The Re-Designed Practice: Threats, Opportunities & The Future of Design

Mr. Aqeel brings a multidisciplinary perspective to his work. In addition to his architectural education, he has a background in finance and capital markets, including experience with institutions such as Lehman Brothers and training in financial analysis. He also co-founded a fintech company that provides blockchain-based asset-tokenization services for real-world assets.

As a real estate developer, Mr. Aqeel is actively involved in the development of purpose-built rental housing. He is also a strong advocate for artificial intelligence and participated in OpenAI’s early beta-testing community during ChatGPT’s development.

Drawing on his experience in architecture, design, construction, finance, capital markets, blockchain technology, real estate, and investment, Mr. Aqeel offers a distinctive perspective on how AI can help professionals expand their capabilities, improve decision-making, and achieve greater success in the decades ahead.

Before joining the City, he was a principal at Agent Urban and at O2 Planning & Design, directing more than 100 public-sector projects — among them Building LeBreton Flats in Ottawa, a 29-hectare transit-oriented district now under construction as the largest carbon-neutral housing project in Canada; the Halifax Centre Plan; and the Toronto Parkland Strategy.

His work has earned over 20 professional awards, including a Fast Company World Changing Ideas Award, and pioneered the use of big data and artificial intelligence in public space analysis. Chris has served on the Calgary Planning Commission, co-chaired the Calgary Urban Design Review Panel, and is the chair of the Council for Canadian Urbanism. He has taught at the Universities of Toronto, Waterloo, and Calgary, and has spoken on healthy, low-carbon cities in Copenhagen, Helsinki, New York, and New Delhi.

Over the past 15 years, she has designed and redesigned magazines including The Grid, Chatelaine, Best Health and Precedent, and Serviette. In 2022, she opened Issues Magazine Shop, a bricks-and-mortar magazine retailer in Toronto. Through her work with RGD, Nicola has spent years advocating for the value of design and brings a community-wide lens to how graphic design is being reshaped by AI.

In his time growing Cortex into a leading ISO-13485:2016 medical device design and production company within Canada, Dylan has worn almost every hat in the organization — from industrial designer to embedded systems engineer to mechatronics designer to international production liaison on dozens of overseas production visits.

Today, Dylan provides leadership and coaching to the team, sets strategic objectives, and provides a positive work culture within which the staff can succeed. Through coaching, mentorship and guidance, Dylan is accountable for delivering great project outcomes to clients.

Dylan is a co-inventor on 11 utility patents (and counting) and has won numerous awards including the Bold Epic Innovator X-Prize for Cloud DX’s Vitaliti Tricorder “Doctor in a box”. His work has appeared in Popular Science, The Huffington Post, The Globe and Mail, Forbes, and Canadian Business’s Fastest Growing Companies.

In addition to leading Cortex, Dylan is the co-president of the Association of Canadian Industrial Designers, the Vice President of the Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario, and a regular speaker at events where he advocates for the power of design to expand human capability.

Technology has been a central part of Kevin’s practice, but he views it as a tool for improving design thinking, communication, accuracy, and decision-making rather than as a replacement for the designer's role. He has also taught SketchUp and 3D visualization workflows to landscape architects and designers, helping practitioners use digital tools more intentionally within their own design processes.

Kevin is particularly interested in how emerging technology is reshaping professional practice, the skills designers will need to remain valuable, and the ways human judgement, creativity, stewardship, and accountability continue to shape meaningful design.

From 1994 to 2026, Susan Langdon served as CEO and Executive Director of the Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI). Under her leadership, TFI grew into an internationally recognized non-profit organization that helped thousands of emerging designers and creative entrepreneurs launch and build successful fashion businesses. She has also provided strategic advisory services to governments and organizations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. 

With 30+ years of experience in design and design research, Ian is an acknowledged leader, mentor, and solution provider across Canada’s business and academic landscapes. A graduate of OCAD University, he considers design a critical strategic driver for enhancing the general health and well-being of people and the planet.

With deep experience across local, national, and global portfolios, she brings a structured methodology to understanding each client’s unique organizational context. She is known for her ability to frame the strategic problem with precision, model future-state scenarios, and deliver recommendations that strengthen culture, enhance engagement, and optimize real estate investment.

Her work spans workplace modernization, portfolio optimization, occupancy modeling, asset repositioning, and executive-level business case development. She has led strategy programs for Fortune 100 and 500 organizations across every major sector, consistently helping leaders navigate dynamic change, evolving workplace expectations, and the increasing complexity of occupancy decision-making.

She is an award-winning strategist whose contributions have been recognized for advancing workplace innovation and elevating the role of occupancy strategy within the broader business landscape. A frequent speaker and panelist, she shares insights on workplace transformation, employee experience, and the future of organizational performance, contributing thought leadership to industry conferences and professional forums.

Her commitment to the profession extends beyond client work. She serves as Chair on the DIAC Board as a representative of Interior Designers of Canada, previously served on the ARIDO and CoreNet boards and chaired CBRE’s Canadian Women’s Network. Throughout her career, Lisa has devoted time to mentor emerging professionals, support graduate students and contribute to curriculum development and teaching.

Much of his work is applied in nature and developed through collaborations with industry partners, creating opportunities to connect design research with real-world challenges and new product development.

Alongside his academic work, Tim is co-founder and co-owner of Rehab Fur Your Pet, a full-service physical rehabilitation, fitness, and wellness service for small companion animals in Ottawa. He also serves on the Board of the Design Industry Advisory Committee (DIAC), representing the Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario (ACIDO) and contributing to initiatives that support the advancement of design practice and industry in Ontario.