Robert Smith is the founder and creative director of Greenmelon, an Ottawa based branding agency responsible for, among other things, the creation of the iconic Farm Boy brand. He has also worked with such clients as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Warner Brothers, DC Comics and the Royal Canadian Mint. He is the recipient of the prestigious 40 under 40 along with national and international recognition for his design and branding work. Along with running the agency, he is a Professor at Algonquin College.

Firmly believing that you are never too old, in 2017 he decided to “Restart” and become an author. His journey was cathartic, heart-breaking, exuberating and fulfilling. The result is “The Frankenstein Condition’, his first book, a frank exploration of Social Media, self-identity and the monsters we make. He is currently working on his second book to be published in 2019.

The core of the talk will centre around adapting existing skills and processes into new careers and endeavours. The setbacks that can come with embarking on new challenges, the excuses we make to ourselves and how to overcome them to do something fulfilling. Rob will be speaking on his experience and role within the design community and how he took his design process and applied it to becoming an author later in life.