DesignThinkers Toronto 2025 gave us plenty to think about—inspiring talks, creative sparks, and a few laughs along the way. When we got back, we asked the team what resonated most. Here’s what stood out.

Holmes does an amazing job covering the different areas in the world where people encounter “Mismatches” leaving them to feel excluded. She goes on to explain, as people with influence, we need to consider when our own prejudices and biases leave a space for someone else to feel left out — you never know when you’ll find yourself on the other side.

When you decide to create a website or if running into a problem with your existing one, one of the first questions is often “Who should I reach out to?”. If you’re not familiar with web development, it can be confusing to figure out whether you need a frontend developer, a backend developer, or someone else entirely.

Each time a brand announces an update, there’s a flood of opinions online, both in favour of the re-brand, and protesting that companies shouldn’t be allowed to change their look. Ever. This can be an intimidating dichotomy for designers to navigate.