Think-Smith

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Think-Smith

Hey, I'm Rob. I’m a brand builder, author, and coach who helps designers do their best work.

Here you will find custom resources, workshops, and strategies to help you get inspired, improve creative workflow, and more!

01/20/2026

A thought from my books Stop Looking for Zebras and Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work!, that feels especially relevant for the DesignTO Festival: Good ideas don’t arrive finished.
Most of the creative work I’ve done, and a lot of the work I see others struggling with, lives in that in-between space. Not broken, just unfinished.
I’ll be talking about this (and listening) at Swipe Design Books + Objects on January 29, during the DesignTO Festival.

Book Signing & Conversation
January 29, 2026
1:00–3:00 PM
Swipe Design Books + Objects,
401 Richmond St. W, B04

Get the books:
www.think-smith.com/books
Swipe Design
https://www.swipe.com/

01/16/2026

During DesignTO Festival, I’ll be spending an afternoon at Swipe Design Books + Objects on January 29, signing copies of my books and talking about the concepts they explore.
DesignTO reminds us that design is as much about thinking as making, and I believe this approach is essential to truly impactful design.

If you’re attending the festival or in Toronto that day, I’d love for you to stop by and say hello.

Book Signing & Conversation
January 29, 2026
1:00 – 3:00 PM
Swipe Design Books + Objects
401 Richmond St. W, B04

Get the books:
www.think-smith.com/books
Swipe Design: https://www.swipe.com/

12/11/2025

After a year and a half of writing, testing, refining, and pouring experience into the pages… it’s here 📦

Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work! 🦓✨

Your accountability partner for career clarity and growth.

Inside this workbook, you’ll:
🔍 Dive into who you are and how you show up
🧠 Identify what lights you up (and what doesn’t)
📈 Explore the right path for your career
💸 Understand what you need to thrive (yes, there’s math)
🎯 Walk away with focus + a practical plan forward

No matter where you’re at - student, job searching, freelance, in-house, changing paths - it’s never too late to do the work and move toward a career that feels right.

Let’s get unstuck.
Let’s get clear.
Let’s do the work.

Purchase your copy now on my website or on Amazon!

12/10/2025

✨ The Rise of the “F” Word
(And nope… not the one you think.)

The creative world is shifting fast: teams are shrinking, AI is expanding, and a lot of creatives are feeling the pressure.

In my latest LinkedIn article, I break down the other F-word that’s becoming a real turning point for our industry… and why it might be the biggest opportunity mid- to late-career creatives have seen in years.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, frustrated, or watching your role get diluted, this one’s for you.

👉 Read the full article on my LinkedIn!

11/17/2025

One of my favourite reminders from Stop Looking for Zebras is the idea that our work as creatives isn’t meant to live in a museum. It’s meant to move, to communicate, connect, and serve the people we’re creating for.

These pages capture it perfectly:
✨ Your ideas don’t have to be perfect, they just have to get out of your head.
✨ Your worth isn’t defined by analytics, but your work will be measured by results.
✨ Feedback isn’t personal. Coffee helps.

As designers, writers, marketers, and makers, we all get stuck in the trap of treating every project like a masterpiece. But the truth is: the more freely we sketch, brainstorm, scribble, and explore, the better our work becomes.

That’s the mindset behind the next step in this journey…

Stop Looking for Zebras and Do the Work!: Exercises, prompts, and doodle space to realize your most authentic and creative self, is out NOW!

A hands-on companion to the book, created to help you take the mindset shifts and actually apply them. Page by page, exercise by exercise.

You’ll be hearing LOTS from me soon, but for now, consider this your gentle nudge to make space for your creativity… even if it starts with a messy page and a cup of something warm ☕️

10/14/2025

I’ve spent my life working in the creative field, branding, design, teaching, and coaching, but this isn’t about work. It’s about being human.

Creativity has given me more than a career.
It’s given me vitality. Curiosity. A reason to wake up.

We talk a lot about how to live longer but not enough about how to feel alive while we’re doing it.

Creativity does that.
Not because it’s polished or perfect. But because it makes you feel everything (joy, frustration, confidence, doubt), fully.

And when you feel fully, you remember who you are.
Not just a consumer of life. But a shaper of it.

You don’t need a paintbrush or a title.
You just need permission. To begin. To play. To be okay not knowing where it’ll lead.

Because every time we make something, even if it’s a weird little idea on a napkin, something inside us wakes up and says: “This is me.”

Creativity doesn’t just keep us young.
It keeps us whole.
It keeps us human.

10/09/2025

In-House or Out-House?

Let’s talk about working in-house.

A lot of creatives do it — me included.
Major software company. Government department.
Been there. Done that. Designed the PowerPoint.

The jobs are there.
The need is real.
Yet somehow, people still treat in-house work like a creative compromise.
A sell-out.

It’s not. It’s strategic.
It’s where a ton of the real work happens.

In-house teams exist because organizations need creativity on tap.
We’re the ones translating corporate jargon into something people actually understand.

But yeah… sometimes it feels like Groundhog Day.

I remember my son once saying, “Dad, I’m bored.”
And I told him,
“You’re bored because you want to be.”

Same goes for in-house.
If it feels dull, shake it up.

Don’t wait for permission.
Make your own momentum.

- Get visible.
- Let other departments know who you are and what you do.
- Hang bold, engaging posters.
- Host an open house.
- Start a conversation.

Just back it with intent — tie it to the bigger company why.

You deserve a seat at the table.
So stop waiting for someone to offer you one.

Bring your own chair.

You’ve got a voice.
Use it.

10/02/2025

Day 2 at DesignThinkers 2025 ✅

This morning I had the honour of leading a sold-out workshop: Everything BUT the Résumé: A Workshop for Designers Ready to Rethink What Comes Next.

We tackled the hard stuff: burnout, layoffs, being “aged out,” and the quiet frustration many creatives feel when the work no longer lights them up.

Here’s the truth: the answer isn’t polishing your résumé. In a world of automation and algorithms, what sets you apart is YOU! Your creative mind, your lived experience, your spark ✨

This session invited designers to pause the performative hustle, reflect deeply, and reframe their approach to “what’s next” from a place of clarity and direction.

Thank you to everyone who joined me today, asking big questions, and doing the work.

10/01/2025

All set up and ready to go at DesignThinkers 2025 here at Meridian Hall in Toronto!

I’ll be at my booth today and tomorrow with my book, Stop Looking for Zebras, and talking to you about how you are SO much more than your resume!

🦓 Plus! I’m running a little fun challenge: Where’s the Zebra? A herd of zebras are hiding around the venue. Spot one, bring it back to me, and you’ll be entered into a draw for a prize pack valued at $300:
✔️ A copy of Stop Looking for Zebras
✔️ A copy of my new workbook (coming this October!)
✔️ A 1:1 coaching session with me

If you’re at DesignThinkers, stop by, say hello, and let’s chat about creativity, strategy, and doing the work.

09/08/2025

Some of us have it “in spades” and sometimes we just need someone else to see it in us.

I’ll never forget this story from my friend, . What started as a simple moment in the office became the spark for her future business name, In Spades.

A reminder that encouragement, kindness, and a well-timed phrase can change everything ✨

➡️ Swipe through to read the full story.

Do you remember a time when someone’s words stuck with you in a powerful way? Share it with me in the comments!

08/26/2025

Your résumé isn’t the problem.
Neither is your portfolio.

The real question is: What do you actually want next?

I’m digging into this (and so much more) at DesignThinkers Toronto, Canada’s biggest annual graphic design conference, October 1–2!

✨My Session: “Everything BUT the Résumé: A Workshop for Designers Ready to Rethink What Comes Next” on October 2nd from 11:30am - 12:15pm

If you’ve ever felt burnt out, laid off, “aged out,” or just… stuck, this workshop is for you. We’ll skip the résumé templates and LinkedIn fluff and get real about who you are, what you want, and where you truly belong.

Expect reflection, reframing, and a few uncomfortable but worth it questions to help you figure out your next chapter.

🎟 Tickets: available at designthinkers.com/tor

Save 10% with code TorontoSave10

Let’s ditch the performative hustle, block out the noise, and rethink what’s next. See you there?

08/05/2025

A Zebra and an Orca walk into a rooftop bar…🦓✈️

A coaching client recently took Stop Looking for Zebras on their vacay to Vancouver! A few parks, some city views, and one very pixelated orca later… Can confirm: it’s the ultimate creative carry-on!

Packed with sharp insights, exercises, and caffeine for your career, it’s made for navigating work and ideas in the digital age.

Felt fitting to stop by Douglas Coupland’s “Digital Orca”. A mashup of nature and tech that mirrors the message: modern problems need modern (and creative) approaches.

Highly recommend packing Stop Looking For Zebras, the next time you need some inspiration on the road!

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Toronto, ON

Website

http://think-smith.com/

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