the program or are not selected to participate. If you are selected to participate but, for whatever reason, do not contribute to the final project results, your deposit will not be refunded.

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

Armando Ascorve RGD

Armando is a Mexican Graphic Designer, Creative Director and Photographer with over 17 years of experience in the creative industry. As the founder of Büro Studio, a multidisciplinary agency based in Veracruz, Mexico, he built a strong reputation for developing innovative branding and advertising solutions for diverse clients. His professional journey spans leadership roles such as Creative Director and Lead Designer at Klear Innovations Inc./Paybilt, where he specialized in UI/UX and creative strategy for fintech and payment technologies and Graphic Designer at Aqua Fast Flush, contributing to marketing, advertising and visual communication in Canada’s industrial sector. Currently, Armando contributes to the foundation and growth of 90five.ca, a creative studio based in Ontario focused on branding, design, photography and video production for small and medium-sized businesses. Beyond design, he is also a professional photographer focused on editorial, commercial and portrait work. His creative vision bridges both disciplines — design and photography — to craft cohesive and visually compelling brand experiences.

Project Description (Branding/Advertising): Armando will be leading a project focused on branding and concept creation for an advertising campaigns.

Brian Banton RGD

Brian is a multidisciplinary designer with a Master’s degree in Design and over 18 years of experience. He has worked across brand, product and motion design for both commercial and non-profit clients. His career includes roles such as Creative Director at SAP, Designer at Oculus VR within Meta Reality Labs in California, Principal Designer at Frog Design’s Brooklyn office and Senior Designer at Pentagram in New York. Brian’s work blends strategy, technology and storytelling to create thoughtful, human-centred experiences. Early in his career, he designed award-winning books, identity systems and motion graphics for cultural institutions before relocating to New York.

Project Description (Branding): This project focuses on developing a brand identity for a speculative wearable AI assistant. Mentees will create branding assets, interface mockups, promotional social media content and a launch campaign concept for this fictional product. The project challenges participants to think about how to visualize trust, intelligence and innovation in a future-facing technology brand, while also considering accessibility and inclusivity in design.

Mari Chijiiwa

With a background in both Human Biology and Communication Design, Mari has always been fascinated by how logic and creativity intersect to shape meaningful experiences. Over the past 14 years, this curiosity has guided her work leading marketing and creative strategies across industries including retail, fashion, hospitality, wellness and education. She has collaborated with brands such as lululemon, Vega, JOEY Restaurant Group, INDOCHINO, KITS Eyecare, Teck Resources and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Travelling the world for both work and personal reasons has shown her how cultures and communities influence one another, sparking ideas that drive connection and innovation. At her core, Mari is driven by the belief that thoughtful design can inspire progress, shape conversations and create impact for the greater good.

Project Description (Branding/Marketing): Mari leads a project that focuses on a 360 branding and marketing package for a music festival. The team will be responsible for creating brand guidelines, a poster design and other marketing materials for the festival.

Raymond Cheah RGD

Raymond is an award-winning Creative Director with over 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 develop creative leadership skills in a supportive environment that prepares them for successful careers in the design industry.

Project Description (Branding): This project involves creating a visual identity system for a brand extension campaign in the Canadian transportation sector. The design team is challenged to enhance the travel experience by applying design thinking and experiential visual design to attract new riders while highlighting comfort, sustainability and Canadian identity. A variety of deliverable touch points will be available to choose from, spanning digital, print and experiential design.

Louis Schreyer Duarte

Louis is a passionate brand builder with a creative career spanning more than three decades. He blends strategic thinking with deep expertise in design, art direction and holistic brand systems. Throughout his career, he has shaped identities for brands of all sizes, consistently pushing creative boundaries and transforming strategy into meaningful visual communication. Driven by the belief that great design can change everything—and that collaboration is key—Louis is eager to share his experience and help nurture the next generation of design talent through the RGD Mentorship Program.

Project Description (Branding): Louis leads a team in the creation a brand identity for a children's day camp, which helps foster kid's interests in STEM careers. The team will be responsible for creating a complete brand identity which will include sub brands for the focus areas (science, technology, engineering, and math) and deliverables such as signage, t-shirts, social media assets and website screens.

Scott Ferguson RGD

With extensive experience specializing in motion design for television, Scott has led creative projects for many of Canada’s top channels, including Much, MTV, CTV, Comedy and HBO. His career has been driven by creative curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning. Through countless projects, he has discovered that true innovation emerges from pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Scott is passionate about fostering creative environments where designers can thrive and reach their highest potential. His approach to leadership focuses on supporting and developing others, leading to inspired and purposeful design. He is delighted to share his experiences and insights to encourage others on their creative journeys.

Project Description (Branding): Scott leads a team through a Branding Project for a podcast that will include a visual identity and a motion design component.

Shannon Hewlko

Shannon is a strategic and creative leader with over 15 years of experience in brand strategy, design and marketing. As the Founder and Creative Director of Heyya Brands, she partners with growth-minded businesses to build strong, enduring brands. Her expertise spans strategy, brand identity, UX/UI and marketing systems, with a proven track record of helping companies double or even triple their revenue. Shannon is passionate about integrating creative vision with business strategy, facilitating collaborative workshops and mentoring emerging designers to think critically about both design and business impact.

Project Description (Branding): Mentees will work with Shannon to create audience personas, brand language and a visual identity for a startup. The brand project will include a launch strategy with multiple touch points.

Gracelle Mesina

Gracelle is an award-winning, multi-faceted Senior Designer at Critical Mass with over 10 years of experience across agency, freelance and design mentorship roles. Based in Vancouver, she primarily works within the travel, e-commerce, sustainability and arts and culture sectors. Gracelle is passionate about helping designers gain a foothold in the industry and about elevating global brands through the lens of design systems thinking.

Project Description (UI/UX and Branding): Gracelle leads mentees to create a digital-first mutual aid solution that aims to build/strengthen community and help combat current societal issues of loneliness, isolation and individualism. Mentees under her guidance will develop both the technical skills to design an app from concept to prototype and the soft skills to pitch, present and collaborate effectively for innovation.

Aaron Neilson-Belman RGD

Aaron is a branding, UX and digital strategy specialist with 15 years of experience leading cross-disciplinary teams in both agency and in-house settings. He has guided countless website redesigns that balance user needs, business goals and stakeholder priorities. Currently the Senior UX and Brand Strategy Lead at Brafton, a content marketing agency, Aaron brings a practical, strategic approach to the redesign process and helps designers build confidence in their decision-making.

Project Description (UI/UX): Aaron guides mentees through a website redesign project, covering strategy, information architecture, UX/UI design and the use of data to inform design decisions. This project will help mentees understand how to make a strong case for stakeholder buy-in and create a portfolio-ready case study that demonstrates both design craft and strategic thinking.

Dominique Ng-Barnhardt

Dominique is a creative professional with over 15 years of experience in design and marketing, specializing in concept development and visual design. For the past decade, she has delivered creative services for corporate marketing campaigns, events and reports from initial concept to completion—producing across multiple platforms, managing client relationships and collaborating with key project stakeholders. Her experience spans industries including not-for-profit public arts, beauty, real estate and e-learning. Dominique is a strong advocate for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity, as well as Mental Wellness and Green initiatives.

Project Description (Branding): Mentees will develop a visual identity for a series of local in-person organic dating activation events. This will include creating the logo, branding guidelines, digital design for website, social media, online ads, print design for posters, newspaper or magazine ads, on-site event collateral such as banners and swag items. Mentees working with Dominique will receive constructive feedback to refine their creative skills in a supportive environment, preparing them for real-world experience in the design industry.

David O’Connell RGD

David is the Founder and Creative Director of BANG! creative, an award-winning brand design studio known for delivering impactful and innovative solutions. With over 20 years of experience in the communication arts industry, David began his journey as a multimedia designer during a transformative era in design technology. 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 platforms. His specialties include creative direction, brand development, art direction, strategic marketing and advertising. Whether working in traditional media or digital environments, David’s expertise ensures every project stands out and makes a lasting impact.

Project Description (Branding/Packaging): Mentees will work with David to help create branding and branding touch points for a new product launch of a snack. 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.

Jacob Sharrard RGD

Jacob has spent the better part of two decades helping organizations define not just how they look, but who they are. He has worked with clients ranging from global institutions such as the United Nations to hyper-local initiatives like The Bentway, building brands, websites, publications and experiences that reflect the people and purpose behind them. His most valuable skills lie in his ability to listen, ask the right questions and help teams uncover what makes their work matter. Jacob’s approach brings clarity, creativity and care to every project. He lives in Toronto with his husband and two kids, where he can often be found exploring parks, making crafts or riding transit—usually while carrying multiple scooters.

Project Description (Information Design/UX): Jacob leads a project focused on building an Interactive Impact Report for a Fictional Social Enterprise. Team members will be responsible for creating an interactive prototype on Figma and social media materials to share the outputs.

Emma Segal RGD

Emma's expertise is strengthened by a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Design, and she is currently pursuing a PhD focused on sustainability in the product design industry. Her research explores sustainable design policies for governments and corporations, developing models that help drive the transition to circular products, services and business transformations. Emma is passionate about empowering the design community by sharing her knowledge and supporting designers in integrating sustainable thinking into their creative practice.

Project Description (Design for Sustainability): Emma leads a project focused on a circular and sustainable redesign of a product or service. The key focus points will be on building sustainability into the entire life cycle of the product or service, how to communicate it effectively to the prospective customer and adhering to both environmental and social best practices. Emma looks forward to supporting emerging designers by sharing her extensive experience across all aspects of the design process—from creative ideation and art direction to brand, product and concept development, strategy, sales, manufacturing, forecasting, illustration, packaging, editorial, textile, retail, product and photoshoot production, mentoring, consulting and high-level budget and team management.

Miriam Smit

Miriam is an accomplished UX designer and design leader with over ten years of experience guiding multidisciplinary teams and developing end-to-end digital products across both enterprise and agency environments. With a strong foundation in design thinking, accessibility and systems design, Miriam specializes in transforming complex requirements into clear, intuitive and inclusive user experiences. Her work is grounded in the belief that great design balances usability with imagination—meeting user needs while creating moments of delight and connection. Throughout her career, she has built products from concept to completion, developed scalable pattern libraries and implemented holistic UX strategies that align creativity with business goals.

Project Description (UI/UX): The team will address a real-world problem faced by Phoenix Shipping and Manufacturing. Working collaboratively, you’ll move through a modified design thinking process, including research, ideation, prototyping and refinement, to deliver a high-fidelity mock-up and presentation that communicates both your solution, process and future plans. Along the way, you’ll gain hands-on experience with end-to-end UX/UI design, storyboarding and design systems, while building proficiency in Figma, FigJam and ProtoPie. This project emphasizes collaboration, creativity and clarity, helping you articulate design decisions, align with a defined aesthetic and develop a strong understanding of how thoughtful design can solve complex, real-world challenges.

Wade Thompson RGD

Wade has spent over 15 years honing his skills as a visual storyteller, taking on a wide range of creative endeavours as both a freelancer and in-house designer. From branding and iconography to motion graphics and editorial design, he has led diverse projects across the public, private and non-profit sectors. Currently the Senior Digital Marketing & Design Specialist at Feed Ontario, Wade takes pride in his ability to adapt and develop creative solutions within non-creative environments.

Project Description: Food bank use is on the rise across the country and food banks are struggling to keep up with demand – this project will challenge designers to develop the brand identity and condensed style guide for a new food distribution hub. Designers will research provincial locales and food banks in order to develop an identity that works within both the food insecurity space and the municipality in which it is located. Mentees working with Wade can expect to strengthen their branding, layout and illustration skills while also building less-visible but equally vital industry abilities—such as collaborating with non-creative teams, managing limited budgets and communicating messages of social good with clarity and impact.

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.