All about the roundtables at DesignThinkers Toronto: Day 2

Roundtables are your chance to connect with other creatives in a small group setting. Led by senior design professionals, roundtables are being hosted on both conferences days from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Bring your questions, offer advice and participate in conversations that will leave you feeling engaged and energized.

Here are the topics on this year’s schedule for Day 2:

November 8th, 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

• Work smarter, not harder: Strategies for creating great work, efficiently
  Designers do what they do best: design. By reducing administrative and mundane tasks, designers can focus on the project at hand. But how best to do this? Join this session to discuss techniques and processes that can help you.
• Mission possible: Finding purpose and passion in your work
  Do you yearn for a job where you can unleash your creativity and make a tangible impact every day? This roundtable explores the myriad of possibilities and personal satisfactions that come with working in an environment that aligns with your values.
• Who isn’t at the table? Designing for diversity, equity & inclusion
  Together, we will explore the vital themes of diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to design and creativity. Let’s discuss the ongoing work, practical steps and visionary goals that bridge the gap to a more inclusive and representative future for design and creativity.
• Me, myself and I: Succeeding as a solo practitioner
  There is no blueprint to working for yourself. Let’s discuss the successes we’ve accomplished and failures we’ve endured, so we can all learn from each other and grow our businesses.
• Imposter syndrome who? Gaining confidence in your skills and abilities
  Let’s talk about some of the situations we’ve faced and share strategies you can pull from your back pocket when those negative feelings bubble up in the future.
• Challenges of being an in-house designer for government
  Designing for government and government agencies bring its own unique challenges. In-house designers for governments of all levels (municipalities, provincial, state or federal) are invited to join us to discuss and exchange strategies and solutions to address these challenges.
• Colouring inside the lines: Fostering creativity within the confines of a brand
  The same branding, same colours, same style day in and out. It can get boring. How do we foster that creative itch and stay motivated while adhering to our often strict brand guidelines? Join us to discuss techniques for pushing the brand envelope, trying out new, potentially radical ideas, all while still staying brand faithful.
• The gentle art of feedback: How to give it and get it
  Giving feedback can be difficult, especially when it’s not always glowing, but receiving it can be equally so. It works both ways, and to do it well requires shared respect and recognition of a common goal. We’ll share stories of giving and getting feedback, both good and bad.
• The comparison trap: How to revel in competition and celebrate other people’s success
  Who hasn’t fallen into the trap of comparing ourselves, and our work, to others and feeling pretty awful about it? Let’s discuss constructive ways to navigate this habit and build our confidence. We will learn tools and techniques for returning to what matters.
• User-centred design: Where humans reign supreme
  The application of user-centred design is constantly changing. Do you spend much of your time thinking about how the user can be better served by the designs you create? How do we ensure that users are the main focus of our designs, and that those users find our designs easy to navigate? Join us to discuss how design can be employed to make things easier, rather than just help address the bottom line.
• Show & Tell: Balancing aesthetics and accessibility
  Have you struggled to create trendy, eye-catching graphics while making sure they remain accessible? Have you found it hard to implement stakeholder feedback while still ensuring AODA compliance? How do we find that balance of stellar design, staying on brand and maximizing accessibility? Is there an elusive sweet spot or is the answer always compromise? Everyone who registers for this session will be asked to present a project that showcases the coming together of accessibility best practices and top-tier design and speak about their process, experience and key learnings for 5 minutes, followed by a brief Q&A with the group.
• Students only: Harnessing productive failure in design: navigating criticism, rejection and failure as a student
  Criticism, rejection and failure are part of every designer’s journey, but as students, how do you navigate these murky waters without losing your passion for design? Join us to learn how to interpret critique constructively, leverage rejection as a motivator and transform failure into productivity and innovation.

November 8th, 12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

• Improving your leadership skills
  We will discuss how to inspire creativity, foster collaboration and effectively communicate to maximize your team’s potential. You’ll gain insights into strategies and tools for enhancing your leadership skills, as well as learn how to serve as the foundation and support of your team, fostering unity and facilitating growth.
• Beautiful, creative + accessible: Strategies for accessible design
  Join a discussion that will address questions that include:
  – When, and how, do you consider accessibility when you’re launching a project?
  – What is a piece of advice or information you learned that changed the way you think about accessibility?
  – What is your favourite tool for streamlining accessibility in your projects or organization?
• Colouring inside the lines: Fostering creativity within the confines of a brand
  The same branding, same colours, same style day in and out. It can get boring. How do we foster that creative itch and stay motivated while adhering to our often strict brand guidelines? Join us to discuss techniques for pushing the brand envelope, trying out new, potentially radical ideas, all while still staying brand faithful.
• Futuristic fantasy to practical reality: Leveraging AI tools in the design process
  Have you experimented with AI to enhance your workflow? Have you used AI to gain insights about user behaviour? Have you used AI to boost your creativity? Join us for a discussion of designers’ experiences with AI and what impact we think it will have on the design industry.
• All hands on deck: The designer’s role in combatting climate change
  “Saving our planet is now a communications challenge.” With David Attenborough’s famous quote as inspiration, we’ll discuss the role of graphic and communication design in shaping a more sustainable future. How are we uniquely positioned to address climate change? Who is doing inspiring work? Let’s discuss.
• The need for speed: Addressing time constraints within the design process
  In competitive markets, the need for efficiency in all areas of business has been steadily increasing. How do designers develop creative solutions and contribute to business success while remaining true to effective design processes and maintaining a healthy work-life balance? What role can AI play? What processes and strategies contribute to more effective cross-disciplinary collaboration and integration? Join us as we discuss the need for speed without sacrificing the quality of the work or our mental health.
• From concept to completion: Managing design projects in-house
  Dive into the different aspects of project intake systems and project management processes within in-house design environments. Share strategies, best practices and key challenges for navigating design projects efficiently and effectively. Benefit from group insights to optimize your workflow and elevate project outcomes.
• Design education: Nurturing an abundance of wonder
  What it means to be a designer is evolving. What once would have been the responsibilities of a wide variety of craftspeople is now expected from a single person. Frequently, job descriptions include requirements as far-ranging as print design, UI, UX, motion, web design and development, content creation, social media expertise and more. How does a new generation of designers, looking for their first job, develop all these skills before they’ve even entered the working world? Join us as we discuss how educators can nurture grads to be adaptable, empathetic, technologically-savvy and business-focused.
• Understanding the midlife transition: Navigating career change and personal growth
  The mid-career slump is a real and terrifying prospect. Figuring out a path through means reflecting on what you actually want next — not from your career, but in your life. Let’s discuss how to discover what you really want from your next career move, and how to leverage experiences and competencies to craft the fulfilling career you only thought possible in your dreams.
• 10 Show & Tell: Learning on the job
  Join us for an intimate (confidential) presentation of projects that maybe can’t be entered into awards or shared on social media, but that tell a story you’d love to share. Everyone who registers for this session will be asked to showcase a project related to the table topic and speak about their experience for 4–5 minutes, followed by a brief Q&A with others in the group.
• Students only: Group Projects: Stepping stones to a successful design career
  Group projects are here to stay—your journey toward a successful design career begins with how you navigate and collaborate in group projects today, as the teams only get larger at your workplace. Join us to discuss embracing group projects as valuable assets for your professional journey, understanding collaborative design work and how to contribute and communicate effectively.