Graffiti to Graphics: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Design

Join us as we honor the 50th anniversary of both Hip Hop culture and the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD).  We will trace the transformative journey of Hip Hop from its humble beginnings to its widespread impact on design worldwide. Through this virtual event, experience a curated convergence of historical insights and future-forward dialogue with Hip Hop pioneers, EGD innovators, placemakers, and creative minds from museum and graphic design sectors. Engage with powerful presentations and panel discussions that capture the synergy between Hip Hop’s vibrant culture and the evolution of design. This virtual event promises a celebration of the past, a reflection on the present, and a visionary look into the future of how Hip Hop continues to shape the fabric of design. Event dates, speakers and registration links for this virtual symposium will be released in the coming weeks.

Leading us through this transformative journey are our insightful and talented co-chairs, Dayton Schroeter and Andy Outis.

  • Read more Dayton Schroeter

    Dayton Schroeter

    2023 SEGD Graffiti to Graphics Co-Chair

  • Dayton Schroeter in his formative years.

  • Read more Andy Outis

    Andy Outis

    2023 SEGD Graffiti to Graphics Co-Chair

  • Andy Outis in his early years as a graffiti artist.

Dayton Schroeter, Co-Chair, 2023 SEGD Graffiti to Graphics Symposium

Dayton Schroeter is a Vice President and National Design Director at Smithgroup, and SEGD Board Member.  He is an Architect, social activist, exhibition designer and artist with over 20 years of experience championing ‘Design Justice’ advocacy.  As a leader of the firm’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, his charge is to lead design projects that address the systematic injustice that architecture and planning have perpetuated on historically disenfranchised communities of color. Leveraging his tenacious passion for design justice with authenticity and creativity, he is currently leading Antiracism efforts in design projects at all scales and typologies including cultural spaces, mixed use residential/commercial, higher education/science & tech and healthcare.  One of his core beliefs is that design should avoid the traps of trend and fashion in exchange for a profound authenticity of time and place. 

Dayton Schroeter’s formative years were profoundly influenced by the raw and unapologetic narratives brewing from revolutionary Hip Hop.  A culture born in the wake of the civil rights movement, less than 10 years after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The powerful messages delivered by the likes of Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, and Melle Mel, imparted a sense of urgency and a call to action that would echo throughout his career. This early exposure to Hip Hop’s blend of artistry and activism instilled in him a conviction that every form of expression, including architecture, has the responsibility to address and rectify social injustices. 

Andy Outis, Co-Chair

A product of the 1990s Bay Area, Andy Outis has been steeped in hip hop culture for most of his life. Andy has been putting type in environments since he was 15 years old—first as a graffiti writer—and later, a designer. He was also a member of the Nameless & Faceless, an underground Bay Area rap group from 1995–2000. 

Andy is now the Principal and Creative Director of Shift7.Studio, working across branding, motion, environments and storytelling for brands, non-profits, and individuals. He was previously the Creative Director of marketing and events at New York Magazine, where he led a team responsible for revenue-driving creative across brand marketing, events and custom content for New York Magazine and its digital verticals including The Cut and Vulture. Andy has amassed a deep experiential portfolio, having designed environments for The Vulture Festival, Vanity Fair’s New Establishment Summit, The Breakthrough Prize, Related Companies, and the upcoming Field of Light at Freedom Plaza. Andy is a graduate of the MFA Designer as Entrepreneur program at the School of Visual Arts and teaches at SVA and Pratt Institute. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

Stay tuned as symposium dates, event registration and speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

About SEGD  
We are designers of experiences connecting people to place. SEGD is a multidisciplinary community collectively shaping the future of experience design. We are a thought leader and an amplifier in the practice of experience design.

SEGD is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit education organization.