This week on the DesignThinkers podcast, host Nicola Hamilton is joined by Stephen Gates, a global design leader, keynote speaker, and host of The Crazy One podcast.
Gates’ career has spanned over 20 years, leading creative teams at companies like Apple, Citi, InVision, and McCann, where he has built award-winning work across branding, product design, and customer experience. Known for his candid, no-nonsense approach to leadership and creativity, Gates now works with organizations and teams around the world—helping them unlock better ideas, build stronger cultures, and navigate the complex realities of design at scale.
In this episode, he gets into what it really means to lead as a designer, how to break free from safe thinking, and why creativity and business must speak the same language. Gates shares hard-won lessons on building trust with executives, the traps teams fall into when chasing innovation, and the mindset shifts that can make the difference between a good career and a great one.
Whether you’re a design leader, an ambitious creative, or just curious about what it takes to make work that matters, this conversation is equal parts practical, inspiring, and refreshingly honest.
DesignThinkers Podcast is back for a third season! Join host and RGD President Nicola Hamilton as she digs into the archives of the DesignThinkers conference, reconnecting with past speakers about their talks and ideas that have shaped Canada’s largest graphic design conference. Follow the RGD on Instagram @rgdcanada or visit them at rgd.ca. Purchase tickets to the upcoming DesignThinkers conference at designthinkers.com.
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