Phil Rowland

Phil Rowland

Great ideas emerge from Imagination & Possibility, not being realistic.

People

Website

Member Since

January 2026

Phil Rowland is Director of Environmental Graphic Design and an Associate Principal at GBBN, where he founded and leads the firm’s environmental graphics practice. His work blends research, fabrication, and computational design to create cohesive systems of storytelling, wayfinding, and placemaking that complement architecture and interiors. Phil is passionate about using environmental graphics as a strategic design tool—one that aligns people, space, and mission while elevating the overall experience of the built environment.

My super power is

Synthesizing complex topics into easy to understand visuals.

I'm looking for

New ways technology can make our designs more interactive, helpful, enjoyable, informative, sustainable, and equitable.

What I love about experience design

I love learning something that completely turns how I think about a certain topic or idea on its head.

Best piece of advice I've ever heard

Effort v Value: We expend effort, we create value. It’s easy to get them confused, but remember which one you are being compensated for.

Practice Area

Branded Environments, Exhibition, Placemaking, Public Installation, Strategy/Research/Planning, Wayfinding

Focus Area

Augmented (AR/VR), Brand, Graphic, Signage

Industry

Cultural, Education, Entertainment, Healthcare, Workplace