Aug 05, 2026

What They See That You Don’t: The unspoken rules of design progression

Deborah Peterson

About this video

Description

Career progression for in-house designers is a labyrinth of unwritten expectations. It’s unfortunately where most designers are playing a game they don't fully understand. Join Deborah to pull back the curtain on why designers plateau in-house, what frustrates the people they work with and why that quietly closes doors before you even know they were open. We’ll also look at what creative leaders are actually scanning for during hiring and what’s really happening when your application doesn’t make it past HR.

Deborah Peterson

For more than 20 years, Deborah has held senior creative leadership roles at some of Canada's most recognizable organizations, such as TVO, Harlequin, Rogers, Deloitte and others, progressing from design practice into creative direction and brand strategy. She began her career in sales and marketing at Penguin Books before crossing the floor to join the creative department, a move that shaped how she has always worked: combining marketing and sales instinct with the ability to make things that matter. Today she works with organizations as a fractional creative and brand leader. Her approach is grounded in one belief: that creative thinking, applied well, changes business outcomes.