NewsNov 10, 2026

Over 2000 creatives come together for DesignThinkers 2026 in Toronto

Creatives from across Canada and beyond stepped away from their desks on Oct. 20–21 for the RGD’s 27th annual DesignThinkers Conference in Toronto, which drew over 2000 attendees.

One of the sweetest moments came at the start of both days, when Nicola Hamilton RGD, the RGD’s past president and host of DesignThinkers, and Meghan D’Mello RGD, the RGD’s President, greeted each other with a hug. Nicola introduced Meghan on stage, and the two closed the conference together. Elsewhere, Adam J. Kurtz delivered his usual lively, engaging talk, and Lauren Wong Lee and Gabby Lord of Super Keen handed out branded water bottles to attendees. Attendee feedback singled out Barrington Reeves as a favourite keynote, with many people also appreciating how he credited his team.

Based on the theme “Out of Office,” designed by creative agency Daughter Creative, this year’s conference celebrated unconstrained creativity, rule breaking and trusting your instincts. In the spirit of the theme, we asked speakers how they get out of office. The conference featured keynotes, talks, hands-on workshops, interactive sessions and roundtables at Meridian Hall and St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

Attendees could choose from five streams: Create, Engage, Innovate, Inspire and Learn. For those who preferred to participate virtually, we offered live streaming of the sessions. All presentations were recorded, and every ticket includes access to the recordings for three months. RGD Members have indefinite access to the recordings and the RGD’s extensive video library. Workshops, roundtables, the Supplier Showcase and the Marketplace were not streamed or recorded.

Ahead of the conference, studio tours gave attendees a look inside Toronto’s creative spaces.

Day one opened with a keynote by Martina Flor on how letter design changes the way you see the world, followed by Edel Rodriguez on freedom, risk and reward. Talks included Bráulio Amado on ideas for lectures, Maggie Chen on designing in the age of AI agents, Lauren and Gabby on starting companies, Erika Barbieri on tasty stories, Valentina D’Efilippo on speaking data and Guillermo Flores Pacheco on going offline from global aesthetics.

Attendees also had the option to join workshops and interactive sessions by Rachael Seatvet RGD on exploring sustainability through hands-on creation, Marjorie Malpass on anti-awkward networking, Dominic Ayre RGD on a print tool every designer should know, Lee Eldridge on designing faster without looking like everyone else, Lauren McConnell on a play lab for designers, Eric Forest RGD on accessible PDF workflows and Diana Varma RGD on pirate printing. The afternoon also included the Branding Awards Ceremony. The day closed with keynotes by Jason Boyer on when more creative creates less impact and Temi Coker on making it exist.

We wrapped up the first day with a delegate party at CRAFT Beer Market, where attendees and speakers connected over drinks and conversation.

Day two opened with a keynote by Christina Worner and Alice Shaughnessy on form, function and feeling, followed by keynotes from Paul Jen on making a respected brand contemporary without losing trust and Barrington on fearless design. Talks included Maya Moumne on designing with Arabic, Goldie Chan on personal branding for creative introverts, Benji Wiedemann and Alex Lampe on how to design a city, Adam on personal work, Chip Kidd on what lies ahead and Lucas O’Keefe on building visual stories with Firefly Boards.

Workshops were presented by Andrea Rodriguez RGD on designing murals and lettering for public space, Robert Smith RGD on conquering perfectionism, imposter syndrome and career paralysis, Eric on practical uses for AI with InDesign, Mike Ukstins on the designer’s mini MBA, Thomas Hull on building letterforms from scratch, Kelli Anderson on making pop-up books, Jamie Chang on humanist letterforms, Serena Wong on modern brush pen calligraphy and Guillermo on second skin. Nicola, Maggie, Wendy Millard RGD and Jacqueline Lane RGD also held a panel discussion on AI. Closing the conference, Jeff Chemeres spoke on why creativity loves context and Nikki Gonnissen on getting close.

In addition to talks and workshops, attendees took part in morning icebreakers, roundtable discussions and speed mentoring. Virtual community meet-ups brought together 2SLGBTQIA+ designers, municipal designers, solo designers, firm owners and BIPOC designers. Jay Wall RGD led See the Streets!, and attendees got their books signed by speakers. They could also pause and doodle at the Doodle Square by Cantoo City.

Guillermo brought Mexican candies to share during his workshop and later posted a short animation on Instagram featuring everyone’s work.

Mark your calendars!

DesignThinkers 2027 will take place in Vancouver on May 4–5 and in Toronto on Oct. 21–22, both with options for live streaming. Caserne is the design partner. Subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive updates on the 2027 conferences.

Thank you to our photographer, David Pike Photography. View the DesignThinkers 2026 photo album.

Thank you also to our Industry Partners for the event: Daughter Creative (Design Partner), Domtar (Paper Partner), Flash Reproductions (Print Partner), Forge Media (Web Partner), Minoh (Signage Partner) and Porter (Airline Partner).

Platinum Sponsors: Adobe and Function Point

Gold Sponsors: Aquent, Cella, Moveable, Paul Jen Communications and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

Silver Sponsors: belairdirect, Conference Media, David Pike Photography, FSC Canada, Hemlock Printers, Manic Type, The Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Toronto and WeirFoulds

Media and Community Partners: ADCC, AIGA, Applied Arts, Graphic Artists Guild, IDC, Issues Magazine Shop, PRINT, Slanted, strategy and swipe design | books + objects