Janine Pierre is a 2025 CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow and Master of Design (MDes) Candidate in Strategic Foresight & Innovation. She is focused on design, innovation & polycrisis, with a passion for design advocacy.
I’ve been obsessed with art from a young age, but I first learned about design when I was around 10 years old. My father worked with architects and landscape designers, and through them, he discovered design schools and undergraduate programs in Toronto.
At the time, design wasn’t something taught in elementary school, so I had no real exposure to it. But that changed in high school, where I started to learn more about the different design disciplines.
What drew me in was the idea of understanding the thought process behind how things are designed—why something looks and functions the way it does. I was fascinated by the intersection of creativity and problem-solving. By the time I was 10, I knew I wanted to go to design school, which gave me a unique advantage. I had nearly a decade to explore and prepare for that path before entering university. That early clarity shaped my entire approach to learning and my career.
My design process has evolved over the years. What started as something rudimentary—almost held together with duct tape—has grown into a thoughtful, interdisciplinary approach that I take seriously. With experience, knowledge, and curiosity, I’ve learned to refine and expand my process beyond just design into broader systems of thinking, collaboration, and innovation.
I’m very open about my experiences in design, and one story I often share is a difficult period early in my career when my mental health suffered. Anxiety and panic attacks took over, and for nine months, I couldn’t create anything—it was the worst period of my life. Art therapy became my way through it, and that experience completely changed how I view the creative process.
Today, I think of design as a form of creative health. A healthy creative process, like our own well-being, requires nourishment—food, attention, nutrients, stretching, exploration, failure, and discipline. It’s not something I take for granted. If we don’t nurture our creativity, we risk burnout, stagnation, or even losing the ability to create at all. That’s why I approach design not just as a practice, but as an ecosystem that needs care, balance, and space to grow.
These days, I’m deeply inspired by the potential of design—what else it can do beyond traditional applications. I believe designers have a unique opportunity to evolve their practice and create a greater positive impact in the world. Design isn’t just about aesthetics or function; it’s a tool for systems change, storytelling, and shaping the future.
A few years ago, I came across emergent design, and it completely shifted my perspective. The idea that design can be adaptive, responsive, and co-evolve with the complex challenges we face fascinates me. It’s made me more intentional about how I approach problem-solving—moving beyond fixed solutions to embrace flexibility, iteration, and deep collaboration [Ed.: More on Emergent Design later in this interview].
Whether in my professional work or personal projects, I’m most inspired when design is used as a catalyst for change—whether that’s reimagining housing, fostering community resilience, or challenging the status quo in our industry. I’m always exploring new ways to push the boundaries of what design can be and how it can shape a more sustainable, equitable, and innovative future.
“The best opportunities are often hidden in the shittiest requests.”
I came across this phrase years ago, and it still resonates with me today. It serves as a constant reminder to approach challenges with curiosity and adaptability. Even the most frustrating, tedious, or seemingly insignificant requests can reveal unexpected opportunities—whether to demonstrate creativity, problem-solving, or leadership.
By shifting perspective, what initially feels like a burden can become a stepping stone for growth and impact. It’s about finding the hidden potential in every situation, embracing constraints as creative fuel, and recognizing that even the toughest challenges hold lessons worth learning… if you're willing to look beyond the surface.
The boldest thing I’ve ever done in my professional life was walking away from a stable job—one that initially held a lot of hope and potential—but ultimately no longer aligned with where I wanted to grow. I had spent years building expertise in a particular space, but I could feel my interests pulling me in a completely different direction. It was a difficult decision, but I knew I had to take the leap.
COVID-19 had already exposed the vulnerabilities in the design industry—clients disappearing, jobs being cut, and increased competition for the few opportunities that remained. I realized these shifts weren’t temporary; they were reshaping the industry in ways that would last for years. Staying the course wasn’t an option for me; I needed to pivot.
At the time, I didn’t have a clear roadmap. I was, however, certain about one thing: I wanted to explore a new form of design, one that was still emerging in Canada, but had the potential to make a greater impact.
Oh wow—where do I even start? If you name a challenge, I’ve probably faced it at some point in my career. Coming up in this industry as a woman of colour in Canada has been complex—it’s forced me to navigate biases, push through systemic barriers, and unlearn things that, over time, I realized didn’t serve me or my goals.
But among all of this, the greatest challenge has been finding a way forward—knowing that the traditional path to success in design was never built for someone like me. The industry often presents a rigid, linear trajectory for career growth, one that doesn’t account for diverse experiences, perspectives, or ways of working. I had to carve my own path, reimagine what success looked like for me, and challenge the expectations of what a designer could be.
It hasn’t been easy, but it’s also given me the freedom to explore, innovate, and push the boundaries of design in ways I never expected. It’s made me more adaptable, more fearless, and more committed to reshaping the industry so that future generations of designers—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—don’t have to fight the same battles alone.
Today, being a woman in this industry means a great deal to me. Looking back on the past 15+ years, I feel an immense sense of pride—not just in what I’ve endured or achieved, but in the fact that I’ve been able to bring others along with me. Particularly, I’ve had the privilege of supporting and uplifting other designers—especially women and minorities—so that we can navigate this space together.
What stands out most is that we’ve done it deliberately in a way that is non-traditional. That journey has shown me that there is no single way to work, grow, or define success in this industry. There are infinite ways to shape a meaningful career in design, and we don’t have to fit into a mold that was never built for us in the first place.
More than that, this experience has reinforced my belief in the untapped potential of design. The industry often places designers in a narrow box, but I’ve seen firsthand that design is capable of so much more than what’s currently being asked of it. The real challenge—and responsibility—is to push past the barriers that limit us and to redefine what’s possible.
One of the biggest professional challenges that keeps me up at night is the future of design itself. Being in a graduate program focused on understanding the future and innovation, I spend a lot of time thinking about where design is headed, who it serves, and how we define its value. And right now, I see both a crisis and an opportunity.
We are living in a moment of design disruption. We have the largest population of designers probably ever, yet we are also seeing one of the largest waves of unemployed designers due to economic shifts, emerging AI technologies, and a rapidly changing labour force.
The competition is tougher than ever, and as a result, how we value design is shifting—whether for better or worse remains to be seen. Will design be seen as a critical force for shaping the future, or will it be further commodified, automated, or undervalued? That uncertainty is what worries me.
But with disruption comes opportunity. I believe we have a unique moment for design reform—rethinking its role, its disciplines, and its impact on multiple levels. Some of the questions that drive me are:
These are the kinds of challenges I want to take on. We can’t afford to let design stagnate. The way forward requires us to redefine how design operates within systems, industries, and economies—so that we’re not just reacting to change but actively shaping it.
This is where I’m focused—and it’s the challenge I’m committed to helping solve.
I got my Bachelor of Design (BDes) in Environmental Design from OCAD University, but I’ve always been curious about how business and strategy shape design. That’s why I went back and completed post-grad certificates in Strategic Marketing, Brand Management, and Web Development—to explore how different aspects of business influence design decisions.
Now, I’m back at OCAD, working on my Master of Design in Strategic Foresight & Innovation.
At some point, I’d love to pursue a PhD in Design, but those programs are still pretty new in Canada. If the right opportunity comes up, I’d love to do it here and continue contributing to Canadian design.
Early on, I didn’t have strong mentors or a structured environment to help me grow, and on top of that, I was often the only—or the first—designer in the organizations I worked in. That meant I wasn’t just learning how to do my job; I was also figuring out how to define the role of design itself within those spaces. I had to navigate how to prove the value of design beyond just creative execution, advocating for its role in shaping strategy, business decisions, and problem-solving.
Without an existing framework or leadership to guide me, I had to fill those gaps on my own. That meant constantly learning—studying not just design but also business, strategy, and relationship management—to make a case for why design deserved a seat at the table.
It also meant developing resilience, because when you’re the first or only, you’re often met with skepticism or resistance. But those challenges pushed me to think beyond aesthetics and execution, shaping me into the kind of designer and leader who understands the bigger picture and can bridge gaps between creativity, business, and innovation.
On one hand, this journey required a lot of sacrifice—time, resources, and financial investment—to figure out how to do it successfully. There were no shortcuts, and it often felt like I was constantly playing catch-up. But the payoff was that, in the process, I learned how to differentiate myself.
The skills I gained—blending design with business strategy, navigating ambiguity, and proving impact—became a defining strength. Instead of just fitting into existing roles, I learned how to shape them. That ability to carve out space for design in complex environments became one of my biggest assets, and it’s something I continue to build on today.
These days, I find myself deeply curious about what else design can do. Beyond creative execution, how can design be used to navigate complexity, influence systems, and drive meaningful change?
I’ve spent years building a career at the intersection of design, strategy, and business, and now, I’m in a space where I’m pivoting into a new design career that doesn’t quite exist yet. That means carving out a new path, reimagining my career, finding new communities and challenging traditional ways of thinking about design.
Right now, I’m in the thick of my Master of Design in Strategic Foresight & Innovation at OCAD University, where my graduate research is focused on emergent design, polycrisis dynamics, and community resiliency. I want to understand how design can help us anticipate and respond to the unpredictable, the interconnected, the urgent.
This work has led me to think critically about housing, urban development, and the future of communities, which is why I’m particularly excited to have been named a 2025 CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow.
Through this fellowship, I’ll be engaging with CivicAction’s new housing coalition, working alongside leaders from government, non-profits, and the private sector to explore innovative policy solutions and development models that support equitable housing access. This opportunity is more than just a professional milestone—it’s a space where my academic research and real-world impact can intersect. I want to immerse myself in new perspectives, challenge existing frameworks, and push conversations beyond surface-level change.
Beyond this, I’m exploring PhD opportunities in Design in Canada—looking for programs that will allow me to deepen my research at the intersection of design, foresight, and systems change.
Teaching is also on my radar, at some point down the road: The idea of being in a space where I can share knowledge, mentor emerging designers, and shape the next generation of strategic thinkers really excites me. I see so much value in making design education more inclusive, more expansive, and more attuned to the complexity of the world we’re designing for.
Regardless of where my career takes me next, one thing remains constant: my commitment to advocacy. I will continue to champion diversity, inclusion, and equitable opportunities in design—not just in hiring, but in leadership, decision-making, and the way we define influence in this field.
I know what it’s like to navigate this space without the right support, and I don’t want others to feel that same isolation. If you’re a designer looking for mentorship and aren’t sure where to start, reach out to me on LinkedIn. I’m always happy to connect, share insights, or just be a sounding board.
Right now, I’m in a phase of deep learning, reflection, and evolution. I don’t have all the answers, but I know I’m moving toward something bigger. This next chapter is about embracing uncertainty, pushing boundaries, and actively shaping the future—not just waiting for it to happen. And honestly? I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Emergent design is an adaptive, iterative approach to problem-solving that evolves in response to complex, dynamic, and unpredictable challenges. Unlike traditional design methodologies that follow a linear, pre-defined process, emergent design embraces uncertainty, real-time feedback, and continuous evolution to create solutions that grow and shift as new information and conditions emerge.
Emergent design is commonly used in:
In an increasingly complex and uncertain world, rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions are no longer effective. Emergent design provides a way to navigate uncertainty, to respond to rapid change, and to create resilient, future-ready solutions that can stand the test of time. By prioritizing learning, flexibility, and collaboration, emergent design enables long-term, sustainable impact across multiple disciplines.
A big thanks to Monotype for supplying the typefaces for our website. Their consistent support of Canadian Women in Design underscores their commitment to the design community.
