David Labistour of Mountain Equipment Co-op is named "DesignThinker of
the Year" by RGD, Canada's professional certification body for graphic
designers
TORONTO, Nov. 7, 2013 /CNW/ - The Association of Registered Graphic
Designers (RGD), in partnership with the Rotman School of Management,
presented Canadian corporate leader David Labistour with the inaugural
"DesignThinker of the Year" award. Labistour is the Chief Executive
Officer of MEC, Canada's leading retailer of outdoor gear, apparel and
services.
The award was presented at RGD's 14th annual DesignThinkers Conference in Toronto, attended by 1,500 creative
professionals and business communicators.
Labistour was recognized for his long-standing commitment to design and
appreciation for the process of design thinking to fuel innovation, as
well as leading one of Canada's most beloved brands through a bold
redesign with Toronto firm Concrete this year.
"'Design thinking' allows us to make sense of our complex, exponentially
changing world and address the needs of our customers, communities,
economy and ecology," explains Labistour.
"[David] has built MEC on design…with a deep respect for the people that
both make and use their products, as well as the environmental and
social impacts," says Award judge Alan Dye, Executive Creative Director
at Apple. Other judges were Mark Leung, Director of DesignWorks at
Rotman and Bruce Nussbaum, author of Creative Intelligence.
"Design Thinking has had a strong influence on how Rotman teaches
creativity and innovation," explains Leung of the School's decision to
partner on the award. "Design has evolved beyond just the aesthetic and
into a powerful way of working across disciplines." The DesignThinker
of the Year Award shines a spotlight on the role design can play in
business success and innovation.
The Award was designed by multi-disciplinary design firm Jacknife and
fabricated using innovative 3-D printing technology by Agile
Manufacturing.
About RGD
Representing over 3,000 members, RGD is a hub for the graphic design
community, promoting knowledge sharing, continuous learning, research,
advocacy and mentorship. | www.rgd.ca
About The Rotman School
Rotman is redesigning business education for the 21st century with a curriculum based on Business Design™ and Integrative
Thinking™ and by fostering a new way to think that enables the design
of creative business solutions. | www.rotman.utoronto.ca
SOURCE Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario
Image with caption: "Rotman's Mark Leung and RGD President Lionel Gadoury present the 2013 DesignThinker of the Year Award to MEC CEO David Labistour. (CNW Group/Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20131107_C5499_PHOTO_EN_33136.jpg
