DesignThinkers Podcast

This week’s guest is the one and only Sagi Haviv. Sagi is a partner and designer at Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv—a firm responsible for some of the most famous logos of all time. Their clients include Chase Bank, NBC, State Farm, OBS, NYU, Animal Planet and the US Open to name a few. Sagi also teaches Visual Identity Design at the School of Visual Arts in New York and has penned a couple of books on the topic of identity design. It’s his dedication to crafting beautiful symbols and his deep knowledge of brands that have made Sagi a compelling DesignThinkers speaker. In this episode, we talk about his early career working under legends Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar, what it means to design a logo today and why presentations are so valuable for our clients.  Follow us on Instagram @rgdcanada or visit us online at rgd.ca. Purchase tickets to the upcoming DesignThinkers conference at designthinkers.com.

This week's episode features Annie Atkins, a leading voice in the world of graphic props and design for film. Based in Dublin, Ireland, Annie has designed graphic pieces for multiple Oscar-nominated films: including the animated feature The Boxtrolls, Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and West Side Story, and Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs, French Dispatch, and the Grand Budapest Hotel – the latter which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Production Design. We talk about her early career which was full of fits and starts as she found her niche. You can hear her love of history and research throughout the conversation, especially when she talks about designing in character—and the way imperfect assets feel more real.  Follow us on Instagram @rgdcanada or visit us online at rgd.ca. Purchase tickets to the upcoming DesignThinkers conference at designthinkers.com.

Welcome to our first bonus episode of the DesignThinkers podcast! Each year, RGD asks a different Canadian agency or studio to tackle the conference identity. In these shorter episodes, I’ll be speaking with some of those folks—our past DesignThinkers Brand Partners.  In this episode, I have pleasure of chatting with Vanessa Eckstein, founder of blok design. Vanessa and the team at blok design were our Design Partner in 2002, but Vanessa was involved with the conference since it's very beginning. Follow us on Instagram @rgdcanada or visit us online at rgd.ca. Purchase tickets to the upcoming DesignThinkers conference at designthinkers.com.

This week, I sit down with designer, lettering artist, and muralist Lauren Hom. Lauren is best known for turning her passion projects into thriving design businesses. Over the past decade, Lauren has created work for clients like Vans, Target, Google, and Adobe. I’m catching Lauren at the tail end of her most recent side quest: a year-long adventure into the culinary arts. Lauren talks about balancing culinary school with her freelance practice and shares some tactics for committing to personal projects and building creative confidence.  Follow us on Instagram @rgdcanada or visit us online at rgd.ca. Purchase tickets to the upcoming DesignThinkers conference at designthinkers.com.

In this captivating conversation, Paula Scher, a celebrated graphic designer and Pentagram partner, shares her remarkable journey in the world of design. She reflects on her early artistic aspirations, the role of luck in her success, and the evolution of design careers. Scher discusses navigating challenges in the male-dominated industry and the impact of age on creativity. Her passion for large-scale maps and tackling complex government projects showcases her innovative approach, blending artistry with practicality in design.

Welcome to the DesignThinkers Podcast! Join host and RGD President, Nicola Hamilton as she digs into the archives of the DesignThinkers conference, reconnecting with past speakers about their talks and ideas that have shaped Canada's largest graphic design conference.  Follow us on Instagram @rgdcanada or visit us online at rgd.ca. Purchase tickets to the upcoming DesignThinkers conference at designthinkers.com.