Celebrating 25 Years of DesignThinkers and Design Evolution in Canada
Since the year 2000, the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) has been hosting an annual conference in Canada called ‘DesignThinkers’. And, chances are, if you work in the industry and are adjacent to a designer in some capacity – if you’re not one yourself – you’ve heard of it, or attended at some point.
While the event may have had humble origins (the first year saw just over 350 attendees and was a single-day affair in Toronto), it has since grown into the largest annual conference for graphic designers in Canada. With two yearly events (one in Vancouver and one in Toronto), consistent turnouts of over 2,000 people, and each conference now lasting two days, it’s safe to say that things look very different from how they started.
So, what exactly did it take to get to this point? According to Hilary Ashworth, executive director of the RGD and a founding organiser of the conference, while it started out as an attempt to be the one of the ‘best and biggest design conferences in the world’, this purpose shifted into a focus on playing a crucial role in the design industry. And, in a way, this is exactly what’s happened. As the global business evolved, so too did the conference. New trends emerged, and DesignThinkers brought the planet’s best and brightest practitioners together to share advice and knowledge. Segmentation of the practice decreased while accessibility increased, and more and more people wanted a platform to discuss this brave new world – all on Canadian soil. In short, the two have formed a symbiotic relationship over the last 25 years, with the conference playing its own special role in the ever-growing success of the Canadian design industry as we know it today.
Seeing as the event just passed a milestone anniversary with its November 7th-8th conference in Toronto (a quarter-century is nothing to scoff it), it only seemed right that some time be taken to reflect on this evolution, how things have changed since the early days, and fond memories of conferences past. So, to do all this and more, LBB’s Jordan Won Neufeldt sat down with Hilary for a chat.
LBB> Hilary, congratulations on hitting the 25th anniversary of the DesignThinkers conference! What does this milestone mean to you, and for the Canadian design industry?
Hilary> Thank you so much! I’ve been a part of DesignThinkers since the beginning, and seeing it now as Canada’s largest annual conference for graphic designers is amazing. In the early days, I was focused on making DesignThinkers one of the best and biggest design conferences in the world, but now I care much more about its role within the Canadian design industry. And based on the feedback we receive year over year from attendees, I know it means a lot to have a conference like this held here at home.
LBB> Looking back to the early days of the event, did you ever think it’d grow to be as large as it is now? What were your aims and ambitions back then?
Hilary> Definitely not! Our goal with the first DesignThinkers conference in 2000 was for the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD), as a non-profit, professional association representing designers, to provide a tangible benefit for its members and raise the profile of the association. There were just over 350 attendees that year. We hoped it would be an annual conference, but none of us anticipated how it would grow into such an important event for the design community in Canada.
LBB> And what has the path to today been like? What factors have enabled the conference to see this much growth over time?
Hilary> Overall, the trajectory of the conference has been upward, though we’ve hit bumps along the way, like any longstanding event. I think a key factor in the conference’s growth is our focus on student attendees. We work with schools to bring student groups to DesignThinkers, and over time, those students go out into the workforce and continue to come back. Some even bring their entire teams!
But ultimately, every decision we make keeps attendees at the centre, and that has served DesignThinkers well over the years. Early on, there was a push from the RGD board of directors to include business-focused speakers in the programme – which we did – but truthfully, it didn’t work. Attendees didn’t enjoy the sessions, and the way we presented the event was never going to appeal to a business audience. We realised that we needed to focus as much as possible on our core audience, which is designers, and offer a lineup that is engaging, diverse and meets their varied interests. We prioritise this heavily when planning the conference.
LBB> Along the way, there’s been plenty of significant milestones. Can you highlight a few of your favourites? What do they represent to you?
Hilary> Every change in venue or to the programme has been an exciting milestone. A standout year was 2006 since we actually sold out! That prompted a move to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in 2007, and we moved to our current venue, Meridian Hall, in 2014. It was a big deal when the conference became a two-day event, and also when we added concurrent sessions. All of these have signified to us that the conference is growing.
DesignThinkers becoming a bicoastal conference in 2017 was also an achievement. In 2016 we had over 2,200 attendees – a record at the time – but most were from Ontario. So, we decided to hold a conference for creatives on the West Coast. We hosted our first DesignThinkers Vancouver with just over 600 attendees. At the time, we had no idea that offering the conference there would actually grow the event in Toronto. We now see attendees who travel across the country for the Toronto conference and vice versa, and some even attend both in a year.
And lastly, securing world-renowned creatives to speak is always a pinch-me moment. Massimo Vignelli first spoke in 2005. I remember calling his office to invite him, and he answered the phone! Mimi Valdes was another ‘I can’t believe she’s here!’ speaker. Jessica Walsh, David Carson, Paula Scher, Kyle Cooper, Alan Dye, before he was VP of design at Apple, and Greg Hoffmann when he was chief marketing officer at Nike. Having professionals of this calibre come to present at DesignThinkers speaks to the quality of the event, and is a thrill for me personally.
LBB> Of course, DesignThinkers isn’t the only thing that’s evolved – the industry has changed right alongside it. How would you say design practice in Canada has changed since the conference first started?
Hilary> It’s changed a lot in the last 25 years. In the late ‘90s, design was moving from what had been a fairly exclusive profession into something that anyone could engage in with the right software. This was actually why the RGD and the RGD designation was created – to provide a qualification and credibility for professional designers. In-house designers were common then, but there has been a boom of in-house teams since. There were also few designers working in advertising, and now, most ad agencies have design directors who run entire departments!
Beyond that, there are new disciplines that have emerged, such as UX and product design, and AI is also changing how designers work. We’ve seen design as a profession grow across the board. But most importantly, I think the segmentation of the industry is changing. UX designers work with visual designers who work with content creators who work with creative directors and beyond. The value of an event such as DesignThinkers is that all these diverse groups can come together to learn and connect.
LBB> What have been the biggest factors driving this growth? And how do you think DesignThinkers has played a role in this?
Hilary> The business value of design is respected now in a way that it wasn’t before. To stand out today, design has to be factored into your business strategy. As our world has evolved and marketing has become increasingly visual, virtual and complex, there’s a greater need for experts who know how to position a business and connect with an audience.
I mentioned how we initially struggled with the desire of the RGD board to incorporate business content into the conference programming. Ironically, with the rise of in-house and the recognition of the business value of design, that challenge has evolved as more designers move into marketing and other business roles. Some speakers from our most recent event in Toronto, such as Robert Wong, a VP at Google, or Susan Murphy, senior global director of design at The Coca-Cola Company, represent a design perspective, but within a business framework.
I like to think of DesignThinkers as a haven where designers can come together to not only recognise the immense value of their work, but also leave with a stronger sense of confidence in explaining why it matters. Advocacy is central to what we do, especially at the RGD, and the existence of DesignThinkers says ‘Design is a vital part of Canada’s economic landscape, and what we bring to the table is invaluable’.
LBB> As part of this, the conference has worked with a new brand partner every year. Why is this something that’s important to you? What have been some of the most noteworthy partnerships?
Hilary> We started working with an official pro bono design partner in 2002, which was blok design (run by Vanessa Eckstein). Since then, DesignThinkers has been branded by a different Canadian design partner every year. While the conference has speakers from around the world, the brand identity is an opportunity for a Canadian team to stand in the spotlight. The identity changing also allows for it to be current, speaking to where the industry is in a given year. Some might say that changing an identity so often is counterintuitive to the point of branding, but it’s become our trademark, and we have firms approach us asking if they can take on the project.
Overall, we’ve been fortunate to work with some phenomenal partners. Every one is unique, but our partnership in 2007 with Q30 Design, in 2012 with the City of Mississauga (the first time we worked with an in-house creative team), in 2017 with Rethink (the first time a firm designed for both Toronto and Vancouver) and in 2021 with Bruce Mau Design really stand out.
LBB> What have been some of the coolest pieces to come from this? Why do they stand out to you?
Hilary> Rethink’s identity and theme was ‘Perspectives’, which encouraged speakers and attendees to consider things differently. An eyeball was the recurring motif, and Rethink designed a different eyeball for every attendee badge (there were over 600)! The side of the programme that year was like a flip-book, which played on the theme. It was a truly ambitious undertaking and entirely fitting for our first year in Vancouver.
I also have to mention Zulu Alpha Kilo’s ‘Speak The Truth’ identity. It was strikingly simple: black backgrounds with a beautiful, serif typeface, called Roslindale. The team went heavy on the wordplay, and I think it, coupled with the typeface, was so refreshing. Zulu also had funny posters in the washrooms and created a lie detector test video that attendees loved.
LBB> Of course, conferences are nothing without their speakers, and as you’ve mentioned, you’ve had an amazing roster over the years. What are some of your all-time favourite presentations that stand out?
Hilary> One that stands out for me is 2011. Legends Ivan Chermayeff, Tom Geismar, Sagi Haviv and George Lois spoke – but by far, my two favourite presentations that year, and probably ever, were by Chip Kidd and Steve Edge. Chip spoke about book publishing and the future of the industry, and Steve spoke about lateralism, or ‘thinking sideways’. Both presentations were so funny and fresh. Just entirely memorable. I’m glad we have their recordings available in our video archive.
We feel strongly about championing up-and-coming designers too, and there are a number of talks that stand out for me. Jay Demetillo, Zipeng Zhu and Aries Moross have spoken and shared very personal stories to a warm, welcoming audience, which speakers always comment on. Maybe it's a Canadian thing or that we prioritise inclusivity, but it’s another element of the conference that we're proud of.
LBB> With all this said, 25 years later, where do you think Canada’s place is in the global design industry? Does our work stand out?
Hilary> This question is something we’ve discussed at DesignThinkers. Canadian design does stand out in a way; we’re behind some of the biggest DTC consumer brands in the last decade. However, whether it stands out as distinctively Canadian is another question.
I think Canada’s biggest strength lies in its multiculturalism, and that extends to our place in the design industry. There are Indigenous design firms such as Design de Plume which are doing incredible, culturally-informed work for Indigenous communities. And with a number of Canadian provinces having accessibility written into law, we excel in areas of inclusivity and accessible design.
LBB> Finally, what are your plans for the conference in 2025? Are there any fun teasers you can give us?
Hilary> DesignThinkers will be back in Vancouver from May 13th to 14th, and in Toronto in early October. The brand identity is ‘ShiftShapers’ by The Garden. Speakers confirmed for Vancouver include Dutch 3D illustrator and animator Eva Cremers, book and type designer Carlos Segura, information designer Valentina D'Efilippo, film titles designer Erin Sarofsky, advertising designer Matt Luckhurst, and brand designer Vincent Wanga.
The ‘DesignThinkers Podcast’ will also be back for season two, coinciding with both events. And lastly, we’re creating an anniversary book with Gilbert Li, an award-winning graphic designer. We hope the book is beautiful, useful and a testament to the knowledge shared at DesignThinkers over the years. It will be available for purchase in Toronto.
