DesignThinkers 2026 Vancouver
Date and time: May 26 to May 27
Location: Vancouver Playhouse, Vancouver, BC
The RGD’s annual DesignThinkers Conference returns to Vancouver on May 26 and 27, 2026.
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.
The conference will be held in person at the Vancouver Playhouse, with an option to attend virtually where attendees can watch live-streamed sessions and connect with other participants online.
Confirmed speakers include Christopher Doyle, Ariane Spanier, Elizabeth Goodspeed, Emmi Salonen, Kenjiro Kirton, Laura Stein RGD, Nu Goteh, Peter Smart, Roman King and many more!
What is RGD?
Through the RGD, Canadian designers exchange ideas, educate and inspire, set professional standards and build a strong, supportive community dedicated to advocating for the value of design.
The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) is Canada’s largest professional association for graphic designers. The association’s membership of more than 4,000 people includes firm owners, freelancers, managers, in-house designers, educators and students.
Members work in the design disciplines engaged in developing effective communications, including editorial design, motion design, brand design, environmental design, UX design and information design.
The RGD runs numerous industry events and initiatives, including DesignThinkers, Canada’s largest annual conference for graphic designers; Creative Earners, Canada’s comprehensive salary report for creatives; awards programs for branding, design educators, emerging designers, in-house design, social good design and students, and much more.
