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Thank you to the RGD's Volunteers of each Month for 2020
21/12/20

As we near the end of this unpredictable and a challenging year, the RGD thanks all our volunteers for their support and contribution to the RGD's programs and initiatives. 

 

RGD's President, Nicola Hamilton explains, "RGD is a community by and for designers. Without our Members, we wouldn't exist. I am so grateful for the countless Members who serve on our Board and Committees; review portfolios and judge Awards; mentor and advise emerging designers, write articles and contribute content to the RGD website and e-newsletter; brand our programs and design our communications; and generally donate their time and skill to help.

 

Every month, we highlight one of these exceptional contributors. These 12 volunteers have gone above and beyond! Their enthusiasm, dedication and tireless efforts are truly incredible, given the year that it’s been. Each of their perspectives and insights has shaped the RGD and helped us grow, evolve and expand our support within this community."

 

January - Donna Graffi-Smith RGD

"Through the RGD I have also made lots of great connections with other design professionals and have learned something from each experience."
 
Donna has been an in-house designer since she graduated from York University/Sheridan College Program in Design where she received her Bachelor of design with Honours.
 

February - Rod McDonald RGD

"The RGD provides support, knowledge and community. When you reach the stage where you can look back you realize just how important those three tools are."
 
Rod is an acclaimed lettering artist and typeface designer.  One of the first lettering artists to switch to the Mac, he soon began producing typefaces and logos for leading Canadian magazines, including Applied Arts, Maclean’s and Toronto Life. Rod also developed many corporate and custom typefaces.
 

March - Jesse Gibb RGD 

"Volunteering with the RGD I gained confidence, empathy and drive: confidence being thrust into meetings with incredibly smart people and coming out alive; empathy from mentoring aspiring designers and drive from being shown I can always work harder, do better and share more."
 
A designer, photographer and maker of things, Jesse runs a solo design studio in London, ON. Nearly 20 years in, he hasn’t been scared off yet and still gets a kick out of solving interesting design problems for interesting people, in the most interesting way possible.


April - Alison Garnett RGD

"Volunteering on the RGD Board has allowed me to connect to a diverse group of individuals, from students graduating from art college to industry mentors." 
 
Alison is a Toronto-based creative professional with over 20 years of global and national design, advertising and digital experience spanning industries including automotive, retail, packaging, professional services and not-profit. 
 

May - Alan Joson Provisional RGD

"You’ll gain access to a wealth of knowledge and expand your professional network. Volunteering has also helped me broaden my understanding of design."
 
Alan joined the corporate world for several years while simultaneously engaging in creative pursuits, including managing his own photography business. Alan balances his role as in-house graphic designer for the Michener Institute of Education at UHN with freelancing.
 

June - Stüssy Tschudin RGD

"From getting to know more of my peers to feeling good about the help I provided to young designers getting started in the industry, it is a very rewarding experience to be able to contribute to this Association."
 
A conceptual and visual thinker, Stüssy brings creative and strategic insight to projects he oversees as Principal and Creative Director at Forge Media + Design. He’s led projects for Apple Canada, BMO, the Town of Newmarket and TIFF.  
 

July - Ceri Tully Provisional RGD 

"Helping organize and plan events is rewarding because I know how much creatives  look forward to them. I love running into old friends and meet new ones. Your sense of community grows and you create more connections."
 
Ceri is multi-disciplinary designer balancing roles of in-house and client design work at Search Engine Unity. She has a background in psychology and research, bringing a unique analytical perspective to design projects. 
 

August - Bianca DiPietro RGD

"As a designer, it's important to grow and you can do this by surrounding yourself with wonderful mentors and leaders."
 
Bianca is a Program Coordinator & Professor at Humber College in the Graphic Design Program. She has 10 years experience in design ranging from traditional branding to experiential and digital design. Bianca is interested in discovering meaningful work and finding ways to create engaging educational environments.
 

September - Evelyn Csiszar RGD

"My involvement with the RGD is a constant reminder of the standards that the RGD sets, and by association the standards I also represent, which has made it easier for me to maintain my integrity and create high quality work."
 
Evelyn is Founder of Collective Experience, a design collective that specializes in providing UX/UI design and strategy services to tech companies and start-ups in the health, education, science and financial sectors. 
 

October - Faron Dawe RGD

"I have gained a great sense of support, accomplishment and awareness from being an RGD Volunteer. Knowing my contribution to the Association, no matter how large or small it may be, is meaningful and welcomed is quite rewarding."
 
With 20 years of experience as a professional graphic designer, Faron has worked with clients from a variety of sectors, providing solutions in visual identity, print, user interface design for web, video production and more. 
 

November - Ashley Tomlinson Provisional RGD

"I have gained confidence in myself as a solo designer because there’s this large organization and community that I’m part of. My involvement with the RGD shows that I have certain standards in my work and my business."
 
Ashley is a multi-disciplinary designer based in Toronto, Canada. Recently, she was junior designer at Studio Wyse where she worked on editorial projects for the University of Toronto, Ryerson University and the Creative Destruction Lab. She’s also a co-founder of Cove Collective, a community that centres the voices of BIPOC womxn through events, workshops and podcasts.
 

December - Magued Hanna RGD

"I enjoy lending my experience and supporting young designers. However, it also benefits my craft. It can be easy to remain in the “design bubble” of one’s own office, so volunteering becomes a great way to stay connected with the industry and get inspired by design talent."
 
Magued is a creative leader with over 20 years of strategic, management and hands-on expertise across media and industries–from fintech and real estate to high tech and automotive. As one of only a handful of UX Master certified professionals in Canada, Magued has a deep understanding of UX for web and mobile, as well as a passion for accessibility.