DesignThinkers Toronto 2025.

About the project.

DesignThinkers is the flagship conference of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers, and the largest design conference in Canada. The 2025 Toronto edition, themed Shift Shapers, filled Meridian Hall for two days with talks, hands-on workshops, an exhibitor marketplace, and speakers from studios like Pentagram, Adobe, and The New York Times.

RGD brought us in about a week before the event. There was no time for a long brief, and they didn't want one. Their ask was simple: capture the energy, get it out fast, and give them material they could use to sell next year's event and sponsorships.

“You were the professionals. You knew what to do. You didn't need a very detailed brief from us on what we wanted. It was seamless.”Rebecca Dudgeon, Community Engagement & PR Manager, RGD

An editor in the building.

The audience at DesignThinkers works in design, so the content had to look the part and stay on brand. We worked from RGD's brand kit and the Shift Shapers visual identity from the start.

Our shooter covered the stages, workshops, and exhibitor floor, and sent footage to our editor in batches through the day: 30 minutes in, 90 minutes in, three hours in, and again before close. The editor worked out in the open on site, so the recap was taking shape while the talks were still going. Attendees kept stopping by to see what we were cutting.

That meant a 30-second Day 1 recap was delivered the evening of Day 1, and a 30-second Day 2 recap the evening of Day 2, each in horizontal and vertical versions so RGD could post on every platform right away.

“Someone was like, did you guys stay up all night editing this? Having the turnaround that was so quick helped build the momentum for the event while it was happening.”Rebecca Dudgeon, Community Engagement & PR Manager, RGD

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Stage photos nobody asked for.

Photos weren't part of the plan. But the stage was lit so well that we shot the speakers anyway, and delivered the photos to RGD the same day as a bonus.

At the after-party, speakers kept asking where they could get their photos, so we sent them their own. Soon after, they were posting them on LinkedIn: professional stage shots with the DesignThinkers branding, instead of a blurry phone picture from the audience.

We also filmed the exhibitor booths, so RGD would have real footage to show future sponsors what a booth at DesignThinkers looks like.

On stage, too.

RGD also gave our founder, Javon Martin, three minutes on the main stage to introduce a speaker. The crowd loved it, and it led to a paid speaking engagement and invitations to appear on podcasts.

What we delivered.

Two days at Meridian Hall, turned into content RGD could post that night and keep using all year.

• Evening of Day 130-second Day 1 recap video, horizontal and vertical
• Evening of Day 230-second Day 2 recap video, horizontal and vertical
• Same day, as a bonusStage photos of the speakers, shared with RGD and the speakers themselves
• After the eventFull event recap, the aftermovie
• ArchivedA stock footage library of speakers, workshops, sponsor booths, and crowd moments

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The results.

The recaps performed well on Instagram and LinkedIn, and RGD posted them as soon as they arrived, with no notes.

“We have received stuff before where we're like, this doesn't quite fit the brand. We literally had no complaints whatsoever. We looked at it and we're like, absolutely, we're posting now.”Rebecca Dudgeon, Community Engagement & PR Manager, RGD

The fast turnaround built momentum while the event was still happening. RGD got messages from people saying they were coming next year and weren't going to miss it, some of them travelling in from out of town. At our debrief, the team rated our content and communication above expectations, and two of the three gave us five stars (the third gave us 4.5).