Design Professionals of Canada - DesCan

Design Professionals of Canada - DesCan DesCan is the national advocate, voice and resource for Canada's design profession.

The GDC is an advocate, voice and resource for Canada's graphic design profession. We are a national certified body of graphic designers promoting high standards of visual design and ethical business practices for the benefit of Canadian industry, commerce, public service and education. Through the media, publications, seminars, events, conferences and exhibits, the GDC builds awareness of graphic design and its essential role in business and society.

BusinessCase 15Pricing Design in the Age of A.I.What are the trends affecting how design is packaged, priced and deliver...
06/09/2026

BusinessCase 15
Pricing Design in the Age of A.I.
What are the trends affecting how design is packaged, priced and delivered in the age of AI?
Join Win Without Pitching founder Blair Enns for the discussion on pricing models that are under pressure, those that are safe harbours and the common pricing and business model mistakes most designers are making right now.
Blair Enns is the founder of Win Without Pitching , the leading authority on selling and pricing for expert advisors and practitioners. Through his writing, teaching, and advisory work, Blair has shaped how experts around the world sell and price their services — helping them sell from a position of authority without pitching or persuasion, and price based on the value they create rather than the effort they expend.
He is the author of The Win Without Pitching Manifesto, Pricing Creativity, and The Four Conversations, a body of work that has become foundational reading for consultants, creative firms, and other experts seeking to escape commoditization and reclaim control of the sales conversation. He is widely recognized for pioneering authority-led selling and modern approaches to value-based pricing for expert advisors and practitioners.
Blair lives in the remote mountain village of Kaslo, BC Canada.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
10am PST via Zoom
DesCan Members: Free!
Non-members: $50
Register here > https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/pricing-design-in-the-age-of-ai-tickets-1991403409204?aff=oddtdtcreator
Business Case is a business speaker series that connects new and experienced designers with various industry professionals. Interested in speaking about your area of expertise in the design industry? Reach out to us!

This week’s curated post features the work of DesCan Fellow Fritz Gottschalk from 1972.This edition of Japanese magazin...
06/04/2026

This week’s curated post features the work of DesCan Fellow Fritz Gottschalk from 1972.
This edition of Japanese magazine IDEA includes a major feature on Gottschalk+Ash and was published shortly after the opening of their Toronto studio in 1972. G+A were commissioned to design the cover, developed by Fritz in Montreal. It was designed around the theme of ‘Growth’, and the juxtaposition of organic material against the harder metallic forms creates a more interesting result.
The work featured inside spans a number of industries, their work for cultural clients particularly standing out, as does G+A’s signature use of vibrant colour and bold form to generate impact and drama.
You can read the full story of this and other examples of Canadian design history at canadamodern.org (link in ’s profile).
CM118
Artifact Type: Magazine
Title: IDEA 115. International Advertising Art.
Year: 1972
Designer: Fritz Gottschalk, AGI, F.DesCan (cover)
Studio: Gottschalk+Ash
Client: Seibundo-Shinkosha Publishing Co.
Size: 297mm X 226mm









and .Vancouver celebrate the global theme in June of CURATE, and we are lucky to be joined by illustrator, teacher, and...
06/01/2026

and .Vancouver celebrate the global theme in June of CURATE, and we are lucky to be joined by illustrator, teacher, and author Tom Froese.
Froese is known for lively maps and bright, printmaking-inspired textures, and the award-winning work he’s created for clients including Airbnb, Yahoo!, GQ France, The Wall Street Journal, and Canadian Tire. As a Skillshare Top Teacher, Tom has helped more than 120,000 students build creative confidence through concept-driven classes, and he hosts the podcast Thoughts on Illustration. He’s also the author of Drawing Is Important, a practical guide to building a daily drawing habit. For CURATE, Tom brings a maker’s perspective on how artists choose what to pay attention to, shape raw ideas into clear visual stories, and design a practice that filters the noise into work with intention.
🎵 Our live musical performance will feature Michaela Slinger, a Vancouver-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for her warm, genre-blending sound🎶
This month’s local partners are .
Friday, June 5, 2026
8:15am - 10:15am PST
Hosted at Vancouver Art Gallery, Room 4 East, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC
Register at creativemornings.com/talks/tom-froese.
Portrait of the Tom by Sarah Nelson, 4th year student at the Wilson School of Design at KPU

If you are an artist and would like to illustrate a future speaker portrait, please email [email protected]!



This week’s curated post features the work of Gerhard Doerrié from 1965.A catalogue for the Sixth Biennial Exhibition o...
05/28/2026

This week’s curated post features the work of Gerhard Doerrié from 1965.
A catalogue for the Sixth Biennial Exhibition of Canadian Painting (1962-64) at the National Gallery of Ottawa. The purpose of these events sought to present the most creatively interesting aspects of contemporary Canadian painting and as a way of assessing the continually changing characteristics of innovation and culture without reference to national boundaries.
The cover employs a dominant map form, inset with the roman numerals VI and filled with colour most associated with both Canada and the French speaking Québécois. It is also worth noting that this catalogue was published only weeks before the new Canadian flag was introduced, as such there is also a little reference associated to the old Red Ensign.
You can read the full story of this and other examples of Canadian design history at canadamodern.org (link in ’s profile).
CM211
Artifact Type: Soft Cover Catalogue
Title: Sixth Biennale Exhibition
Year: 1965
Designer: Gerhard Doerrié
Studio: Paul Arthur + Associates
Client: National Gallery of Canada
Size: 255mm X 203mm









This week’s curated post features the work of DesCan Fellow Ernst Roch from 1979.An identity that consists of initials ...
05/21/2026

This week’s curated post features the work of DesCan Fellow Ernst Roch from 1979.
An identity that consists of initials that are created from the company’s product, in this case the modular wall system (shell scheme) used in the construction of exhibition stands and booths. The 3D isometric perspective enables the creation of strong geometric forms. The company was created in 1979 through the amalgamation of two sister companies, Show Services Canada and Standard Show Services, in Montréal, and now forms part of GES Canada.
You can read the full story of this and other examples of Canadian design history at canadamodern.org (link in ’s profile).
TM20
Title: Exposervice Standard
Year: 1979
Designer: Ernst Roch, F.DesCan
Studio: Roch Design
Client: Exposervice Standard Inc.
Sector: Exhibition, Signage, Environmental









This week’s curated post features the work of Margrit Kapler from 1069-71.The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is one of Canad...
05/14/2026

This week’s curated post features the work of Margrit Kapler from 1069-71.
The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is one of Canada’s oldest, largest and best-known choral ensembles. Founded in 1894 by Augustus Vogt, the Choir presented its first concert in Massey Hall, as part of the hall’s inaugural season, on January 15, 1895.
These membership cards were first introduced for the 1969/70 season, which also coincided with the celebration of The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s 75th anniversary. Along with these striking, more contemporary designs, it heralded the introduction of the choir’s new visual identity by Margrit Kapler, who designed it during 1968. Printed on uncoated vellum stock and set in Univers.
You can read the full story of this and other examples of Canadian design history at canadamodern.org (link in ’s profile).
CM214
Artifact Type: Membership Card(s)
Title: The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Membership Cards
Year: 1969, 1970, 1971
Designer: Margrit Kapler
Studio: John D. Weatherseed Associates
Client: The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Size: 89mm X 163mm









A Canadian perspective on found typography in London.
05/12/2026

A Canadian perspective on found typography in London.

BusinessCase 14TOGETHERING — How to collaborate with a writer and make great stuff, even betterPlease join Flora Gordon ...
05/08/2026

BusinessCase 14
TOGETHERING — How to collaborate with a writer and make great stuff, even better
Please join Flora Gordon in conversation with Pete Pallett, Senior Writer & Brand Strategist.
For over 30 years, Pete has worked with designers, creative shops, ad agencies and brands in Canada, the USA and internationally. His focus recently has shifted to brand development, but his first love will always be writing and collaboration. In fact, Pete and Stu Ross got together and put together DesCan’s TOGETHERING campaign.
Over the course of an entertaining (hopefully), informative (most likely) and accident-prone (most assuredly) hour, Pete will touch on:
• The value a writer SHOULD bring to your projects and business
• What goes into making a designer-friendly writer
• How Pete likes to work with designers
• Incorporating Brand Strategy into your design business
• Inside a writer’s head (beware)
• What to look for when you’re shopping for a writer
Thursday, May 21, 2026
10am PST via Zoom
DesCan Members: Free!
Non-members: $20
Register at the link in our bio.
Business Case is a business speaker series that connects new and experienced designers with various industry professionals. Interested in speaking about your area of expertise in the design industry? Reach out to us!




This week’s curated post features the work of Jake Sneep from 1968.During the 1960s Cooper & Beatty famously held high ...
05/07/2026

This week’s curated post features the work of Jake Sneep from 1968.
During the 1960s Cooper & Beatty famously held high profile exhibits at their Toronto and Montréal offices, many of these events in close collaboration with AIGA.
Toshihiro Katayama was a self-taught artist and designer, born in Osaka (1928—2013). After graduating, Toshihiro establishing himself as a designer in is native Japan, learning from his father within the family trade. His work is most well known for his incredible use of space, movement, texture and kinetic energy. He worked in design, painting, sculpture and three-dimensional environmental spacial works.
In 1968, with the help of AIGA, an exhibition of his work was held at the Institute of Graphic Arts Gallery in New York. It was this exhibition that was later relocated to Toronto after the show ended, allowing Canadians to witness his remarkable work. The poster features one of Katayama’s typical designs, strictly formed on a 12 column grid from horizontal and vertical lines of various graduating weight, producing a three dimensional woven aesthetic.
This poster was designed by creative director Jake Sneep who worked in this capacity between Anthony Mann leaving to join Rolf Harder, Ernst Roch and Al Faux as Design Collaborative in 1965 and Jim Donoahue taking the reins in 1969.
You can read the full story of this and other examples of Canadian design history at canadamodern.org (link in ’s profile).
CM296
Artifact Type: Poster
Title: Toshihiro Katayama
Year: 1968
Designer: Jake Sneep
Studio: Cooper & Beatty
Client: Cooper & Beatty
Size: 247mm X 325mm









2026 DesCan Scholarships Entry Deadline Extended: May 3 at midnight!DesCan is offering $15,000 in scholarships to Canadi...
04/30/2026

2026 DesCan Scholarships Entry Deadline Extended: May 3 at midnight!
DesCan is offering $15,000 in scholarships to Canadian design students for 2026.
Some are regional and others are specifically for Indigenous students (Cheryl Lynn Rutledge Northern Indigenous Student Award) while others are for historically marginalized students ((Manitoba Studio Fund). There are opportunities for students studying all disciplines taught in design programs across Canada.
Winning students receive the monetary award and a certificate, and in most of the awards we also recognize honourable mentions with a certificate. All students (winners and honourable mentions) are featured on the DesCan website and are promoted through our social media channels.
Details can be found at http://www.descan.ca/scholarships.

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