The RGD’s 27th annual DesignThinkers Conference returns to Toronto, Canada on October 20–21, 2026, bringing together 2,000 creatives under the theme Out of Office to explore the design process and what’s next for the industry.
DesignThinkers features 5 streams and nearly 40 sessions, including engaging presentations from international speakers, hands-on workshops, an industry tradeshow, an Opening Party and small-group discussions on topics that are top of mind today, such as why “ugly” design is winning in 2026, the democratization of design and future-proofing your career.
The theme for DesignThinkers 2026 is “Out of Office.” Stepping away from your desk allows for creative freedom. When we’re free to roam, we discover and document visuals with no agenda. Think festival posters, street signage, manhole covers, hand painted signs, shapes in clouds, graffiti, sidewalk art… Visualizing without signal, pressure or performance. There is a creative liberation that comes from being ‘offline’. A celebration of the wild, the unexpected and the thinkers who don’t fit the mould. DesignThinkers 2026 is a celebration of unconstrained creativity, strange, rule breaking and trusting your instincts.
Check out the amazing and diverse speaker line-up here.
Attend in-person (travel discounts are available) or via livestream.
