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Over the last 50 years, Experience Design has evolved from experiential graphic design to a truly interdisciplinary approach that combines designers, content creators, interaction and information specialists, architects, fabricators and others who have a hand in shaping content-rich experiences. To celebrate this evolution, SEGD’s 50th anniversary will joyously celebrate the present moment by equal parts honoring the legacy of the profession and by looking forward to all that is to come.
Get ready for a celebration 50 years in the making. SEGD comes home to one of the cities with the most member projects in the world. Join us for the 2023 SEGD’s 50th Anniversary Experience Washington DC, as we invite you to “Look Both Ways.” Thank you to our Presenting Partners: Color-ad Signs & Exhibits, Nanolumens and Pentagram.
Conference chairs L’Rai Arthur-Mensah of Local Projects and Alexey Ikonomou of Ashton Design, alongside SEGD CEO Cybelle Jones, are curating unique and compelling opportunities for connection, co-creation, and conversation—to deepen and forge future thinking.
“The SEGD Anniversary conference in DC will be the largest historical gathering of SEGD members, Fellows and students in our 50 years. It is a not-to-be-missed event full of interactive sessions and networking opportunities across generations and disciplines, and a celebration of all things experience design!” Cybelle Jones, CEO
To celebrate our 50th anniversary, we will have the largest gathering of SEGD Fellows, design thought leaders from the past five decades, and those leading experience design visions into the future. We have over 50 speakers, 12 tours and pre-conference workshops, along with local studio visits, an SEGD bookstore, merchandise, and lots of networking opportunities!
Over the course of the three days of talks and workshops, SEGD will highlight designers and collaborators that have had a direct impact on the establishment, growth and identity of SEGD as an organization. These speakers include SEGD Fellows and Founders Rich Burns and John Berry, along with Michael Gericke, FSEGD, Pentagram and many others that will bring to light the narrative of SEGD’s past, present and future.
Speaker Highlights will discuss the conference themes of Reflect, Reframe and Reignite:
Reflect:
Llisa Demetrios’ insight into the infinite curiosity encouraged by her grandparents Charles and Ray Eames, one that continually plants seeds for the future. Llisa, Chief Curator of the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, has spent her adult life caring for the Eames Collection and curating the Eames Ranch. Ray and Charles Eames were early design innovators of experiences and spurred a field of practice along with many SEGD Fellows and firms that followed their interdisciplinary design trajectory.
Fellows Lance Wyman and Wayne Hunt on the topic of how DC, the Federal Government, Metro and the NPS embraced design, and it’s impact on the DC cultural landscape.
Vocal Type founder Tré Seals, a visionary whose mission to increase empathy and diversity in the design industry, led to creating a type foundry that introduces a diverse perspective.
Laurent Odde, Ph.D. and his work with artists and groups to develop projects that reflect the spirit and vitality of communities through his leadership in the Art in Transit Program of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA/Metro).
Reframe:
Chloe Louvouezo, Senior Communications Officer, Global Creative Content, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Washington, DC, Mayor's Commission for Women. Rooted in global citizenship, Chloe's career has advanced inclusive storytelling at domestic and global organizations addressing education, poverty, and mental health, most recently at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Founding Partner of HUSH, David Schwartz and Thomas Kaufman, Senior Director of Corporate Real Estate, United Therapeutics, will explore the potential of turning sustainability commitments into real-life, artful interventions and experiences that reflect the innovation in our built environment and generate impact, empathy and inspiration for their inhabitants and the world.
Anica Landreneau, Director of Sustainable Design at HOK. Based in Washington, D.C., Anica is a mayoral appointee to the DC’s Green Building Advisory Council and co-chairs the Building Energy Performance Standard Task Force. Anica serves on the Green and Energy Codes Committee, supporting the District’s advancement to a zero-carbon code by 2026.
CEO of the National Juneteenth Museum and principal of Sable Brands, LLC, Jarred Howard, whose work centers around harnessing the development of a museum as the catalyst to revitalize neighborhoods, all while forefronting them as national destinations.
As a filmmaker and CEO of Murmur Ring, Ashley Lukasik curates powerful experiences to help organizations accomplish their strategic aims by exposing them to human-centered design and empowering local communities to celebrate and preserve their authentic narratives.
DC-based No Kings Collective’s Brandon Hill + Peter Chang share how the word “No” impacted the vision for their highly sought-after authentic experience design-build studio.
Reignite:
Renowned international designers, including Nick Kapica, Urbanist, designer, kitesurfer, educator and Principal, discusses how his New Zealand design firm, Isthmus, looks to the future and past histories of indigenous cultures. Wesley Meyer, Creative Director of FRA London, expands on the thesis of 'People are not lost. They are bored,' and why and how ‘wanderfinding’ is about an improved long-term ROI. And Erik Bär, Director of Tinker, with Claus Kjeld Jensen, Director of FLUGT Refugee Museum of Denmark, discuss the development of this landmark project that brings past to the present.
Jorge Zamillo, Founding Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino, along with Melanie Adams, Ph.D., the Roger Ferguson and Annette Nazareth Director of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, will discuss how experience design can bring to the forefront conversations of community and culture to evoke ways of meaningful engagement to connect with new audiences.
Dori Tunstall, Dean Faculty of Design - Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, is a design anthropologist, public intellectual and design advocate who will be discussing her guidebook to the institutional transformation of design theory and practice, “Decolonizing Design,” MIT Press 2023.
Nu Goteh is a multidisciplinary creative and designer who works in audio, visual and written mediums. He is the co-founder of the strategy and design studio, Room for Magic, and co-founder and creative director of partner publication, Deem Journal. Nu’s practice is informed by his love for counter/subculture(s), his background as a Liberian-born refugee, and a lifelong dedication to building platforms that enable communities to engage in shared experiences.
Program Highlights:
Wednesday, August 23rd
On Wednesday, we will be offering some special Premium Pre-Conference tours, including:
Limited quantity VIP access tickets to the SEGD Global Design Award-winning, Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (sign up early to get a ticket)
Glenstone Museum, Pre-Event, Premium Tour, 1 pm - 5 pm
Glenstone Museum is a consummate example of the choreographed integration of architecture, landscape, and art. Glenstone tour attendees will experience a “one-of-a-kind” SEGD-only access to this personal encounter with art, showcasing iconic examples of modern and contemporary art. The museum was originally opened in 2006 and now includes a new museum building called the Pavilions, an additional 130 acres of meadows, woodlands, and streams, an Arrival Hall, a bookstore and café.
And kicking off the Conference with our Annual Welcome Party will be hosted by Archetype at Hook Hall in Washington DC!!
On Thursday, August 24, we kick off our 50th celebration by embracing the excitement of our future and the evolution of our past. Immediately following this opening celebration, attendees will traverse the District through a diverse line-up of tours that explore experience design’s impact on the DC community. We’ll reconvene to toast our 50th at the President’s Reception & SEGD Auction for Education, where you could have a chance to win coveted pieces from experience design legends.
Some of the tours, included:
The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
Curated tours include the newly renovated and world-renown Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. From Early Flight and America by Air to Exploring Planets and Destination Moon, this tour will showcase the best-in-the-world collections with stories of exploration and the pursuit of wonder connected to aviation and space. With seven newly released and, or renovated exhibitions, this tour offers a nod to the conference theme, Look Both Ways, where the past is used to inform and educate, with a continual drive of energy focusing towards the future.
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Explore the “Exhibition Hall” and the newly redesigned interactive exhibits dedicated to telling the story of Congress and the U.S. Capitol. Visitors can now encounter a dynamic and educational environment that will inform, involve and inspire them about Congress' role in the democratic process.
Through the redesigned Exhibition Hall, visitors will recognize the significance of Congress to everyday life, the role of citizens in a democratic process, and that in a democracy, many voices play a part in the ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union.
National Mall ID, Select Monuments & Wayfinding
The National Mall attracts over 25 million visitors annually, with 60 languages spoken on any given day. The wayfinding system and interpretive design at monuments, such as the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, face the challenge of providing access and interpretation for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, existing monuments require evolving interpretive and design needs, necessitating design solutions with true longevity. Learn more about how these challenges are addressed through innovative experience design.
Cushman & Wakefield D.C. Headquarters
Real-time data fuels content behavior, ensuring an ever-evolving immersive experience within a 24’ long, stunning digital canvas at the center of the Cushman & Wakefield DC Headquarters.
WMATA Legacy Tour
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has a long history of connections with the SEGD community, from Massimo Vignelli and Lance Wyman to Ashton Design. This tour will showcase the legacy of design excellence alongside DC’s robust “Art in Transit” program.
Southwest and Anacostia Community Museum
The Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum is a community museum that aspires to illuminate and share untold stories of people furthest from opportunity in the greater Washington, DC area. The ACM works as an activator to inspire communities to take action for the next generation of civilly engaged citizens.
Bike Tour
Experience DC up close with a bike ride! This ever-popular tour fills up fast and is a great way to experience design within the District.
Audi Field and Nationals Park
These two stadiums positioned along the Anacostia River are a mere 3-minute walk apart, creating an iconic destination for sports fans. This tour will explore the surrounding grounds, branding and gateways to the exterior of both stadiums. Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified green major US professional sports stadium, is the home of the MLB team, Washington Nationals. Audi Field is a soccer-specific stadium, home for both MLS D.C. United and NWSL Washington Spirit, as well as housing the DC Defenders of the XFL.
Planet Word
This is the museum where language comes to life through engaging, interactive exhibits. Housed inside the historic Franklin School, Planet Word is the world’s first voice-activated museum, with immersive displays that dazzle visitors of all ages. Inside, you will discover the true power of words and how they bring joy, foster empathy and connect people worldwide.
Street Art Walking Tour
This walking tour will explore street art and murals in Washington, DC, offering a glimpse into the culture and art scene of new and old murals in the District.
Friday, August 25 offers an exploration of the NEXPO innovation space with new materials and technologies on display, curated talks, hands-on workshops, and EXP mentor meet-ups for our emerging experiential professionals. Following the always popular NEXPO reception, our prestigious 2023 SEGD Global Design Award winners will be revealed, followed by a celebratory evening toasting design excellence and creative culture.
On the final day, Saturday, August 26, we will open with a ceremony honoring the SEGD 2023 Class of Fellows with an SEGD Fellow Roundtable and winners of the 2023 SEGD Achievement Awards. This session will be followed by Design Excellence sprints that will highlight some of the most innovative design projects of the past year and leaders from all disciplines of design.
Curated breakout sessions throughout the day offer a customizable conference experience, ranging from accessible design to design leadership. This jam-packed day commences with the SEGD closing party and a final toast to our 50th, an event not to be missed. Join us as we celebrate our community’s impact on the “return on experience” —reigniting our vision to enhance the human condition as influencers and champions for the future of experience design.
Thank you to our Presenting Partners: Color-ad Signs & Exhibits, Nanolumens and Pentagram; and our Event Partners: Design Communications Ltd., Daktronics, Archetype, ANC, CREO Industrial Arts, Designtex, DE Powder Coated Graphics, Gable, MAD Systems, MOSS, PAM, Peregrine, TFN Architectural Signage, Art Processors, Kolar Design, Next/Now, Omnivex, RSM Design, and Tangram Design. For more information on supporting this event, contact [email protected].
For additional conference program information, visit the SEGD website. Space is limited! Register today to secure your ticket to this momentous event.
The 2023 SEGD 50th Anniversary Experience Washington DC takes place at the Grand Hyatt Washington 1000 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001. For information about exhibiting at NEXPO or sponsorship, contact Jennette Foreman at [email protected].
About SEGD
SEGD (the Society for Experiential Graphic Design) is a multidisciplinary, global community of professionals who create experiences that connect people to place.
