Design is facing an identity crisis. Between rapid AI transformation and changing economic realities, the baseline for "good work" is shifting overnight. As automated tools simplify design execution, the design practice faces an urgent question: what is the true value of a human designer in an era of prompt-driven refinement? How might we- how will we use these tools to advance our work? Are the threats to our livelihoods real, or are we missing the bigger picture? What is the true value of a human designer?
Join us on Oct 29, 2026 for a cross-disciplinary evening examining the future of design practice across Canada—spanning Industrial Design, Graphic Design/UX, Architecture, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, and Fashion Design, as well as the future of design education. Together, we’ll candidly assess how practitioners view the evolution of their fields, unpack real-world disruptions, and chart the emerging competencies required to lead the next era of design.
Event Highlights
- Cross-Disciplinary Panel Discussion: Design leaders across design practices debate de-professionalization, threat vs. opportunity, and strategies for navigating our changing fields.
- AI’s impact on the future of design (DIAC): Tim Haats presents short key insights fresh from the Design Management Institute’s Academic Design Management Conference in Atlanta, sharing DIAC's latest research.
- The future of design education (Cumulus): Jacob Kessler and Job Rutgers share short highlights from recent Cumulus sessions, tracing the shift from current educational disruptions to essential future competencies and modernized curricula.
- Q&A: Participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists, ask questions, and explore how these shifts might shape their own practices, careers, and approaches to the future.
Let’s take a pause, revisit our collective value, and grab a drink as we re-emerge into our practice with renewed confidence, clarity, and community.
Speakers to be announced soon...
DesignMeets is proud to partner with the Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC) to bring you this special event
The Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC) is a not-for-profit, interdisciplinary design think tank, established in 2001 by the City of Toronto. Its purpose is to demonstrate and advance the value and impact of interdisciplinary design while leveraging the capabilities of the design workforce to improve economic, social and environmental outcomes across Toronto, Ontario and Canada.
Sponsors
