The Re-Designed Practice: Threats, Opportunities & The Future of Design

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 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? How will design practice evolve?

Join DesignMeets and DIAC 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. Speakers will 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.

Speakers

• Atif Aqeel | Principal, AAA Architects
• Chris Hardwicke | Director, Urban Design, City of Toronto
• Nicola Hamilton | Creative Director, Serviette Magazine, Founder & Creative Director, Issues Magazine Shop
• Dylan Horvath | Founder & CEO, Cortex Design
• Kevin Post | Landscape Architect & Principal, Beyond the POST
• Susan Keiko Langdon | Creative Consultant/Advisor, Contract Lecturer, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Ian Chalmers | Founder & Principal, Pivot Design Group & DesignMeets
• Lisa Fulford-Roy | Co-Founder & CEO, Fulford Roy & Associates Consulting Inc.
• Tim Haats | Assistant Professor, School of Industrial Design, Carleton University