Politicians will not save us, but designers might

How Designers can help reshape our future

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” — Steve Jobs

It’s 5:00 AM, and as always, I am careful not to disturb the stillness of the morning — especially my dog. Once he’s up, the house is up, thanks to his loud barks of excitement. The day ahead was going to be long but exciting. After sending my kids off to school, my next step was a 30‑minute drive westbound to campus to proctor exams, then head back home at about 1:30 — just in time to prepare for an event I had been looking forward to for weeks. My journey would continue, this time eastward to Toronto for an evening that would mark a significant moment for the city’s design community: welcoming Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel, the newly appointed Dean of OCAD University, at Pivot Design Group’s long-standing event, Design Meets. This is the first event of the year and an opportunity to catch up with my Toronto design community — a place where I led both Design and Design Research teams. The theme of the event is “Designing the Future, the Future of Design.”

The atmosphere is “design cozy,” as are the drinks.