2026 SEGD Xlab New York

New York becomes the first venue for Xlab, with participants choosing from a series of curated behind-the-scenes experiences across the city.

Optional Afternoon Tours

• 113 Spring Street — Snøhetta’s experiential retail and wellness lab housed within a landmarked SoHo cast-iron building. Sponsored by McCann Systems
• More tours to be announced soon

Opening Reception

Connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and industry leaders as we kick off two days of conversation and creative exchange.

• Microsoft Garage
  300 Lafayette St.
  New York, NY 10012

Microsoft Garage
300 Lafayette St.
New York, NY 10012

The day unfolds through four interconnected movements, creating a shared journey through the questions, tensions, and possibilities at the heart of this year’s theme.

The Weight
How do we understand this moment and hold the realities of today alongside the possibilities of tomorrow?

• 9:15–10:00 am
  The End of Predictable Progress: Now & Next, and the Potential in What’s Next — Susan Walsh, Senior Advisor on Design, SYPartners; Ashley Lukasik, Founder & CEO, Murmur Ring
• 10:00–10:30 am
  The Keeper of the Story: On Distillation, Care, and Holding Shared Reality Together — Eve Moros Ortega, M.P.A., Senior Director, Lord Cultural Resources

The Counter-Move
What does slowness ask of us? What happens when curiosity, discernment, and feeling become creative tools?

• 11:00–11:30 am
  In a World of WTF, FTW FTW: On Following the Weird, Honing Instinct, and Where Curiosity Leads — Lee-Sean Huang, Co-Executive Director, Learning + Programs, AIGA
• 11:30 am–12:00 pm
  Designer as Reframer: On Judgment, Authorship, and the Designer’s Move When AI Floods the Field — Julie Maggos, Senior Director of Experiential Design, IA Interior Architects

The Experiment
A series of conversations and participatory experiences exploring experimentation, productive friction, and creative practice.

• 1:30–2:00 pm
  Lean into the Uncertainty: Empathetic Client Work in Experience Design — Kimberly Gim, Head of Design & Creative Director, Bluecadet
• 2:00–2:45 pm
  Art or Design, Nature or Tech, Permanence or Flash? A Conversation Between Practice Leaders Navigating Creative Dualities for Over 20 Years — Jason Bruges, Founder & Creative Director, Jason Bruges Studio; David Schwarz, Co-Founder & Creative Director, HUSH

Joy as Practice
A closing reflection on belonging, memory, celebration, and the role design plays in shaping collective experience.

• 3:45–4:50 pm
  Design That Outlasts the Moment: On Joy as Intention and the Work That Endures — Lance Wyman, FSEGD, Designer of the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Identity; Ric Edwards, Vice President, Brand Design, Look of the Games & Executive Design Director, LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games

Closing Mixer – Sponsored by Daktronics
Location TBA