UNIQUEWAYS WITH THOMAS GIRARD: Recent Episodes
Thomas Girard
UNIQUEWAYS WITH THOMAS GIRARD emerges with people from all walks of life, who through their own unique angle, succeed and flourish. Enjoy the ride, and welcome to UNIQUEWAYS! An audio podcast.
Paul Wong is a media-maestro making art for site-specific spaces and screens of all sizes. He is an award winning artist and curator known for pioneering early visual and media art in Canada, founding several artist-run groups, and organizing events, festivals, conferences and public interventions since the 1970s. Wong has produced projects throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
I am a graphic designer, author, and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. My deep and wide-ranging expertise in visual communications— from custom typography and conceptual illustration to brand visualization and the design of editorial and information systems—is the result of over thirty years of professional and academic activity.
Stanley Chow is an artist and illustrator from Manchester, England. Stanley Chow Illustrations brings portraits of famous individuals captured through artistic mediums to capture a timeless character!
Louis Fishauf is one of Canada's most respected graphic artists and visual communicators. He has designed magazines, posters, corporate logos, murals, ad campaigns, product packaging, apparel graphics, postage stamps and websites for a wide variety of large and small clients. His innovative graphic style has garnered awards and industry recognition in Canada and abroad.
Currently a Designer at NASA’s JPL and a recent speaker at Config. For over a decade, I have worked in various places, ranging from tech startups, design agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. I have a love for good design and I appreciate all things nerdy.
I’m Danielle Molyneux — but you can call me Dani. I’m a type-twisting artist and designer. I’m also the person at Dotto. A wise woman once said to me, ‘my brain doesn’t work in numbers — it works in stories’. And with that I concur. I’m obsessed with words and their power to change, challenge and inspire. My quest is to bring words to vibrant life, playfully challenging perceptions and celebrating ideas. Making words to live by.
Stefan G. Bucher (born 1973) is an American writer, graphic designer and illustrator. He works through his design studio, 344 Design. Stefan G. Bucher was born in Germany in 1973. Bucher moved to California to attend the Art Center College of Design.
Career spanning over 18+ years John has worked with various technology corporations in roles ranging from software coder to leadership roles like CTO, Head of technology. Passionate about web technologies and was instrumental in delivering key software products for companies like Apple, Tesco, Boeing, to name a few.
Hi, I'm Andy! I'm from Mexico City 🇲🇽 I have a bachelor degree in Visual Communication from Centro de diseño, cine y televisión University 💻 One of my passions is helping brands find their own voice and personality through design 💡 I'm currently studying web development and marketing to help businesses reach the right market 🚀 I am organized, creative, fast learner, efficient and trustworthy ✨
StudioDBD is a Manchester based design studio founded by David Sedgwick. The studio creates meaningful design solutions for a variety of clients.
Hello! I’m Dan Forster, an award winning lettering artist and type designer. My work ranges from custom brand marks to type design, packaging projects, book covers and anything that requires beautifully crafted bespoke lettering.
"Nick" Benson (born August 19, 1964) is a third generation American stone carver, stone letterer and owner of The John Stevens Shop in Newport, Rhode Island. He was named a 2010 MacArthur Fellow.
Founder / Leader of Tomorrow. Durrell began his career at 16 years old designing websites. In 2001, he was hired full-time as a designer/art director
Alex's interest in design, however, started to veer outside the realm of 2 dimensional print and screen and into real world applications that people can interact and play with directly.
After 10 years with DDB Alex left to start Tangible Interaction Design, an experimental design studio that creates imaginative, interactive installations for clients and for fun. As one of the only companies of its kind in Canada, Tangible Interaction is on the cutting edge of North American Design and technology.
I am an operating partner at Khosla Ventures, working with portfolio companies to make their design and UX great. I build high performing teams, establish design practices, mentor and grow the next generation of great designers, and design interfaces and experiences.
I’m Barry Gu, an interaction design professional, brand designer, illustrator, social media blogger, I have extensive experience in visual advertising, illustration, and brand design.
I'm a designer, founder, coach/advisor to early-stage startups, husband to the most extraordinary Dana Brewer, and father to two amazing kids. Previously, I was Principal Designer at Twitter, co-founder, CEO, and Executive Chairman at Abstract, and the co-creator of 52 Weeks Of UX.
I'm a designer from Cambridge, UK. I started creating 3D typography sometime in 2012. I'm fascinated by semantics, visual cues and symbolism. I'm fascinated by cognitive biases and the readiness of the human brain to be fooled by optical illusion.
With over 18 years of experience in the design industry, I strongly believe that being in the work defines creative leadership.
My passion for craft remains as strong as ever, and I actively contribute to the creative process, infusing projects with hands-on expertise. As a seasoned design leader, I find joy in both guiding my team and rolling up my sleeves to create.
Stephen Coles is an editor and typographer living in Oakland. He is Associate Curator at Letterform Archive and co-publishes Fonts In Use and Typographica.
Madrid-based and Mexican-born, Paloma shoots imaginative still life that dazzles and provokes. Her art emerges at the intersection of photography with sculpture, design, installation and illustration. Paloma has a degree in Audiovisual Communication from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Bill Buxton has had a 50+ year romance with human aspects of technology, interaction design, telepresence, multi-modal adaptive designs, access, and the nature of innovation. Morphing from musician to designer/researcher he has practiced his craft at the University of Toronto, Xerox PARC, Alias Research, SGI and Microsoft Research. Awards include four honourary doctorates, co-recipient of an Academy Award for scientific and technical achievement, ACM/SIGCHI Lifetime Achievement Award, and Fellow of the ACM. In Dec. 2023 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. Writer, speaker and consultant, he is also an Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto, and Distinguished Professor of Industrial Design, TU/Eindhoven. He is currently largely occupied curating his collection of over 900 artifacts documenting the history of interactive technologies. Outside of work, he has a passion for his family, books and the outdoors.
I'm a curious human who helps other curious humans connect their creative right brains, technical left brains and entrepreneurial hearts
Cheryl Miller is an American graphic designer, Christian minister, writer, artist, theologian, and decolonizing historian. She is known for her contributions to racial and gender equality in the graphic design field, and establishing one of the first black-women-owned design firms in New York City.
olio.studio is an independent design practice specializing in branding, typography and digital content. We deliver effective solutions driven by creativity, imagination and humanity.
Sarah Boris is an artist and designer based in London. She is a regular speaker at festivals around the world and in universities and was a guest lecturer at LCC, University of the Arts London, London Metropolitan University and University Hertfordshire. She was judge president for D&AD Professional Awards and has been a judge for D&AD New Blood, Design Week Awards, Latin American Design Awards to name a few.
Strausfeld became a partner in the New York office of Pentagram,[11] the distinguished international design consultancy in 2002. At Pentagram, Strausfeld and her team specialized in digital information projects, including the design of large-scale media installations, software prototypes and user interfaces, signage and websites for a broad range of civic, cultural and corporate clients.
Jonathan Barnbrook (born 1966) is a British graphic designer, film maker and typographer.[1] He trained at Saint Martin's School of Art and at the Royal College of Art, both in London.[2]
Grant Gibson is a UK-based design, craft and architecture writer and podcaster whose work has been published in The Observer, New Statesman, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, FRAME, Dwell, House & Garden and quite a few others.
His book Type Matters! was published by Merrell Publishers and has been translated into German and Dutch editions.
With over 25 years of experience in design and creative fields, is a Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer at Accenture Song, a leading global provider of digital transformation services.
Kevin Hawkins is a UX Research & Design leader with 17 years of experience based in Barcelona, Spain. He loves to solve complex problems, delight users, and amplify business value. Currently designing the future of hospitality at Amenitiz.
Peruvian graphic designer based in Costa Rica. After almost 5 years working as art director for the internationally awarded advertising agency JWT Costa Rica, I decided to start my own design firm, Pupila Estudio.
Nigel Holmes (born 15 June 1942, Swanland, England) is a British/American graphic designer, author, and theorist, who focuses on information graphics and information design. Graduating from Royal College of Art in London in 1966, Holmes ran his own successful graphic design practice in England
Veronika Burian born in Czech Republic, is a product and type designer running the international indie foundry TypeTogether with partner José Scaglione since 2006.
The author of Design of Everyday Things, and Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity Centered, among other titles. A distinguished professor emeritus at the University of California, San Diego.
VP, Global Creative for Atlassian leading a multi-disciplined team of Creative, Brand, Design, Ops and Production. Previously, he was Global Chief Creative Officer for Reality Labs at Meta.
Creative Executive and Strategist helping businesses establish their brand, increase sales, and promote loyalty through effective creative leadership.
WE ARE SNASK and we are your future romance. A creative agency of misfit geniuses conquering the world through fine lookin' design and real emotions. To worry about what people think of us is a waste of time. As long as we stay true to ourselves, we are living our dream.
Teresa Sdralevich is a graphic designer, author, illustrator and silkscreen printer. Her work is characterised by boldness, humour and a constant quest for synthesis. Sdralevich likes best to deal with cultural, political and social issues but equally loves nonsense and playfulness.
Sadie Red Wing is a Lakota graphic designer and advocate from the Spirit Lake Nation of Fort Totten, North Dakota. Red Wing earned her BFA in New Media Arts and Interactive Design at the Institute of American Indian Arts. She received her Masters of Graphic Design from North Carolina State University.
Natalie Nixon is "the creativity whisperer to the C-Suite". She's been selected as one of the Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World.
Graphic artist who frequently collaborates with forward-thinking creatives in music, architecture, curation, education and more; pushing his traditional discipline of choice, letterpress printing.
David’s interests lie in WordPress, open source and future technology trends. He’s the founder and CEO of Pragmatic – a top-tier WordPress agency globally, which he started in 2012.
I’m an Award-winning Lettering Artist, Author and Educator. I have worked with several high-profile clients, been on stage at dozens of design conferences, won awards, and built the business of my dreams doing what I love.
Since 2007, I have led the program management and UX initiatives for clients including M+, The Met, Kickstarter, Wacom, Zumtobel, USA Today, EA, Spotify, and Google. My work has been recognized by Cannes, the Webbys, the Emmys, the Interaction Design Association, the European Design Awards, and many more.
Jay is Co-Founder of Giant Ant, an animation studio in Vancouver. Giant Ant has been awarded at the Daytime Emmys, ADC Awards, The Clios & One Show, and has been named 4 times on Working Not Working’s list of 50 Companies Freelance Creatives Would Kill to Work for.
Josh Clark is a UX design leader who helps organizations build products for what's next. He is founder of Big Medium, a New York design studio specializing in future-friendly interfaces for artificial intelligence, connected devices, and responsive websites. His clients include Samsung, United Airlines, ExxonMobil, About.com, O’Reilly Media, and many others.
Bonnie Siegler (born 1963) is a New York-based graphic designer. She is the founder of the design studio Eight and a Half and, before that, co-founded the design studio Number Seventeen. Her clients include Participant Media, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Saturday Night Live, HBO, Brooklyn Public Library, Maveron, Random House, The Criterion Collection,[2] The New York Times, Nickelodeon, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
April Greiman (born March 22, 1948) is an American designer widely recognized as one of the first designers to embrace computer technology as a design tool. Greiman is also credited with helping to import the European New Wave design style to the US during the late 70s and early 80s."[1][2] According to design historian Steven Heller, “April Greiman was a bridge between the modern and postmodern, the analog and the digital.”
I’ve spent 14 years leading teams to success at organizations like Mailchimp, InVision, and Resolve to Save Lives. I’m also a trusted voice in the design industry as an author, consultant, and co-host of one of the most popular design podcasts.
Lisa Congdon an internationally known fine artist, illustrator and writer. She makes art for clients around the globe, including Target, Amazon, Google, Schwinn, Warby Parker, Method, Comme des Garcons, REI and MoMa, among many others. She exhibits internationally, including solo shows at Saint Mary's College Museum of Art (California), Chefas Projects (Oregon) and Paradigm Gallery (Philadelphia), along with group shows at Hashimoto Contemporary in Los Angeles, Museum of Design Atlanta and The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. She is the author of ten books, including Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist
Elizabeth "Dori" Tunstall is a design anthropologist, researcher, academic leader, writer, and educator. She was dean of the faculty of design at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada, from 2016–2023, and the first black dean of a faculty of design anywhere.
Jesi Carson is a design researcher and interaction designer specializing in community engagement and creative facilitation. Her current roles include Co-director and Board President of the Vancouver Design Nerds︎︎︎.
Paul is a leader in conversion optimisation, digital leadership and UX design thinking. He has over 25 years of experience working with clients such as Doctors Without Borders and PUMA. He is the author of six books and a well-respected presenter.
Jeff helps organizations build better products and executives build the cultures that build better products. He is the co-author of the award-winning book Lean UX (now in it’s 3rd edition) and the Harvard Business Review Press book Sense & Respond.
Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and author with a tendency to overshare and a penchant for procrastiworking.
As a seasoned product design leader with over 20 years in the field, my career has recently pivoted towards more impact-driven initiatives. This shift isn't just a change in my professional trajectory; it represents a deeper commitment to creating designs that genuinely make a difference.
Rachel Botsman is a leading expert on trust in the modern world. Her two critically acclaimed books -What’s Mine is Yours and Who Can You Trust?–have been translated into 14 languages. She has been recognized as one of the world’s 30 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50 and honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Her TED talks have been viewed more than five million times.
Father, first. Designer, business leader & enabler of teams, second. Wannabe DJ, third :). Currently leading the design team at Dropbox across all creative disciplines; Brand, Product Design, Research, Content Design and Ops.
Barry Katz is a television producer, film producer and talent manager. He was the owner and founder of the Boston Comedy Club in New York City and helped launch the careers of many successful comedians
A huge advocate for the design community, Andy is a regular speaker at international conferences like SXSW, Awwwards and The Next Web. He founded and curated the dConstruct, UX London and Leading Design conferences, as well as an online community of over 2,000 design leaders. He's a founding member of the Adobe Design Circle and has appeared on both the Wired 100 and BIMA 100 lists, as well as winning agency of the year several times.
In my twenties, I explored the globe, gaining an informal education through extensive travel. Following brief studies in history and humanities, I immersed myself in a fulfilling retail career, progressing as a senior leader, sales manager, and HR expert. Approaching the start of my fifth year as a REALTOR®, I've discovered my true passion.
Embark on a journey with Chris, a final-semester AOA student at LaSalle College Vancouver, whose story is a tapestry woven with threads from Manila, Philippines, to the vibrant landscapes of Turkey, and now Canada. A true adventurer at heart, she brings a unique perspective shaped by her diverse cultural experiences.
Experienced in both the public and private sectors, in locations around the world, and with organizations ranging from small businesses to the largest employer in America. Licensed to practice law in Washington D.C. and Virginia.
Kevin Bethune is a multidisciplinary design executive, entrepreneur, best-selling author and keynote speaker based in Redondo Beach, California. His first book, Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation (The MIT Press) released with notable acclaim under the Simplicity: Design, Business, Technology, Life Series in March 2022. His second book, already in progress, will be coming out in the early Spring of 2025. “Open your aperture.”
Nick Finck is a design & research leader with over two decades of experience in the industry. He strives to improve people’s lives through crafting well-designed experiences that matter. Nick currently consults & advises businesses on design and research through Craft & Rigor in Seattle. Before this, he was in design & research leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, Facebook, Ubermind and others.
Mike is a UK based designer, specialising in Branding, Graphic/Web Design, Illustration & Photography. He has a worldwide client roster and his work is often featured in design related publications. Mike is also a regular speaker at design/tech conferences.
Sarah first stood on a stage in 2014 when she was invited to speak at a TEDx event. Today she stands on stages around the world. She engages audiences with her unique blend of science, activities and sense-hacking. She is the author of books including the bestselling Why Fonts Matter (Penguin/Random House)
FLUID Architecture has three areas of focus - Interaction, Indigeneity and Intimacy. Before founding FLUID Architecture, I was a partner at DIALOG (Vancouver Studio), and its Vancouver predecessor firm. Until March 2023 I was a Principal at Human Studio Architecture and Urban Design.
A graphic designer. Currently studying at LaSalle College Vancouver, expecting graduate in March.
Eighteen years of experience in the fields of Product, Graphic and Interior Design, conceptualizing, designing, documenting, managing, supervising, and researching both commercial and academic projects. Worked worldwide as designer as well as Academic with great success in organizing and leading teams.
Miklos is a lead UI/UX/product designer with over 17 years of experience. He is a proponent of user-centered design (UCD) practices and design thinking.
a digital pioneer, acclaimed photographer, creative technologist, author, and educator. My journey has taken me from the sunny shores of California to the vibrant cityscape of Vancouver, where I share my life with my faithful companion, Baby Jesus. My mantra? “Technology is best when it brings people together,”
Abhinandan Murali is a storyteller and a professional cook who has a plethora of short films, good stories and dry puns. Hailing from the incredible land of India, Abhinandan loves to see life under a microscope. If you enjoy seeing life through the lens of nostalgia and childlike innocence, check out his work
Creating a video is about forging genuine connections and making a lasting impact. It’s like sowing a seed of inspiration and nurturing it until it blossoms into something extraordinary.
I spent most of my life in Copenhagen, Denmark, cultivating a passion for creativity.
I am fortunate to develop my career as a Digital Artist into what I love, that is creating designs, characters and levels that connect with people and new experiences to be explored
Chris Do is an Emmy award-winning designer, director, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind and the founder of The Futur—an online education platform with the mission of teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love.
Jean François Porchez (born in 1964) is a French type designer.[1] He founded the French type foundry Typofonderie in 1994. He was president of ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale), the leading organisation of type designers from 2004 to 2007. He is probably best known for releasing the new typefaces for Le Monde, the French evening newspaper in 1994. He has designed custom typefaces for customers such as Beyoncé Knowles.
A passionate UI/UX designer from Ukraine. I love creating minimalistic and understandable designs. In my work, I operate with curiosity and sensitivity.
Berlin-based designer Roman Wilhelm (born 1976) studied visual communication at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle (Saale) in Germany, and under Professor Fred Smeijers for a typeface design master’s degree at the Academy of Visual Arts.
A Canadian interdisiplinary artist working between Kelowna and Vancouver BC. His diverse body of work employs a wide range of media and techniques often seeking pathways that intercept traditional ways of working with materials.
I am a UX/UI designer specializing in cross-cultural design in both print and digital development. I work with businesses, restaurants, real estate projects, professionals and startups for the past 22 years. With my BBA in marketing.
Connor's greatest strength lies in his exemplary leadership by example and his unwavering commitment to pushing creative boundaries. He possesses a remarkable ability to unite people and foster a culture of collaboration. His unique blend of creative vision and technical expertise sets him apart and empowers his team to deliver outstanding results.
Gail Anderson (born 1962) is an American graphic designer, writer, and educator-[1] known for her typographic skill, hand-lettering and poster design. Gail Anderson's family migrated to the Bronx, New York from Jamaica. She was the first-generation American, and first-generation college-educated in her family. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in 1984,[4] where she was taught by Paula Scher
Ria holds advanced education certification on creating short films and documentaries from University of Washington. A student of creative arts, I have developed a keen sense of visual concepts and out of the box thinking at an early age. Armed with a Bachelor of Design from Raffles, one of the respected International Design Houses and an Advanced Diploma in 3D Design from the Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), I stepped into my professional career as an intern with 'Plus One Degree', the internal design function of HCL Technologies , known for its disruptive and award winning marketing campaigns in the Tech industry.
My approach to driving growth involves leading design teams to deliver immediate value to customers and clients through close collaboration with merchants and internal stakeholders. Leveraging my hard-earned international business experience and deep understanding of consumer behaviour, I excel at creative and collaborative problem-solving, formulating design strategies, and executing them through creative leadership.
Lee is known for exhibitions of his experimental photography and painting, and also for working across a range of media and subjects, as well as teaching and writing.
Mark Simonson (born 1955) is an American independent type designer who works in St. Paul, Minnesota.Simonson has described his typefaces as often being inspired by lettering styles of the past, such as the graphic design of the 1970s, Art Deco graphics and wood type.
Hi my name is Jesse. I design cool projects for startups, create online content, and teach about design, code and life
Julie Van Oyen is a designer and researcher whose work involves embodied design research, more-than-human interactions, and public sector digital service design. She is also an educator and mentor in the areas of UX/UI, interaction, and service design.
I am Bhumika Kalra. An 18 year old, born and raised in Bali, Indonesia.Being away from home for the last few years has given me the opportunity to learn, explore and find my strengths. Throughout my life, I have learnt the values of compassion and service. Values that act as a drive to push and motivate myself every day. I have implemented these attributes to my involvement in the communities around me, through volunteering, organising events and empathising with those around me. I remind myself that I am driven.
Steven Heller (born July 7, 1950)[1] is an American art director, journalist, critic, author, and editor who specializes in topics related to graphic design.
Richard Saul Wurman is an American architect and graphic designer. Wurman has written, designed, and published 90 books and created the TED conferences, the EG Conference, TEDMED, and the WWW Conference.
Timothy Goodman is an award-winning artist, graphic designer, author and public speaker. His art and words have populated walls, buildings, packaging, shoes, clothing, books, magazine covers and galleries all over the world for brands such as Nike, Apple, Google, MoMA, Netflix, Tiffany & Co., Samsung, Yves Saint Laurent, Uniqlo, Target, The New Yorker and The New York Times.
Jessica Helfand (b. 1960) is an artist, designer, and writer. She grew up in Paris and New York City, and received her BA and MFA from Yale University where she taught for more than two decades. A founding editor of Design Observer, she is the author of numerous books on visual and cultural criticism. The first-ever recipient, in 2010, of the Henry Wolf Residency at the American Academy in Rome, Jessica Helfand has been a Director’s Guest at Civitella Ranieri, a fellow at the Bogliasco Foundation, and the Artist in Residence at Caltech. She lives in Providence.
Founded on the belief that creative opportunities are everywhere, Flora Gordon Design + Imagery specializes in creating a captivating look and feel to help organizations stand out and connect with their audiences. Our approach to designing resonant campaigns, identities and communication materials involves targeted research, collaboration and problem-solving. We bring dynamic energy, experience and an abundance of thoughtful ideas to the design process.
Sebastian Curi’s (b. 1986) bright and bold work reflects his training as an animator and graphic designer. He works in a pop style, employing cartoonish figures and playful compositions to describe ordinary scenes of life under the lens of a bright color palette. His experience allowed him to develop a unique style of illustration centering around quirky figures who live in their own super stylised universe.
Chavi Sethi moved to Bangalore from Delhi armed with a degree in Graphic Design and worked with firms like Prestige and The Bold Creative. She Co-Founded 'The Bartender' in 2015 before selling out to a partner and starting over with Graycell Design in 2017.
Noor Bains is a graphic artist and specialise in visual identity design, advertising design, another prime area of expertise include web design. I've been intricately involved with art and copy since an mearly age. I have a keen interest towards digital design and have always enjoyed being a learner in this vast pool of fascinating knowledge in this time of creative innovation.
Lucy Hogg’s recent work is photo based, shifting from a longstanding painting practice in 2008. Her photography examines the contexts in which art is exhibited and made, while relating those situations to the material aspects of everyday life. Her painting projects were also parasitical, looking at the history of 17th, 18th, and 19thC painting from the point of view of gender.
I am a journalist who has been writing for over 15 years about architecture, design and real estate development. I am an Editor in Chief who oversees and directs two national trade publications -- Building magazine and Canadian Interiors. My writing has also appeared in design magazines in England, Germany, the Netherlands and China, and my work has won multiple awards for business writing.
Creative with 20 years of making (and breaking) experiences for humans. Senior Vice President of User Experience at Fisker Inc
Raymond Larabie (born 1970) is a Canadian designer of TrueType and OpenType computer fonts. He owns Typodermic Fonts, which distributes both commercially licensed and shareware/freeware fonts.
A Canadian pop artist. He is known for his controversial artwork in which he lampoons and satirizes high-profile figures in the fashion industry.[1] Sauvé works in the fashion industry in New York City, and acts as a creative director for fashion clients including Diane Von Furstenberg, Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, Dior, Coach, Under Armour, MAC Cosmetics and Sephora.
What I bring to a project: persistent focus on user needs and simplifying experiences to make them easy and enjoyable. A combination of content strategy, user experience, design strategy, research-driven design, branding, and front-end-development. Committed to learning and collaboration, I love transforming processes, and developing new ways for clients to speak to their audience that can be heard clearly and inspire action.
Reframing the world’s biggest problems as important design challenges, she is a global thought leader who rigorously collaborates with people, places, and organizations to provoke and maximize positive transformation. As Co-Founder and Chief Insights & Analytics Officer of Massive Change Network (MCN) she is deeply curious about the socio-emotional effects of how change is embraced and absorbed. A self-described “non-expert,” her unique design approach holistically bridges the worlds of data, stories, and the humanities to probe new ways of thinking and doing.
As founder of MetaDesign and Edenspiekermann, he gave a defining look to Berlin’s public transport system, Deutsche Bahn, The Economist and companies such as Audi, Volkswagen and Bosch, among others. His work has been recognized with Europe’s most prestigious prizes and honours, including the Royal Designer for Industry title from the British Royal Society of Arts.
He spends his time between Berlin, London and San Francisco.
Iraqi-Canadian author Hasan Namir graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA in English. He is the author of God in Pink (2015), which won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Fiction and was chosen as one of the Top 100 Books of 2015 by The Globe and Mail.
Rebecca is of Squamish and Kwakiutl ancestry. She holds a BA from the University of British Columbia with a Major in the First Nations and Indigenous Studies Program. She is the Artistic Associate for the Dancers of Damelahamid and the Festival Associate for the Coastal Dance Festival.
Lori Goldberg was born and lives in Vancouver. She attended Langara College, Ontario College of Art and Design and Emily Carr University of Art and Design. She is the recipient of many awards, including a Canada Council Grant, two Tony Onley Artist's Project Scholarship and the Vermont Artist Award. Her work is in the collections of the Canada Art Bank, Contemporary Art Gallery, among others.
Creativity driven by passion. Results driven by purpose. An accomplished creative with extensive experience in brand development and management, communications and marketing. I have great creative abilities, extensive experience in building, refreshing and supporting brands, and a talent for creating and leading outstanding and highly collaborative teams.
Senior Product Designer and Podcaster. Previously designed software for Google Maps, Toyota, Shell Fuel Rewards, Boston Scientific, Albertsons, Steadily, Docusign and Aura.
I'm a product designer leader with a background in agency design, video games, enterprise applications, and global consumer sites. I love to help simplify the complex, work on big problems, and build collaborative, engaged, thought leadership teams. I gravitate toward products that solve important problems. As a design leader I believe in empowerment, transparency, and iterative learning.
I think in 🎨 design and build in 🧑💻code. I’m a Vancouver-based🇨🇦 frontend engineer. For the 7 years working in tech, I've worked at enterprises, startups, agencies, and consultancy companies. My background in UX made me become an engineer who can bridge the gap between design, engineering and product to build things pragmatically.
Great design is where user needs and business goals meet. I seek to understand both to design user-centered, inclusive and accessible products and services. I am specialized in enterprise software.I spent the last 11+ years helping clients in different industries (banking, financial, automotive, healthcare, press, travel, etc.) deliver successful projects to their audience, all the way from strategy to the final product. I write articles, teach design in different schools and universities, mentor and talk at tech events all around the world.
After living this experience every day for years, hidden in a community of neurodiversity, it's time for me to share with others who face the same stigma about hidden disabilities and advocate for change. During my career, I have worked on many projects at different stages for each project compared to one main project. I know the value of going 0-1 of any design project.
UX Design and Design Strategy. I am especially good at design thinking and building experiences. I draw this from my user-centered design experience and Entrepreneurial mindset, to innovate and test ideas.
A driven, engaging and insightful designer professional with a passion for work that positively impacts the human experience, growing and bringing innovation to companies, with a proven ability to improve processes and customers experience. I have an eagerness to take on new challenges and bring new meaning to user centered design through research, feedback and new experiences.
Joel Hladecek has over 30 years experience pioneering creative solutions and strategies in emerging mediums - from Fortune 500 interactive marketing solutions to virtual reality theme-park rides.
Currently a student at Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing (at Sauder School of Business).
With over two decades of experience in digital products, I have created consumer web and mobile experiences for consumer and enterprise companies such as GE Digital, Salesforce, Rhapsody and eBay.
After a decade in China, Ally is no stranger to the cultural and lifestyle adjustments required of a successful ‘laowai’. Her mission: Equip the masses to take the China experience by the horns and enjoy the wild ride!
Lives and works in Langley, BC, is an enthusiastic Visual and Brand Designer, coming from a background of classic Graphic Design, her work spans branding, print production, and promotion materials.
An experienced Entrepreneur, First Nations/ Indigenous Storyteller, advocate for tribal collective self-determination and coach on Indigenous Entrepreneurship and Equity. Currently he is in the role of Indigenous Entrepreneurship Program Manager at Shopify.
Currently leading design at Statsig, building a world-class experimentation platform. Before that, successfully launched highly impactful products and features during time on Facebook Ads & Gaming team. Also won a few hack-a-thons at Facebook and presented projects to the Leadership team.
Priti Saini has been part of the IT design industry since the last 17 years, delivering experiences for consumers of well-known brands and Fortune 500 companies.
Champion for creatives. Hustler of culture. Connector of people. Founder, CEO & Creative Director at Rollout.
Exploring new ways to interact with information and one another. Based in Vancouver, and is the CEO & Cofounder at Museum of Other Realities.
Rogier van der Heide is a designer born in the Netherlands who lives in Liechtenstein. He is noted especially as a C-suite design executive and as a lighting designer of public and commercial projects all over the world.
Currently lives in the Heidelberg Area (Germany), where I work as Director of Design Strategy at SAPand promote User Experience Design as visiting lecturer at Rhein-Wall University of Applied Sciences. Working in the Information Technology industry since 1998, I’ve helped truly global companies in several countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Hong Kong, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, United Arab Emirates, United States) create great user experience through advocating Design and Innovation principles.
Trevor Jones is a UI/UX designer with a passion for creating beautiful, useful experiences that communicate with intent and authenticity. An award-winning multi-disciplinary designer, Trevor has worked in print design, advertising, and gaming. At PlayStation, he’s been an integral part of two global product launches: The PlayStation Store, and the next-gen console PS4. https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorjones/
A proven self-starter and keen collaborator, our guest is passionate about building the creative spaces where people want to work, both from cultural, structural and operational levels, thriving in director and lead roles, managing individuals and their teams, as well as across departments and disciplines.
Without labels, I’m a person that’s curious about expression in all its forms but particularly in how it relates to space and awareness. I dream of a world where everyone has the space and confidence to express their own understanding of where they live. Fear shows me where to look. I love the sun.
Former Chief Brand and Design Officer at 3M, Author, Design Leadership Advocate, Keynote Speaker, Guest Lecturer, Advisor and Mentor.
Bruno Porto (1971) is a graphic designer, educator and consultant from Brazil. His graphic design and illustration work has been exhibited in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe, and featured in over 40 international publications. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, he has also lived in New York, Shanghai and Brasília, and recently in The Hague.
Sharad Kharé is an award winning storyteller and documentarian that lives in Vancouver, BC. He is the founder Human Biography, a Vancouver-based content agency that produces original video content for the most incredible humans, brands, and organizations across the globe.
Over 18 years experience in leading teams to design and build compelling products that connect with customers. Reputation for combining curiosity, courage and empathy to solve complex problems. Seasoned practitioner, speaker, and mentor. Passionate about improving the world.
Education professional with a Master of Fine Arts - MFA focused in Media Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design.
Debbie Millman is a writer, designer, educator, artist, brand consultant and iconically the host of the podcast Design Matters. She’s also the Chair of the masters in branding program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Author of “Why Design Matters: conversations with the world's most creative people”.
Grammy nominated creative. Based in NYC, Trochut’s work includes design for a diverse range of clients: Nike, Adidas, Puma, The Rolling Stones, Katy Perry, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Esquire UK, BBC, Coca-Cola, British Airways, Pepsi, The Guardian, The New York Times, Time and many others.
Paul Conder has a 25-year track record developing new customer experiences for global retail brands. He has led research and design projects for brands like Nike, Starbucks, and Ford.
Mana Saei is a New and Digital Media Artist based in Vancouver, BC. She graduated from Emily Carr University with a bachelor of Media Arts. Mana holds a degree in Physics as well. Mana‘s practice includes exploring new approaches to interactive audio-visual installations in physical and virtual spaces.
Founder of creative agency Intents & Purposes, they received the Governor General’s Gold Medal for their research into design for social impact, social innovation, and sustainability. They’re the author of the bestseller The Conscious Creative: Practical Ethics for Purposeful Work, with a new book coming for 2023.
Erik Olson has lived a nomadic life, having been raised in Calgary, Boston, and Nairobi as a child. He graduated from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver in 2007. From 2014 to 2016, he attended the acclaimed Kunstakademie Düsseldorf as a guest student of Peter Doig.
Facilitator and strategist at WIK*D Design Thinking for Social Change. Founding Partner of Herrainco Brand Strategy + Design, an award-winning consultancy I ran with my husband Ray Hrynkow for 35 years. Completed a Masters in Liberal Studies at SFU (2019). I have a Graduate Certificate in Innovation Leadership from California College of the Arts (2015) and Bachelor of Design in Communication Design from Emily Carr University (1977 and 2005).
Sr. Graphic Designer at JD.ID in Jakarta, Indonesia whose mantra “Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”
Experience strategist at twig+fish, a human-centered research practice. Primary lecturer for HF780, a capstone research course for the HFID Graduate Program at Bentley University.
Director of BEESTUDIO INDIA, former head of department at Symbiosis, and Product Design Faculty at Ajeenkya D Y Patil University School of Design.
M.A. Graduate Liberal Studies major at Simon Fraser University of Vancouver, Canada with ambitions of publishing a first book.
A communication designer by profession, Sugandhi is a spiritual, keen learner with a zeal for remarkable design & philosophy.A passionate person, Sugandhi loves to put life to concepts with powerful communication, strategy and detail. She believes to possess a creative chakra in our body that triggers to develop powerful communication.
Garth Mc Intosh is a Senior Generalist at Industrial Light & Magic in Sydney, Australia. He holds at MA from the University of the Witwatersrand in Digital Art.
Germaine Koh is a Malaysian-born and Canadian conceptual artist based in Vancouver. Her works incorporate the artistic styles of neo-conceptual art, minimalism, and environmental art, and is concerned with the significance of everyday actions, familiar objects and common places. Among her published books are Germaine Koh: Works.
Arndt Klos is a communication designer. Born in Germany, he graduated in graphic design and fine arts, and studied communication design at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany. In 2005, he moved to Canada, where he served as creative director of BURNKIT, bringing his strategic brand perspective to their design-focused, interactive work. He co-founded Vigilantes in 2012.
Jason DaSilva (born July 26, 1978) is best known for the Emmy Award-winning documentary, When I Walk. He is a director, producer, writer and disability rights activist. He is also the founder of the non-profit organization AXS Lab and of AXS Map, a crowd sourced Google map based platform which rates the accessibility of businesses.
Hien Do is a newly qualified Management Accountant (CIMA) with a Masters in Finance & Accounting (distinction) and a strong track record in analysing and delivering cross-functional financial systems and processes in commercially-focused businesses.
Am Johal has been the Director of SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement since December 2010. He is an associate with SFU's Centre for Dialogue, SFU's Institute for the Humanities and he is Co-Director of SFU’s Community Engaged Research Initiative. Received the 2020 Warren Gill Award for Community Impact.
Ron Wakkary is a professor in design in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University in Canada where he founded the Everyday Design Studio (eds.siat.sfu.ca). In addition, he is a professor and Chair of Design for More Than Human-Centered Worlds in the Future Everyday Cluster in Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Wakkary is the author of the book Things We Could Design for more than Human-Centered Worlds (MIT Press, 2021)
Front-end engineer/Outdoor’s enthusiast. Has worked for companies such as AT&T, General Motors, Visa & the national laboratory NREL. Holds a BSEE & MSEE and have a passion for hardware/software. Experience varies from building solar cells from scratch to native mobile application development.
Zagórski works mostly in Poland but also travels frequently. His activity in the field of education enables him to distance himself from his work. In the years 2007-2008 he lectured on visual communication at Escuela Superior de Artes de Yucatan in Mexico. From 2012 until 2013 he taught the same subject at the Raffles Design Institute in New Dehli. Starting in 2013 he has been a lecturer at the Poznań School of Form.
Matea Kulić is the author of the chapbooks PAPERWORK (Anstruther Press, 2019) and FRAU L. (Perro Verlag Books by Artists, 2016). She lives in Vancouver, Canada on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh). Currently Executive Director at The Association of BC Book Publishers.
Dr. Ron Burnett is the past President + Vice-Chancellor of Emily Carr University of Art + Design. In 2013, Dr. Burnett received the Order of Canada and in 2015, he received the Order of British Columbia. Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, 2010.
Born in Tehran, Yasaman is an emerging slow-making and Haute-Couture fashion and textile designer with an entrepreneurial spirit. Her designs are synonymous with prints in a kaleidoscope of colors.Her season-less designs are for anyone who dares to break the rules of fashion, bring a sense of playfulness to their wardrobe, be bold, and fun with what they wear. She is currently a third-year Industrial Design major at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, focusing on jewelry and shoe design.
After a decade-wide body of independent multimedia creative work as an artist, musician, and sound designer since 2006, including a music collective called "ISM" which he later adopted as a personal brand, His productions led to broader collaborations with a variety of teams, partners and clients. This path marked a shift in 2019 when he established the ISM Arts & Culture corporation as an end-to-end creative agency focusing on cross-stakeholder social innovation initiatives with governments, communities, companies, and research institutions at the local and global level. He has since worked with organizations like TED and TRIUMF (Canada’s particle accelerator centre). Show notes: ISM Arts and Culture - https://www.ism-ac.com
A communication designer by profession, Sugandhi is a spiritual, keen learner with a zeal for remarkable design & philosophy. Apart for the love of travel, in her free time, she loves to spend time with her family, listen to great music, practice meditation and healing modalities.
Sonny Assu was raised in North Delta, BC, over 250 km away from his ancestral home on Vancouver Island. Having been raised as your everyday average suburbanite, it wasn't until he was eight years old that he discovered his heritage. Later in life, this discovery would be the conceptual focal point that helped launch his unique art practice.
Merunisha Moonilal believes education is pivotal to creating change in the global supply chain. An interdisciplinary environmental and social sustainability professional, focused on the textiles and leather apparel industries. Her expertise lies is facilitating businesses to analyze their dynamic capabilities and reallocate resources to push forward circularity in product and processes in their supply chains.
Former digital strategy director at landor and fitch. Daniel Segal possesses more than 18 years of experience across Asia, America, the UK, the Middle East, and the Far East.
Izabela Sroka is a Polish born, Warsaw-based multidisciplinary graphic designer specializing in visual communication & art direction.
Notably working in the space of Design Futures with a PhD from Tilberg. Uniquely combining 10 years in the Italian Creative Industry; 10 years as corporate management; with 10+ years as independent consultant and academic researcher. Additional show notes, one of Marco's books: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6878866-the-golden-crossroads and listen to us geeking out about Canadian designer Bruce Mau!
Born on The Farm in Tennessee, Angela was raised in Ontario and Zimbabwe, and currently resides on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and Sel̓íl̓witulh Nations (Vancouver, Canada). Her praxis focuses on the inner and outer connections that can be made pushing at the edges of the barriers surrounding ‘sticky’ subjects (such as trauma, identity, love, and death).
Dr. Philippe Pasquier has held an Associate Professor role, School of Interactive Art and Technology (SIAT), Simon Fraser University (SFU). and Associate Dean Academic role, Faculty of Communication Arts and Technology (FCAT), Simon Fraser University (SFU). His research focuses on the theory and practice of Artificial Intelligence. Additional show notes: More about me: https://www.kadenze.com/courses/generative-art-and-computational-creativity-i More about the Metacreation Lab: http://www.Metacreation.net Kadenze Classes on Creative AI: https://tinyurl.com/ycvleqlm Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philpass/ https://twitter.com/monobor
Dan is a co-founder and principal at Apogee and co-founder of Make Meaningful Work, as well as the co-founder of UX Hong Kong. He has been involved in the UX field for over 20 years, and has been based in Hong Kong for over 20 years. He is the author of 3 books.
Jo is a co-founder and principal at Apogee and co-founder of Make Meaningful Work, as well as the co-founder of UX Hong Kong. Jo grew up in multicultural Hong Kong, with a Chinese-Burmese father and Chinese-Indonesian mother.
Paresh Choudhury is one of the familiar faces in the Indian Design Community and is also an internationally acclaimed Design academicians. He has held senior-level positions across design Institutes of repute in India. Namely, the National Institute of Design, (NID) as Professor and former Head Department of Communication Design!
Flight attendant for Air India, but actually started her career in fashion marketing and merchandising doing research for Louis Vuitton!
Associate Director, Service Design & UX Research at EY Design Studio. Candidate, Master of Design (MDes) in Strategic Foresight and Innovation. Ex-Shopify and Capital One
Michael Peter is a UX Researcher who studies consumer motivations and behaviours at SkipTheDishes, Canada’s leading food delivery app. He champions the power of real human insights to provide actionable solutions to challenging and unexplored questions about a product’s strategic design. Michael holds a Bachelor of Design in Interaction Design from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, and a Master of Research in Design from the Royal College of Art.
Keith Tam is an information designer, typographer, and academic. He is currently Head of Department of Communication Design and Director of the Centre for Communication Design at the Hong Kong Design Institute; Distinguished Research Fellow at the Type Lab of the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University. His previous appointments include Associate Professor and Director of the MA Information Design programme at the University of Reading, UK; leader of the Communication Design discipline and founding leader of the Information Design Lab at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Al Jones is a very curious human, who has lived in greater Vancouver BC, Canada his entire life. The exception being extensive international and domestic travel. He has two healthy, honest, hard-working, and committed sons with his former wife who died of cancer over a decade ago. He is fortunate to be in another loving relationship.
His work interests lie in people and what motivates them to do the things they do. Often Al finds that people do many amazing things in addition to some dumb things which can be costly. Al’s work has been largely focused on how to remediate and minimize the dumb things we do.
Nicole Ho-Sang is an Energy HEALER and Personal Coach, Helping creatives improve health to balance lifestyle & success
Garnet Hertz is Canada Research Chair in Design and Media Arts, and is Associate Professor of Design at Emily Carr University. His art and research investigates DIY culture, electronic art and critical design practices. He has exhibited in 18 countries in venues including SIGGRAPH, Ars Electronica, and DEAF and has won top international awards for his work.
Mahyar Saeedi is a Digital media designer and content strategist from Vancouver, BC. He works on projects that he’s truly passionate about. He creates personal projects of his own and thrives off learning new skills. On top of that he is the host of Vancouver’s eminent No Fun City Podcast.
Srushti Kulkarni is a UI/UX Designer who recently completed her MDes at the Emily Carr University of Art+Design with a particular interest in healthcare design. Having worked in India, on designing an emergency watch for senior citizens for two years, she has always been intrigued by the manner in which smart technology is persistently helping the older adult in advancing at the same pace as the evolution of technology.
Natasha Razak was born in 1981 in Belgrade, Serbia. After finishing high school, she enrolled in Applied Arts studies in France. She graduated from the University “Pascal Paoli” in Corsica. She completed her master's studies at University “Le Mirail” in Toulouse, and then at the Faculty of Art and Design in Belgrade, specialising herself in interior architecture for people with disabilities. France, India, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Turkey are some of the countries where she lived and worked.