Radical Reimagination: Norman Teague, Jamie Kalven, and More Join Xlab Offsite Chicago

July 9, 2025

Presented by DCL and Nanolumens

For the first time, SEGD is taking its acclaimed Xlab experience on the road—

with a bold, reimagined format that breaks free from the traditional conference mold. Xlab Offsite Chicago, happening September 17–18 at the Roundhouse at The DuSable Museum, invites participants into a fully immersive, city-rooted symposium that blends civic engagement, artistic exploration, and design activism. It’s a two-day creative exploration timed to coincide with the opening of the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial—and it’s designed for those ready to experiment, participate, and engage deeply.

We’ll kick things off on September 17 with curated design immersion tours across the city. Attendees will select one tour from the following options: the Design Museum of Chicago, a Wild Axel foraging adventure, the Brick of Chicago Hyde Park walk, and United Headquarters at Willis Tower. That afternoon, SEGD Fellow and Massive Change Network Co-Founder Bruce Mau will lead a generative Manifesto Workshop to collectively articulate our values and purpose—because in a time when design must do more than aestheticize, it must lead. We’ll cap off the evening with a high-energy Opening Party sponsored by Electrosonic and Nanolumens—a celebration of community, connection, and creative momentum.

On September 18, the symposium dives into hands-on workshops and visionary talks with four powerful voices shaping the future of design.

Visionary Voices

Norman Teague: ART + TECH—Radical Reimagination Through Art and Design

A Chicago-based artist, designer, educator, and founder of Norman Teague Design Studio, Norman Teague is known for his mastery of craft and his commitment to community-centered design. His work explores urbanism and the cultural narratives of communities of color—merging material exploration, mentorship, and equity.

Teague’s acclaimed furniture and object designs—like the Ply-Grid Chair, Sinmi Stool, and New Ankh Chair—reflect African design traditions through a contemporary lens and are held in the collections of institutions including MoMA and R & Company. In 2024, he curated Designer’s Choice: Norman Teague—Jam Sessions at MoMA, challenging the traditional design canon using AI and elevating the contributions of people of color and women. His solo show A Love Supreme at the Elmhurst Art Museum and his participation in Everlasting Plastics at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale further illustrate his dynamic and evolving practice. Teague will deliver the closing keynote, introduced by SEGD VP and Xlab Chair Aki Carpenter of Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA).

Jamie Kalven: JOURNALISM—Designing for Transparency and Justice

As founder of the Invisible Institute, Kalven is a fearless voice in civic journalism. Known for his groundbreaking work exposing systemic police misconduct in Chicago, including the Laquan McDonald case, his talk will explore the shared tactics between journalism and design—both forms of making the invisible visible, and both capable of reshaping public perception and systems of accountability.

Monica Chadha: CIVIC ENG—Design as a Tool for Engagement

Chadha, Principal and Founder of Civic Projects Architecture, brings over two decades of experience designing inclusive, community-rooted spaces. From arts centers in converted fire stations to long-term urban planning, her work is rooted in co-creation and cultural equity. Her workshop will explore design as a mechanism for belonging, trust, and long-term stewardship.

David Macaulay: DRAW—Drawing to Discover

MacArthur Fellow David Macaulay will share how exploring how simple lines can spark ideas, bridge fields, and deepen understanding. He will sketch live throughout the day, showing how drawing can be used as a thinking tool across disciplines. His signature clarity and curiosity invite participants to reexamine the structures—both literal and systemic—that shape our lives.

Design Immersion Tours

The experience begins on Wednesday, September 17, with a day of movement and exploration, as attendees set out across the city on curated design immersion tours. Participants will select one of the following options: 

Design Museum of Chicago

Led by Founder Tanner Woodford, this tour features Community on the Make, celebrating 25 years of Arts of Life—a collective where artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities have reshaped design culture through creativity, collaboration, and inclusion.

Wild Axel Foraging Tour

This hands-on outdoor experience teaches participants to identify and harvest ~20 edible wild plants, offering a new sensory connection to Chicago’s overlooked urban ecologies.

Brick of Chicago: Hyde Park Tour

Explore the details of Chicago’s architectural heritage through a material lens. Discover work by Frank Lloyd Wright, Barry Byrne, and Edward Dart, and uncover how humble brick has defined the city’s identity.

United HQ – Powered by Design Tour

The 13-floor renovation of United Airlines’ HQ in Willis Tower prioritized carbon and emissions reduction through hybrid working and reuse. The redesigned, dynamic branded workspace advances sustainability goals and inspires over 3,000 employees through storytelling and shared experiences—rooted in United’s ethos: an airline where Good Leads the Way.

Closing Celebration

We’ll close out the Xlab Offsite experience on the evening of Thursday, September 18, with a festive Closing Celebration sponsored by Daktronics—a final moment to reflect, recharge, and toast to the radical possibilities ahead.

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Don’t Miss the Warm-Up: Xlab Studio Sessions NYC

Before Chicago, join us for Xlab Studio Sessions: NYC on August 5, 2025, at TAD (Technology, Architecture, Design)—our host and sponsor for this creative warm-up. This one-day intensive features hands-on workshops, studio visits, and a rooftop happy hour near Grand Central Station—generously sponsored by Signs + Decal.

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

SEGD Xlab Presenting Sponsors: DCL and Nanolumens

Xlab Offsite Chicago Sponsors: Electrosonic (Opening Party, Daktronics (Closing Celebration)

Xlab Studio Sessions New York Sponsors: TAD, McCann Systems, and Signs + Decal