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The future isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we shape.
As designers of experiences, we don’t just create spaces. We shape how people move, what they feel, and what they remember.
In San Francisco—a city defined by experimentation, layered histories, and competing visions of the future—we’re gathering to practice radical listening, share bold ideas, and reimagine what design can become when rooted in care, equity, and complexity.
This is more than a typical conference. It’s a living, participatory space for co-creation—where contradictions are welcomed, friction is embraced, and design becomes a practice of care, relationship, and transformation.
The SEGD Conference is the only global event dedicated to designers of experiences—where storytelling, technology, and public space intersect. Whether you’re shaping cultural spaces, building brands, designing cities, or crafting digital experiences, this conference offers tools, insight, and shared practice for designing what’s next.
Together, we’ll explore big questions shaping the future of experience design:
What does it mean to design for the public good—not just public consumption?
How can design create transformation without erasing identity, history, or place?
How do we design with friction—embracing tension, complexity, and failure as part of meaningful progress?
How do we create work that people don’t just see—but feel, remember, and carry forward?
And how do we move beyond polished outcomes to design through care, presence, and shared authorship?
We are living through a moment that demands more from design—more listening, more care, and more courage. Designing possible futures means holding complexity, designing with presence, and approaching our work as an evolving, relational practice—not a fixed outcome.
Cybelle Jones, SEGD CEO
Agenda
Pre-Event Tour: Eames Institute (sold out) To purchase a ticket for this pre-event tour, use this link and passcode: PRIVATE Transportation is on your own. 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Archetype Welcome Party 7:00 – 10:00 pm | Location: 620 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Registration 7:30 am – 5:00 pm | San Francisco Marriott Marquis; Golden Gate Foyer
Explore Salesforce Park at the 2025 SEGD Conference Experience San Francisco
Connect with new peers and old friends at the SEGD Conference Experience San Francisco
What to expect
25+ visionary speakers from leading organizations including Airbnb, SFMOMA, Eames Institute, Google Quantum AI, JUST Design, Urgent Agency, First Americans Museum, Volume Inc., and digital artist Bradley “GMUNK” Munkowitz
A dynamic mix of keynotes, lightning talks, interactive sessions, experiential tours, and immersive workshops
Targeted programming for emerging professionals, including portfolio reviews, mentorship, and peer-to-peer networking
Celebrated SEGD events, including the President’s Reception, Global Design Awards, and the Fellow & Achievement Awards
Thematic discussions exploring how design creates belonging, deepens our relationship to place, and works with—not against—friction
Attendees will also get hands-on inspiration through a series of SEGD-curated design tours that celebrate San Francisco’s rich creative ecosystem.
From a pre-conference visit to the Eames Institute on Wednesday, November 12, to behind-the-scenes access at the Exploratorium, Salesforce Park, and the Letterform Archive, these tours offer deep dives into the intersection of history, innovation, and craft.
Additional experiences include:
A visit to the iconic Arion Press
A guided Mission District Murals Tour
A city electric bike tour exploring public space and design
A digital experience walking tour
An insider’s look at SFMOMA
These immersive outings are a chance to see design in action—where disparity and experimentation coexist—and to experience how design can build relational, possible futures grounded in presence and care.
