NOVEMBER 18-19 2025 | DOWNTOWN TORONTO
North America's Favorite
Design Leadership Conference
Experience DLS November like never before. Three unique experiences are designed to connect you with peers, sharpen your leadership skills, and leave you inspired to lead with vision.
Join the Global Companies of Design Leaders
NOVEMBER 18-19 2025 | DOWNTOWN TORONTO
North America's Favorite
Design Leadership Conference
Experience DLS November like never before. Three unique experiences are designed to connect you with peers, sharpen your leadership skills, and leave you inspired to lead with vision.
Join the Global Companies of Design Leaders
2 Days
250+ Leaders
Toronto, Canada
16+ Sessions
12+ Roundtables
16+ Speakers
It's not just another
It's not just another
conference!
conference!
We are evolving DLS to deliver more value at every stage. The November edition introduces a kickoff evening to help you connect before the program begins, followed by focused learning tracks and a high energy main stage that leaves you inspired.
Day 1 – Craft Track
Hands-On Sessions & Breakouts
Level up your skills with practical, hands-on sessions led by experts in AI tools, research methods, systems, and design ops. Small-group formats mean you’re not just listening — you’re doing. Perfect for senior ICs and managers who want to bring sharper tools back to their teams.
Day 1 – Craft Track
Hands-On Sessions & Breakouts
Level up your skills with practical, hands-on sessions led by experts in AI tools, research methods, systems, and design ops. Small-group formats mean you’re not just listening — you’re doing. Perfect for senior ICs and managers who want to bring sharper tools back to their teams.
Day 1 – Craft Track
Hands-On Sessions & Breakouts
Level up your skills with practical, hands-on sessions led by experts in AI tools, research methods, systems, and design ops. Small-group formats mean you’re not just listening — you’re doing. Perfect for senior ICs and managers who want to bring sharper tools back to their teams.
Day 1 – Leadership Track
Roundtables & Peer Groups
Step into curated, candid roundtables with other design leaders. Share challenges, swap strategies, and leave with fresh perspectives on leading teams, shaping culture, and influencing your org. Intimate discussions, no slides — just honest conversations with peers who get it.
Day 1 – Leadership Track
Roundtables & Peer Groups
Step into curated, candid roundtables with other design leaders. Share challenges, swap strategies, and leave with fresh perspectives on leading teams, shaping culture, and influencing your org. Intimate discussions, no slides — just honest conversations with peers who get it.
Day 1 – Leadership Track
Roundtables & Peer Groups
Step into curated, candid roundtables with other design leaders. Share challenges, swap strategies, and leave with fresh perspectives on leading teams, shaping culture, and influencing your org. Intimate discussions, no slides — just honest conversations with peers who get it.
Day 2 – Talks
Big stage inspiration, together.
Day 2 brings everyone under one roof for keynotes, panels, and inspiring talks from the brightest voices in design. This is where ideas spark, teams get energized, and you see the bigger picture of where our craft and leadership are headed. Designed for leaders and their teams to learn, get inspired, and bring the energy back to work on Monday.
Day 2 – Talks
Big stage inspiration, together.
Day 2 brings everyone under one roof for keynotes, panels, and inspiring talks from the brightest voices in design. This is where ideas spark, teams get energized, and you see the bigger picture of where our craft and leadership are headed. Designed for leaders and their teams to learn, get inspired, and bring the energy back to work on Monday.
Day 2 – Talks
Big stage inspiration, together.
Day 2 brings everyone under one roof for keynotes, panels, and inspiring talks from the brightest voices in design. This is where ideas spark, teams get energized, and you see the bigger picture of where our craft and leadership are headed. Designed for leaders and their teams to learn, get inspired, and bring the energy back to work on Monday.
NOVEMBER 18-19 2025 | DOWNTOWN TORONTO
Two Days.
We're a Community.
Not just another
Conference.
One Connected
Experience ↗
NOVEMBER 18-19 2025 | DOWNTOWN TORONTO
Two Days.
We're a Community.
Not just another
Conference.
One Connected
Experience ↗
NOVEMBER 18-19 2025 | TORONTO
A Community
Experience↗
We're a Community.
Not just another Conference.
Choose Your
Choose Your
Summit Experience
Summit Experience
Flexible passes designed around your goals.
Who
Is This For?
Whether you’re a Staff Designer, Design Manager, or Director of Product Design, this summit is built for senior design professionals navigating the nuances of leadership. Expect content, connections, and conversations that match your level—and your pace.
Who
Is This For?
Whether you’re a Staff Designer, Design Manager, or Director of Product Design, this summit is built for senior design professionals navigating the nuances of leadership. Expect content, connections, and conversations that match your level—and your pace.
Who
Is This For?
Whether you’re a Staff Designer, Design Manager, or Director of Product Design, this summit is built for senior design professionals navigating the nuances of leadership. Expect content, connections, and conversations that match your level—and your pace.
Past Speakers
Past Speakers
Our January edition featured leading voices in design leadership who inspired and challenged our community with fresh ideas and bold perspectives.
Our January edition featured leading voices in design leadership who inspired and challenged our community with fresh ideas and bold perspectives.
Our January edition featured leading voices in design leadership who inspired and challenged our community with fresh ideas and bold perspectives.
Think you have a story or insight to share?
Think you have a story or insight to share?
TIFF Bell Lightbox
Toronto, ON, Canada
For the November edition, DLS will once again be hosted at TIFF Bell Lightbox, the iconic cultural hub in Toronto’s entertainment district. Known for its inspiring architecture and state of the art facilities, TIFF offers the perfect environment for our main stage programming and networking moments.
What
What
Fellow Design
Fellow Design
Leaders
Leaders
Are Saying
Are Saying
Where every pixel tells a story and every click unveils a world of innovation and imagination. From sleek and minimalist designs to vibrant.
Join Design Leaders From Top Global Brands
Meghan Logan
Staff Product Designer
I attended DLS summit in Toronto this year, 2025. I was one of the speakers. But it was much more than an opportunity just to speak. I got to meet friends, new faces, people that I have known for a long time via the Internet, never met in real life. So it was a really good opportunity to network, get to know individuals, learn new pieces of information and connect as a group.
Hillory Summitt
Senior Design Manager
The conversations at DLS were in large part not only answers to these questions, but invigorating solutions to a bigger picture that ensures designers not only stand the ground despite this season of rapid change, but evolve into a necessity for every successful business. Among the speakers, Ryan Rumsey stood out with his refreshing approach on positioning design and recognizing a rational vs. relational problem to solve. These prompts feel like they encompass a main theme across the event and speakers, human connection, even in technology. Thank you Preet Singh for putting this event together, your hard work does not go unnoticed!
Umar Rehman
Head of Design
DLS 2025 felt less like a conference and more like a room full of sharp minds pushing each other to think deeper. The depth of conversation stood out the most. It wasn’t just about talks or frameworks. It was about the kind of questions that shift how you think. If you care about design leadership, this is where you’ll find the people asking the right questions and challenging the easy answers.
Lennie Lu
Insights-Driven UX & CX Leader
Thank you for bringing together the design community in Toronto. The conference was incredibly insightful, and I had many amazing conversations that wouldn't have happened without it 🧠
Justin Godard
Design Director
I spent the past weekend reflecting on the 2025 Design Leadership Summit hosted by the DesignX Community last week. The packed schedule of talks and roundtable discussions left me energized and overflowing with ideas and topics to explore further with my team and our collaborators. Congratulations to Preet and the team for organizing such a great event.
Natasha Green
Design Manager, Experience Design
What an incredible two days at the DesignX Leadership Summit last week! I am so deeply grateful to this incredible community of designers and leaders. A huge thank you goes out to Preet, Aïko and the DesignX Community team of volunteers for putting together such a thoughtful, invigorating and thought provoking summit. They created a space for 250+ design leaders that was about human connection and felt more like a large gathering of like-minded friends sharing stories then a typical conference.
Ryan Rumsey
Chief Executive Office
I leave Toronto refreshed and encouraged. My greatest thanks to Preet Singh and the DesignX Community for hosting me at Design Leadership Summit this week. Their kindness and generosity are unparalleled.
Meghan Logan
Staff Product Designer
I attended DLS summit in Toronto this year, 2025. I was one of the speakers. But it was much more than an opportunity just to speak. I got to meet friends, new faces, people that I have known for a long time via the Internet, never met in real life. So it was a really good opportunity to network, get to know individuals, learn new pieces of information and connect as a group.
Hillory Summitt
Senior Design Manager
The conversations at DLS were in large part not only answers to these questions, but invigorating solutions to a bigger picture that ensures designers not only stand the ground despite this season of rapid change, but evolve into a necessity for every successful business. Among the speakers, Ryan Rumsey stood out with his refreshing approach on positioning design and recognizing a rational vs. relational problem to solve. These prompts feel like they encompass a main theme across the event and speakers, human connection, even in technology. Thank you Preet Singh for putting this event together, your hard work does not go unnoticed!
Umar Rehman
Head of Design
DLS 2025 felt less like a conference and more like a room full of sharp minds pushing each other to think deeper. The depth of conversation stood out the most. It wasn’t just about talks or frameworks. It was about the kind of questions that shift how you think. If you care about design leadership, this is where you’ll find the people asking the right questions and challenging the easy answers.
Lennie Lu
Insights-Driven UX & CX Leader
Thank you for bringing together the design community in Toronto. The conference was incredibly insightful, and I had many amazing conversations that wouldn't have happened without it 🧠
Justin Godard
Design Director
I spent the past weekend reflecting on the 2025 Design Leadership Summit hosted by the DesignX Community last week. The packed schedule of talks and roundtable discussions left me energized and overflowing with ideas and topics to explore further with my team and our collaborators. Congratulations to Preet and the team for organizing such a great event.
Natasha Green
Design Manager, Experience Design
What an incredible two days at the DesignX Leadership Summit last week! I am so deeply grateful to this incredible community of designers and leaders. A huge thank you goes out to Preet, Aïko and the DesignX Community team of volunteers for putting together such a thoughtful, invigorating and thought provoking summit. They created a space for 250+ design leaders that was about human connection and felt more like a large gathering of like-minded friends sharing stories then a typical conference.
Ryan Rumsey
Chief Executive Office
I leave Toronto refreshed and encouraged. My greatest thanks to Preet Singh and the DesignX Community for hosting me at Design Leadership Summit this week. Their kindness and generosity are unparalleled.
Meghan Logan
Staff Product Designer
I attended DLS summit in Toronto this year, 2025. I was one of the speakers. But it was much more than an opportunity just to speak. I got to meet friends, new faces, people that I have known for a long time via the Internet, never met in real life. So it was a really good opportunity to network, get to know individuals, learn new pieces of information and connect as a group.
Hillory Summitt
Senior Design Manager
The conversations at DLS were in large part not only answers to these questions, but invigorating solutions to a bigger picture that ensures designers not only stand the ground despite this season of rapid change, but evolve into a necessity for every successful business. Among the speakers, Ryan Rumsey stood out with his refreshing approach on positioning design and recognizing a rational vs. relational problem to solve. These prompts feel like they encompass a main theme across the event and speakers, human connection, even in technology. Thank you Preet Singh for putting this event together, your hard work does not go unnoticed!
Umar Rehman
Head of Design
DLS 2025 felt less like a conference and more like a room full of sharp minds pushing each other to think deeper. The depth of conversation stood out the most. It wasn’t just about talks or frameworks. It was about the kind of questions that shift how you think. If you care about design leadership, this is where you’ll find the people asking the right questions and challenging the easy answers.
Lennie Lu
Insights-Driven UX & CX Leader
Thank you for bringing together the design community in Toronto. The conference was incredibly insightful, and I had many amazing conversations that wouldn't have happened without it 🧠
Justin Godard
Design Director
I spent the past weekend reflecting on the 2025 Design Leadership Summit hosted by the DesignX Community last week. The packed schedule of talks and roundtable discussions left me energized and overflowing with ideas and topics to explore further with my team and our collaborators. Congratulations to Preet and the team for organizing such a great event.
Natasha Green
Design Manager, Experience Design
What an incredible two days at the DesignX Leadership Summit last week! I am so deeply grateful to this incredible community of designers and leaders. A huge thank you goes out to Preet, Aïko and the DesignX Community team of volunteers for putting together such a thoughtful, invigorating and thought provoking summit. They created a space for 250+ design leaders that was about human connection and felt more like a large gathering of like-minded friends sharing stories then a typical conference.
Ryan Rumsey
Chief Executive Office
I leave Toronto refreshed and encouraged. My greatest thanks to Preet Singh and the DesignX Community for hosting me at Design Leadership Summit this week. Their kindness and generosity are unparalleled.
2 Days
250+ Leaders
Toronto, Canada
16+ Sessions
12+ Roundtables
16+ Speakers
Frequently Asked
Frequently Asked
Questions
Questions
Everything you need to know about joining the next Design Leadership Summit.
When and where does the Summit take place?
The Summit is hosted in downtown Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The next edition is scheduled for November 18–19, 2025.
When and where does the Summit take place?
The Summit is hosted in downtown Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The next edition is scheduled for November 18–19, 2025.
When and where does the Summit take place?
The Summit is hosted in downtown Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The next edition is scheduled for November 18–19, 2025.
What’s included with my ticket?
What’s included with my ticket?
What’s included with my ticket?
Are there virtual or hybrid options available?
Currently, the Summit is designed as an in-person only experience. The emphasis is on intimate workshops, candid roundtables, and face-to-face connections that don’t translate well virtually.
Are there virtual or hybrid options available?
Currently, the Summit is designed as an in-person only experience. The emphasis is on intimate workshops, candid roundtables, and face-to-face connections that don’t translate well virtually.
Are there virtual or hybrid options available?
Currently, the Summit is designed as an in-person only experience. The emphasis is on intimate workshops, candid roundtables, and face-to-face connections that don’t translate well virtually.
Who usually attends?
Staff+ ICs, design managers, heads of design, and design operations leaders from top product organizations.
Who usually attends?
Staff+ ICs, design managers, heads of design, and design operations leaders from top product organizations.
Who usually attends?
Staff+ ICs, design managers, heads of design, and design operations leaders from top product organizations.
Be Part of
Be Part of
DLS November 2025
DLS November 2025
Spaces are limited and passes go fast. Secure your spot now to join a community of design leaders, innovators, and changemakers this November.