2023 SEGD Achievement Awards Recap
On August 26, 2023, in the heart of Washington DC, SEGD’s 50th Anniversary Celebration and Conference Experience proudly announced the winners of the 2023 SEGD Achievement Awards. This significant event serves as the pinnacle of annual gatherings for the global experience design community. Since 1987, SEGD has recognized outstanding individuals, pioneering companies, and influential institutions that have made profound contributions to the fields of experiential and environmental graphic design. We invite you to explore the achievements of our 2023 awardees and delve deeper into their profiles through the links provided below.
The 2023 class of Fellows:
Wendy Evans Joseph and Bruce Mau, both luminaries who take their rightful place alongside 47 esteemed SEGD Fellows. This illustrious list includes names such as Paula Scher, Massimo Vignelli, Ralph Appelbaum, Deborah Sussman, Lance Wyman, Sylvia Harris, Robert Venturi, and Denise Scott Brown, to mention just a few.
The 2023 SEGD Fellow Committee Chair, Michael Reed, FSEGD, lauded the newly minted Fellows, saying, “Their exceptional contributions and accomplishments have invigorated the practice and advancement of experiential design in diverse yet equally impactful ways. Today’s Fellows illustrate the full spectrum and depth of our burgeoning community.”
Bruce Mau is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Massive Change Network (MCN), a global design consultancy in the Chicago Area. Bruce is a renowned designer, innovator, educator, author, and artist. His love of thorny problems led him to create a holistic, systems-based methodology for life-centered design that serves as the foundation for the MCN process and practice. Across nearly 40 years of design innovation, he’s collaborated with global brands and companies, leading organizations, heads of state, renowned artists, and fellow optimists.
Along with MCN co-founder, Aiyemobisi “Bisi” Williams, Bruce created Massive Action, a global multidisciplinary immersive learning initiative to collectively design a better future. Bruce has a passionate interest in the art of books and has designed more than 250 of them. He became an international figure with the 1995 publication of his landmark “S,M,L,XL,” designed and co-authored with award-winning architect Rem Koolhaas. An author himself, Bruce’s texts include: “MASSIVE CHANGE;” “MC24: Bruce Mau’s 24 Principles for Designing Massive Change in Your Life and Work;” and “THE NEXUS: Augmented Thinking for a Complex World — The New Convergence of Art, Technology, and Science” with author Julio M. Ottino.
Bruce’s work and life story are the subject of the 2022 feature-length documentary, “MAU,” which premiered at SXSW in 2021. Currently available on TVOD in North America, the film has brought design into the cultural spotlight.
Wendy Evans Joseph 2023 SEGD Fellow
Wendy Evans Joseph, the founder of Studio Joseph, is a visionary architect known for her hands-on approach and unwavering commitment to design excellence. With a deep passion for art, culture, and public education, Wendy has established herself as a leading figure in museum design and exhibition installations. At Studio Joseph, she sets the vision for each project based on specific parameters and broader societal values that talk about equity and community.
Under Wendy’s leadership, Studio Joseph has delivered a diverse portfolio of impactful public, institutional, and cultural projects. The firm creates immersive environments that foster shared learning and engagement. Wendy seamlessly integrates technology, graphic design, and materiality in elegant spatial settings. Her ability to fuse architecture with other disciplines has garnered accolades and recognition throughout her career.
Wendy’s contributions to the architectural community extend beyond her exceptional design work. She has been honored with a Rome Prize in Architecture from the American Academy in Rome and holds the prestigious title of Academician of the National Academy of Design. Actively involved in professional leadership, she has held esteemed positions such as President of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Chairman of the AIA National Committee of Design, and President of the Architectural League of New York.
Prior to establishing Studio Joseph, Wendy spent twelve years at Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, where she made significant contributions to large-scale public, institutional, and cultural projects. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and pursued her Master’s in Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design. She is a LEED Accredited Professional reflecting her dedication to sustainable design.
With her keen design sensibility, unwavering dedication to artistic and educational imperatives, and forward-thinking approach to the architectural practice, Wendy Evans Joseph continues to shape the industry and leave a lasting impact through her transformative work at Studio Joseph.
The 2023 SEGD Achievement Awardees:
2023 SEGD Distinguished Member Award
Product and Visual Design Lead, Cognizant
The SEGD Distinguished Member Award recognizes an individual for demonstrating outstanding volunteer efforts while significantly contributing to the direction, growth and excellence of SEGD programs. Past winners include Christina Lyons and P. Michael Anderson.
Since 2007 Annelle Stotz has dedicated herself to SEGD, progressing from volunteer to Chapter Chair to Board Member. Transitioning from a design firm to working directly for clients, she seized an opportunity to engage owners as potential new SEGD members. During the pandemic, Annelle relocated abroad—becoming an international member—and steadfastly supported SEGD, even without employer assistance. As Auction Chair and alongside Kris Helmick, she launched the SEGD Membership Committee, magnifying its impact through initiatives like “Membership March” and monthly new member calls to create meaningful first connections with new members.
2023 SEGD Golden Arrow Award
The SEGD Golden Arrow Award recognizes extraordinary service to the field of EGD. Recipients of the award have made large and long-term contributions to the strength of SEGD as leaders of their organizations, icons in the field, or supporters of SEGD’s goals. Pentagram is the seventh recipient of this award, established in 2004, joining Ann Makowski, Ralph Appelbaum, Leslie Gallery Dilworth, Moira Gemmill, Ed Matthews, and Deborah Sussman.
Pentagram, an esteemed international design consultancy, is dedicated to elevating the field of the experiential design practice. With offices worldwide, their commitment to SEGD has been unrivaled, fostering growth and excellence in our industry. As a voluntary supporter, thought leader and financial contributor, their multifaceted engagement has consistently upheld and progressed SEGD’s mission. Esteemed as the most influential design firm of the last fifty years, Pentagram’s enduring support of SEGD is a testament to their deep commitment to the experience design industry, positioning them as a deserving Golden Arrow recipient.
2023 SEGD Innovation Award
The SEGD Innovation Award recognizes members who have demonstrated innovative expertise and processes that have expanded the potential impact and engagement of experiential and environmental graphic design. Past recipients include Andrusko Group, SignAgent and 22 Miles.
Prime Access Consulting, Inc. (PAC) is an inclusive design firm operating in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. PAC’s inclusive design methodology is applied to everything they do. Whether helping design an exhibition or an entire museum, achieve a fully WCAG conformant and accessible website, build a fully inclusive mixed-reality experience, or conduct any of their many accessibility and inclusive design trainings, PAC centers inclusivity at the heart of their practice. The output of this methodology is not only accessibility but rich products and experiences enjoyable by all people in an operationally scalable and sustainable manner. PAC’s team are subject matter experts whose unique skills, experience, intersectional identities, and efforts inform and enrich their practice. Whether helping with the fundamentals of the built environment or the exacting nuances of advanced digital interfaces, PAC believes that good design is inclusive design.
SEGD Insight Award
National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington, D.C.)
The SEGD Insight Award recognizes visionary clients who demonstrate the impact of experiential design by commissioning projects and initiatives that significantly enhance or promote opportunities for the field and practitioners. Past recipients include: Bryan Stevenson, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, NYCEDC, and The American Museum of Natural History.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) stands as a groundbreaking achievement in interpretive and exhibition design. Its innovative approach, which emphasizes stories in African American history, has redefined cultural narration at the Smithsonian and across the National Mall. Garnering international acclaim, the museum has attracted over nine million on-site visitors and millions more online. This new model has powerfully echoed worldwide, amplifying African American heritage’s profound influence and resilience and reshaping our understanding of America’s cultural tapestry.
2023 SEGD Educator Award
The SEGD Educator Award recognizes academic members who have demonstrated the cultivation and practice of design across practice areas of SEGD, namely, experiential and environmental graphic design, interaction design, exhibition design, creative technology, installation, and public good projects. Past recipients include Yeohyun Ahn, Angela Iarocci and Joell Angel-Chumbley.
Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall is a design anthropologist, author of “Decolonizing Design: A Cultural Justice Guidebook”, and an organizational design catalyst and executive coach. A recognized leader in the decolonization of art and design education, she received the 2022 Sir Misha Black Award for Distinguished Service to Design Education as well as the inaugural BADG of Honour for Design Education from the Black Artists and Designers Guild. With a global career, Dori served as the Dean of Design at Ontario College of Art and Design University in Canada, where she was the first Black and Black female dean of a faculty of design anywhere. Dori holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Stanford University and a BA in Anthropology from Bryn Mawr College.
2023 SEGD Chapter Chair Award
Boston Chapter (Massachusetts, USA)
The SEGD Chapter Chair Award recognizes outstanding volunteer efforts made while significantly contributing to the direction, growth, strength and excellence of SEGD both regionally and internationally. Past recipients include the SEGD Raleigh Chapter, SEGD Riga Chapter and Cynthia Damar-Schnobb.
As Chapter Chair, Kayte Muse has been a nurturing force within the SEGD Boston design community. Her warm demeanor, knowledge of the field, consistent engagement, and willingness to share experiences have made her an essential resource for other Chairs. Her leadership in the EGD community has facilitated connections among students, emerging professionals, and longstanding SEGD members, keeping the Boston Chapter a vibrant hub for knowledge sharing. Her contributions continue to elevate SEGD’s local and regional presence, underscoring how deserving she is of this year’s SEGD Chapter Award.
Our sincere thanks to Design Communications, Ltd. (DCL) for their generous sponsorship of the 2023 SEGD Fellow & Achievement Awards.
About SEGD
We are designers of experiences connecting people to place. SEGD is a multidisciplinary community collectively shaping the future of experience design. We are a thought leader and an amplifier in the practice of experience design.
SEGD is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit education organization.
For more information, visit SEGD.org.