Design Thinkers 2017: Our Top Five Moments
Highlights and insights from one of Canada’s premier design conferences
Every November, designers from The Works walk a few blocks south of our studio in Toronto to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts to attend RGD’s DesignThinkers, Canada’s largest annual conference for the creative communications community. It’s a chance for us to refresh and rethink our approach to design. And it’s an opportunity to learn from some of the most interesting and innovative creative people in the business.
This year’s theme was Perspectives – so, with that in mind, here are our Top Five Moments from DesignThinkers 2017.
Ralph Gilles Drives the Conversation
Ralph Gilles loves his job. As keynote speaker (and the brain behind brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Alfa Romeo and Maserati), Gilles attributed his immense success to one thing: passion. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a wiper blade or an engine cover,” he said. “It all has to be done with passion. It’s recognizable to the naked eye and it’s what ultimately makes good art.” Nice. Gilles also talked about challenges – like being a Haitian immigrant in an industry that is dominated by white folks – and the humility necessary to overcome those challenges every day.
Nicholas Blechman Draws on Experience
If you like illustration (and you really should), you know Nicholas Blechman is a legend, in real life and on paper. As creative director for the New Yorker, his job is to literally make taste: to have an uncanny eye for talent and a deep sensitivity for storytelling. At DesignThinkers, Blechman took the audience on an illustrated tour of the New Yorker’s offices, never forgetting to drop charming anecdotes about his collaborations with other industry titans.
Emily Oberman Laughs It Off
When you work for 30 Rock, The Tonight Show and SNL, you better have a sense of humour. In her hilarious DesignThinkers talk – in the steamy comedy club basement of the Sony Centre – Emily Oberman reminded the crowd that work can and should be fun. And that if you take yourself too seriously, you’re probably missing the point. With over 20 years of experience in brand identity, motion graphics and advertising, and clients that include DC Entertainment and the Independent Spirit Awards, Oberman – molten basement be damned – refuses to sweat the petty stuff.
Materials created by Oberman for The Wing, a coworking space-meets-social club for women only in New York City.
Chris Do Loves You
Chris Do, founder and CEO of Blind, shared two important messages at DesignThinkers: 1) make sure you love your client and 2) charge more if you want better ones. (You’ve got to appreciate the candour.) As an Emmy Award–wining artist and board member of AIGA/LA and Saleshood, among others, Do has earned the right to ask for what he and his team want and deserve. Less portfolio showcase and more business strategy session, Do’s address encouraged audience members to find their purpose and engage clients with honesty and confidence.
Michael Johnson Takes One for the Team
“The era of the design wizard is over,” said Michael Johnson, co-founder of London’s influential Johnson Banks
design studio. What he meant by that is good creative these days is all about teamwork – that seeing the world beautifully means seeing it in other people. It’s a great reminder. Johnson attests that his firm’s most notable branding successes – Mozilla, UNICEF, Virgin Atlantic, it goes on – were the products of an empowered staff and a commitment to openness.
Banks’ studio blogged about the Mozilla rebrand process on an open blog – open source application, open process. Neat.
Above all – one of the best Design Thinkers conferences yet, and we can’t wait to be back for 2018. Thanks to RGD for a great experience, and to all the great speakers. Feel free to share your favourite moments with us below.
