DesignThinkers 2015 (Early Bird)

DesignThinkers 2015
November 12 & 13
The Sony Centre, Toronto, Canada

With over 2,000 attendees and 25+ speakers,

DesignThinkers is Canada’s largest conference for visual communicators. It is a must-attend for any informed, forward-thinking creative, communications or marketing professional or team.

The inspiring event, now in its 16th year, breeds change agents who become drivers of innovation. DesignThinkers 2015 will delve into industry trends with visionaries from a range of communications-related disciplines including design, user experience, advertising, branding, consumer engagement, film, social media and entrepreneurship.

Sessions teach delegates how to create effective communications by exploring cutting-edge innovation, the latest technology, demographic and ethnographic trends, strategic management techniques, cognitive theory and much more.

Speakers include:

•     Coralie Bickford-Smith, book jacket designer for Little Women & Sherlock Holmes
•     Cap Watkins, BuzzFeed's first-ever VP of Design
•     Annie Atkins, lead graphic designer of Oscar-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel
•     Robin Hunicke, co-founder, Funomena gaming studio
•     Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
•     Austin Kleon, best-selling author of Steal Like An Artist
•     Hjalti Karlsson, co-founder, karlssonwilker inc.
•     Chris Dixon, Design Director, Vanity Fair
•     Karim Rashid, world-renowned interior and industrial designer
•     Art Chantry, poster designer & creator of the grunge style
•     Nathalie Nahai, Web Psychologist
•     Frank Chimero, author & founder, Another

Early Bird rates end October 9! Discounts are available for groups, individuals working for non-profits and members of many RGD-affiliated organizations. Click here for information on travel discounts. Get full details and register at www.designthinkers.com.

Future By Design: The Future of Type

Wednesday, September 30, 2015
6:00pm - 8:30pm ET
Sault College – Room M1220

The rise of social media, written communication via the web and digital publishing have coincided with the trend towards handwritten fonts, flat design and vintage lettering. How will technological advances continue to shape typography and type design? What are iconic fonts and glyphicons and what other type innovations are on the horizon? How will market forces impact the economic viability of a career in type design?

Panelists:

• Jessica Hische, Lettering Artist
• Ellen Lupton, Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
• Nick Sherman, Co-founder of Fonts In Use 
• Laura Worthington, Typeface Designer

About Future By Design 

Future By Design is a series of webcast discussions featuring experts sharing their thoughts on a variety of topics. As a virtual event, we invite cities across Canada to host local screening venues where members of the community can gather to watch panelists’ presentations, conduct their own group discussions and participate via webcam in the Q&A. Click here to view recaps of our past Future By Design events.

Future By Design branding designed by Carve Design.

Design Algoma 2015 Annual General Meeting

Fluid Boardwalk Patio and Grill (Delta Hotel Patio)
Monday, June 8 at 6:00pm

Have your say and help shape the future of the design community in Sault Ste. Marie. Meet us at Fluid (weather permitting), nominate, vote, and welcome in the new Executive Board of Design Algoma.

If the weather doesn’t want to cooperate, we’ll move the party inside the Delta (at The View)

Hope to see everyone there.

Designers After Work (Social)

Eat, drink, and talk about design.
All designers, students, and those interested in design are welcome.

View Restaurant and Bar (Delta Hotel)
Friday May 29th, 2015
5:00pm

The Future of Human-Centred Design – Future By Design Event

Tuesday, May 5
6:30pm - 8:30pm ET (Doors open at 6:00pm ET)
Sault College – Room M1030

Join us for a conversation exploring how design can be used to craft solutions for social problems and accelerate widespread change. Hear from noted creators such as Purpose who have harnessed its power to address global issues, and consider future models through which this approach can be applied. Help us celebrate and encourage creative work that elevates social causes, improves lives and continues to change the world.

Panelists:

• Hannah Kreiswirth, Creative Director at Purpose
• Marc O'Brien, Design Strategist, Creative Facilitator and Design Educator
• Jason Ulaszek, Founder, UX for Good
• Moderator: Vanessa Eckstein RGD, Creative Director at Blok

About Future By Design

Future By Design is a series of webcast discussions featuring experts sharing their thoughts on a variety of topics. As a virtual event, we invite cities across Canada to host local screening venues where members of the community can gather to watch panelists’ presentations, conduct their own group discussions and participate via webcam in the Q&A. 

Lets Talk Design Social - Designers After Work

Eat, drink, and talk about design

Friday January 16th, 2015
5:00pm

QUATTRO Chophouse + Bar
(In the Comfort Suites & Conference Centre)

All designers, students, and those interested in design are welcome.

Let’s Talk Design

Friday November 14th, 2014
5:00pm

View Restaurant + Bar at the
Delta Hotel

All designers and those interested in design are welcome.

Join us at View to eat, drink and discuss design.

"Let's Talk Design" Social

Friday October 17 th, 2014
5:00pm

Watertower Pub

All designers and those interested in design.
Meet us at the Watertower Pub. We’ll meet, greet and talk Design (and other things)

DesignThinkers 2014

DesignThinkers 2014 - The Awakening from RGD on Vimeo.

DesignThinkers 2014
November 6-7
Toronto, Canada

Join the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) and over 1,500 visual communicators for the 15th annual DesignThinkers Conference, a celebration of creativity and strategic design thinking.

The event welcomes a star-studded line-up of 25 international speakers, including:

• 
Charles Adler, Co-founder, Kickstarter 

• Irma Boom, Netherlands-based Book Designer 
• 
Henry Hobson, Film Titles Designer, "The Walking Dead" 
• 
Wesley Grubbs, Founder, Data Visualization Studio Pitch Interactive 

• Aaron Draplin, Founder, Draplin Design Co. 

• Sybille Hagmann, Type Designer 

• Ellen Lupton, Author, Educator & Curator 

• Karen McGrane, Author, "Content Strategy for Mobile" 

• Debbie Millman, Author & Host, Design Matters

• Paula Scher, Partner, Pentagram 
- Erik Spiekermann, Author & Creative Director, Edenspiekermann 

• Richard Turley, Senior VP, Visual Storytelling, MTV
- Jessica Walsh, Partner, Sagmeister & Walsh 
• 
Todd Waterbury, Executive Creative Director & Sr. VP, Marketing, Target  
• Willy Wong, Chief Creative Officer, NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing organization

Early Bird rates end September 26. RGD Members receive special pricing! Travel and accommodation discounts are available. Learn more at www.designthinkers.com.

RGD Launches 2014/2015 National Salary Survey of CreativeEarners

 

Calling all Canadian Creatives! Spend 15 minutes and help build an economic profile of the national creative industry

English and French versions of the National Survey of CreativeEarners, produced by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) and Creative Niche, went live this week at www.creativeearners.ca. Providing insight into the financial trends facing Canada's creative sector, CreativeEarners offers a summary of how creative communicators are being compensated and valued.



TAKE THE SURVEY.

REMPLISSEZ LE SONDAGE.



What do you work for? RGD and Creative Niche are seeking participation from individuals across the country working in a wide variety of professions to contribute to this important national industry resource. Eligible job titles include, but are not limited to:

• 
Creative Director

• Graphic Designer

• Art Director

• Design Manager

• Developer

• Project Manager

• Information Architect
• 
Digital Strategist

• Web Designer

• Web/Media Analyst

• Mobile Designer/Developer
• UX/UI Designer

• Communications/Marketing Manager

• Content Editor/Manager
• 
Social Media Manager

• Brand/Content Strategist

• Copywriter
• 
Production Manager
• 
Account Manager/Coordinator

• Educator

• Media Buyer/Planner
• 
Business Development/Sales
• 
Office Manager

The survey, which closes on June 16, takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, and your information will be kept confidential.
The information you provide will help RGD raise awareness of Canada’s thriving creative industry and produce an economic snapshot of our sector to help benchmark salaries and billing rates across job types, sector and region.

“I believe the RGD Salary Survey’s findings reinforce the value of the professionals who help agencies, studios and other organizations tackle new creative challenges and developments now and in the years ahead,” says Creative Niche CEO Mandy Gilbert. “We are excited to continue our partnership with RGD on this important initiative.”

The greater the participation, the stronger the sample size and the more valuable the data for every stakeholder working in or around Canada’s creative industry.


$3,000 in prizes will be raffled off among participants, including 15 $100 Umbra gift cards to be used online or in the store.

Where does your creativity happen? Help spread the word by tweeting photos using the hashtag #CreativeEarners. Photos will be uploaded to the image gallery at creativeearners.ca and featured at DesignThinkers 2014!



English and French versions of the survey results will be made freely available to all this November.



Fill out the CreativeEarners survey here before June 16! Help spread the word using the hashtag #CreativeEarners.

Future by Design: Consumer Engagement

A webcast panel of experts share their opinions and insights on the move toward greater audience engagement in advertising and what this means for designers in the future.

6 May 2014
6:30pm - 8:30pm
(Doors open at 6:00pm)

Sault College 443 Northern Avenue,
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Room: M1030
Pricing: FREE

No longer do traditional print ads or TV commercials cut it. Designers and advertisers need to engage consumers through brand experiences, customized content, two-way communication and strong storytelling presented across multiple platforms. Join our expert panel as they share perspectives and insights on how design will shape the future of consumer engagement and the effectiveness of communications and advertising.
Future by Design: Consumer Engagement is the tenth in RGD's ongoing series of webcasted events. Contact programs@rgd.ca to find out how to participate.

Panelists:

Nicole Jacek, Founder/Director, NJ(L.A.)™

Nicole is a German, award-winning graphic designer (Red Dot, D&AD, Art Directors Club, Type Directors Club New York & Tokyo, etc.). She began at the feet of the masters; working together with Stefan Sagmeister at Sagmeister Inc. and also Ian Anderson at the Designers Republic™/UK. Her work has been published in numerous magazines, newspapers, and books around the world. She was winner of Print's New Visual Artists, as well as an ADC Young Gun. She is the youngest ADC board member and is currently teaching at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. NJ was the Creative Director of karlssonwilker inc. in NYC for the past four years and just opened up her studio NJ(L.A.)™ in Venice Beach.

Michael Tippett, Director, New Products at HootSuite

Michael is a 2 time Emmy nominee and has been a successful entrepreneur for almost two decades. In 2005 he founded, ran and later sold Nowpublic, which was named one of the top five most useful new sites on the web by The Guardian and named one of the Top 50 Websites for 2007 by Time magazine. Currently he's on the Provincial Steering Committee for Startup Canada, and is Director, New Products at Hootsuite where he helps to support the startup community in Vancouver.

Sabaa Quao, Chief Marketing Officer of Digital Journal Inc. and co-founder of /newsrooms

Creative director, business strategist, and career entrepreneur, Sabaa has a passion for emerging platforms in the digital media and marketing space. He has managed teams dedicated to the future of marketing and advertising, and is energized whenever he has the opportunity to make that future work for companies and brands. Sabaa's portfolio includes the launch of the Toronto Raptors and Playdium Entertainment, the rebranding of the CN Tower and the Directors Guild of Canada, and special projects for Toronto International Film Festival Group, Nortel Networks, Roots, RBC Royal Bank, Levi's, Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications, The Beer Store, GlaxoSmithKline, McCain Foods, Corona, Coca-Cola, and Jack Daniel’s.

Join us on Twitter using the hashtag #rgdFBD to participate in a live chat during the event.

Designedge Canada is the official Media Partner of Future by Design

Portfolio Review and Panel Discussion

 
April 22, 2014 @ 2:00 - 6:00pm
Sault College, Room APH4

Design students will have an opportunity to have their work reviewed by industry professionals. Panel discussion to follow afterward.

Future by Design: Creative Collaboration

This webcast panel discussion explores tools and best practices for effectively collaborating and achieving success in an age when collaboration is key.
4 February 2014
6:30pm - 8:30pm
(Doors open at 6:00pm)

Sault College
443 Northern Avenue,
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Room: M1030

Pricing: FREE
Design is a fundamentally collaborative and interdisciplinary activity, a fact that has become even more relevant in the last 10 years. Multimedia design solutions, holistic branding and steeper competition for winning clients are just a few of the reasons that successful graphic designers must understand how to incorporate all phases of the design process, from brainstorming to concept development; from getting feedback to making refinements; from file-sharing to project management.
Join our experts for a discussion of best practices and tools to collaborate effectively within creative teams, with related professionals and with clients.
This edition of Future by Design features international panelists streamed virtually, as well as interaction with audiences from coast to coast.
Creative Collaboration is the ninth in RGD's ongoing Future by Design series. These events are broadcast live via webcast. Contact programs@rgd.ca to find out how to participate.

Join us on Twitter using the hashtag #rgdFBD to participate in a live chat during the event.

Panelists:

Vanessa Eckstein RGD, Founder of Blok Design

"A prerequisite of a great collaboration is a seductive tension that pushes each participant out of their comfort zone and takes the work to another dimension." Vanessa will share examples from her experience with collaboration that questions both the medium and the preconceptions that exist in the world.

Bob Hambly RGD, Creative Director at Hambly & Woolley Inc.

In 2013 H&W created a publication entitled BEES for Flash Reproduction's Wayward Arts series on "Community". An editor, four writers, five photographers, two illustrators and three artists all contributed their efforts to this project. And they all did it pro bono.
Bob discusses how this collaboration came about and how H&W approached, excited, art directed and acknowledged this pool of very creative individuals.

Jake Lefebure, CEO & Co-Founder, Design Army

Design Army works on many projects that require a small team of designers, writers, printers, and sometimes multiple clients. Jake will share his experience working on projects that involve creative input from multiple sources. 

Emily Oberman, Partner at Pentagram

In close collaboration with SNL producers and photographers, Emily has been designing the opening titles for Saturday Night Live since 1994. The show has an established visual personality, and for Oberman part of the fun of designing the opening sequence several times has been creating new, different takes on the same theme. "For us this job never gets old. It’s an exciting challenge to take the same basic elements year after year and reinvent them in a way that keeps the brand feeling new and vibrant.” 

*RGDs and Provisional Members attending this event will receive a FREE copy of Creative Intelligence by Bruce Nussbaum, in addition to other RGD giveaways!

Designedge Canada is the official Media Partner of Future by Design

Round Table Event

Jan 29th, 2014
12:30 – 1:30 PM
Sault College
Room G2000

Come out and discuss some design related topics with local designers, while gaining some valuable real world knowledge.
… and FREE Pizza!

Exclusive to Graphic Design Students Only

Future by Design: Designers as Entrepreneurs

 

This webcast panel discussion explores the potential of designers as entrepreneurs.

3 December 2013
6:30pm - 8:30pm
(Doors open at 6:00pm)

Sault College
443 Northern Avenue,
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Room: M1030

Pricing: FREE

 

In many ways, designing and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. A great designer excels at iterating and problem solving, qualities that are invaluable to developing a successful business. Now more than ever designers are nurturing their inner CEO, with design playing a central role from the outset.

Join our expert panel as they discuss the unique parallels between design and starting a business, and share individual case studies highlighting the exquisite potential of designers as entrepreneurs.

 

This edition of Future by Design features new interactive elements, as well as international panelists streamed virtually.

 

Designers as Entrepreneurs is the eighth in RGD's ongoing Future by Design series of panel discussions. These panels are broadcast live via webcast to reach across all parts of the country. Contact programs@rgd.ca to find out how to participate.

 

Moderator: Gary Ludwig RGD, Principal, Hark Ideas Inc.

 

Panelists:

 

Aaron Draplin, Co-Founder, Draplin Design Co.

 

Russell Gibbs RGD, Principal at Russell Gibbs Design

 

Jessica Hische, Letterer, Illustrator, and Type Designer

 

...more to come!

5th Annual General Meeting

Date: Tuesday, Nov 19^th, 2013
Time: 6:30 - 9:30pm
Location: Sault College M1030

Help shape the future of Design Algoma. Nominate yourself or others to be a part of the Design Algoma executive team. The following positions will need to be filled:

• President
• Vice-President (x2)
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Industry Representative
• Student Representatives (x3)

FREE FOR ALL (and there will be cake)

Night of the Living TED (Back from the dead)

Date: Tuesday, Oct 29^th, 2013
Time: 6:30 - 9:30pm
Location: Sault College M1030

The last event was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, but Night of the Living TED is back.
WE WANT YOUR BRAINS to join us for a night of TED talks!

FREE FOR ALL (with brains)

RGD Webcast: Future By Design - The future of identity design

This webcast panel discussion explores how the process of creating visual identities is changing.

24 September 2013
6:30pm - 8:30pm
(Doors open at 6:00pm)

Sault College
443 Northern Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Room M1030

Augmented reality, responsive design, considering brands in both time and space - these are just some of the new realities affecting visual identities. In the future we can expect stronger efforts to create more interactive experiences and ultimately more personal forms of expression. Join our expert panel as they discuss new trends and technologies in the development of visual identities and share individual case studies highlighting the new landscape of identity design.

This edition of Future by Design features new interactive elements, as well as for the first time international panelists streamed virtually.

Identity Design is the seventh in RGD's ongoing Future by Design series of panel discussions. These panels are broadcast live via webcast to reach across all parts of the country. Contact programs@rgdontario.com to find out how to participate.

Panelists:

John Furneaux RGD, Principal at Projektor
John will share his thoughts on 4 big ideas that are influencing brand identity in the age of the app.

Ian Grais, Creative Director at Rethink, Vancouver
Ian will discuss the recent rebrand he did for Shaw Media.

John Pylypczak, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Concrete Design Communications Inc.
John discusses Concrete's recent rebranding of MEC.

Barry Quinn RGD, Creative Director, Design at Juniper Park
Barry discusses designing for communities, both real and digital, with a case study on his new ifex identity.

Michael Walsh, Director of Design & Digital Media, SVA
Michael explores the trend toward logos being designed in-house, with a case study on the recent changes to the School of Visual Arts (SVA).


*** RGD will be hosting a live TweetChat during Future by Design, using the hashtag #rgdFBD. Whether you're watching the event in Toronto, at a satellite venue, via webcast or are unable to attend, we invite you to join our online Twitter discussion.

RGDs, Provisional RGDs and Student RGDs – Free
All non-members – $10

RGD Webcast: Future by Design : Information & Design

This webcast panel discussion explores the relationship between information and design.

May 28th, 2013
6:30pm - 8:30pm
(Doors open at 6:00pm)

Sault College
443 Northern Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Room M1030

RGD, in collaboration with the Gladstone Hotel and Resolve Collaboration presents Information and Design a panel discussion on the ways design is both enabled by and shapes information.

We are living in a world where information is increasingly modular, consumable, connectable, and mixable. Amidst all of this dynamic communication, too often what we call ‘information’ is actually just noise. How then can design help transform noise, data and other information into a form where it better informs?

Join our expert panel as they discuss the ways in which information and design are increasingly integrated and explore the exciting possibilities for information design in the future. In addition to the discussion, each panelist presents a brief case study with visuals that highlights this relationship and demonstrates how designers are responding.

Information & Design is the sixth in RGD's ongoing Future by Design series of panel discussions. These panels are broadcast live via webcast to reach across all parts of the country. Contact programs@rgdontario.com to find out how to participate.

Join us for a special screening of this discussion as it is broadcast LIVE.

Panelists Include:

• David Bradfield, Social Strategy Lead, North America at SapientNitro
• Paddy Harrington RGD, SVP Design Innovation & Digital Creative Director at Indigo
• Diti Katona RGD, Creative Director, Concrete Design Communications
• Eddie Opara, Partner at Pentagram

*** RGD will be hosting a live TweetChat during Future by Design, using the hashtag #rgdFBD. Whether you're watching the event in Toronto, at a satellite venue, via webcast or are unable to attend, we invite you to join our online Twitter discussion.

FREE! - no registration necessary

Questions: Please contact Terry Hill at terry.hill@saultcollege.ca

Social Good Design Awards (So Good)

The Social Good Design Awards celebrates work from around the world that represents the power of effectively designed visual communications to make our world a better place.
This travelling exhibition will be on display at Sault College
G-wing hallway from April 26 to may 23
Admission is free