284: Design for Social Change and Inclusive City Building with Jay Wall
- Diana Varma
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Welcome back - I’m so glad you’re here.
This is the second episode in a 3-part guest lecture series, speaking with a diverse range of design and typography pros from across North America!
This episode features a Creative Director dedicated to social change and inclusive city building, Jay Wall.
With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of graphic design and social change, Jay was the founder of design studio RallyRally. Now at O2 Planning and Design, Jay leads the creation of communication strategies, visual identities, and education materials that support public participation in shaping communities. His work has been recognized with the RGD UltraBold Award—honouring designers making a positive impact in the design community and beyond—as well as several So(cial) Good Design Awards. Jay is also a design educator at George Brown Polytechnic, a dad, and a cyclist.
In this conversation you’ll hear about Jay’s origin story as a designer and the evolution of his path towards designing for social change. You’ll hear about the Design Justice Network (DJN) and learn a less naïve way to frame the question “can design save the world?” You’ll hear concrete examples over the last 70 years that have challenged the status quo and helped catalyze change in a variety of contexts, both on the streets and on the screen. Lastly, you’ll hear what Jay’s currently up to regarding inclusive city building; a project called ‘Yonge Tomorrow’ with the City of Toronto to redesign downtown Yonge Street, nodding to the past, embracing present needs, and planning for a more accessible future.
This episode was recorded as part of a guest lecture series in GCM 230 - Typography in fall 2025 at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Let’s listen in…
Other Links & Images:
Strikethrough: Typographic Messages of Protest > book with historic protest graphics
Letterform Archive: Atelier Populaire > revolutionary posters from Paris, 1968
Populaire > typeface by Pintassilgo Prints
Printemps Érable Archives: École de la Montagne Rouge > design activism student collective in Quebec, 2011
Martin > typeface by Vocal Type Co.
Toronto Star article > photo of protest against the Vietnam War, in Toronto, 1967
Justseeds > artist co-operative
LOKI > design studio founded by Kevin Yuen Kit Lo (collaborator on Junction prints)
Ribbon Community > rebrand by Briteweb
About Our Guest:
Jay Wall is a creative director dedicated to inclusive cities. He founded the design studio RallyRally, which was focused on graphic design for social change. Today, he works at O2 Planning and Design, where he leads communication design for public participation in urban planning and placemaking. Jay has been recognized with the RGD UltraBold Award for his impact in the design community, along with several So(cial) Good Design Awards. He also teaches at George Brown Polytechnic in Toronto. He’s a dad, a cyclist, and is based in Guelph, Ontario.
LinkedIn Jay Wall RGD
Instagram @jaywalljay
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Music:
Bubbles ( Lofi , Bright , Relaxed ) by HoliznaCC0 is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.
Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle
