Signage as Legacy: CVE Design and the Art of Guiding People

Cybelle Jones

Episode 2: Voices of Experience with Chris Calori and David VandenEynden of CVE Design

  1. SEGD Fellows Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden pictured here (right) along with SEGD Fellow Wayne Hunt (left) and past SEGD CEO Leslie Gallery-Dilworth at the 2023 SEGD Conference 50th Anniversary

How do we help people find their way?
Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden, FSEGD, Founders, CVE Design

For over four decades, Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden—co-founders of Calori & Vanden-Eynden Design Consultants and 2007 SEGD Fellows—have answered that question not only with beautiful signage systems but with groundbreaking methods that shaped the field of environmental graphic design itself.

This second episode of Voices of Experience celebrates two of SEGD’s most influential voices—designers who helped define an entire profession. From the streets of Washington, D.C., to Singapore’s financial district, to pedestrian bridges in Hong Kong’s Central district, Chris and David’s work has guided millions. Their hallmark projects—such as Amtrak’s Acela and nationwide station signage, the Washington Heritage Trail, and wayfinding for New York’s  Second Avenue Subway—marry form, function, and a deep respect for context.

  1. Design for Amtrak’s Acela line, a SEGD Global Design Award-winning project by CVE Design

  2. CVE Design’s book, Signage and Wayfinding Design, remains a foundational resource in studios and classrooms alike.

A Guiding Legacy

Chris pioneered the firm’s signature systems-based approach to signage master planning, making it scalable for large, phased-implementation projects. David developed innovative techniques for conceptualizing and detailing the physical components of complex sign programs. Together, they elevated the role of EGD from add-on to essential infrastructure.

They were not just practitioners, but stewards of the discipline—championing thoughtful design, mentoring emerging professionals, and building a legacy that extends far beyond their retirement. Their book, Signage and Wayfinding Design, remains a foundational resource in studios and classrooms alike.

Even in retirement, their passion for honoring design’s role in shaping society endures. Most recently, David and Chris helped produce a retrospective exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of their mentor, Swiss designer and educator Peter Megert, at The Ohio State University. The exhibit, like their own body of work, highlights design’s capacity to serve, connect, and inspire across generations.

Episode 2: SEGD’s Voices of Experience with Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden

Filmed during SEGD’s 50th-anniversary celebration in Washington DC by Abigail Honor of Lorem Ipsum, this candid conversation reveals the thinking behind the type, the structure behind the system, and the enduring humanist values behind the work.

Explore SEGD's Voices of Experience Series
Watch the second episode of Voices of Experience featuring Chris Calori, FSEGD and David Vanden-Eynden, FSEGD

Join us every two weeks as we continue honoring SEGD Fellows who’ve shaped the environments—and experiences—that define our world.

Because signage, at its best, isn’t just about where you’re going. It’s about where you belong.

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