SEGD Reimagines Xlab for 2025 with New Chicago Offsite + New York Studio Sessions

Annual storytelling and experience design event expands into two distinct experiences blending technology, experimentation, and community.

  1. Join us for 2025 SEGD Xlab Offsite Chicago on September 17-18

  2. New York City cityscape with Brooklyn Bridge

    Start the conversation early. Join us at Xlab Studio Sessions hosted in New York City on August 5

Washington D.C. — May 21, 2025 — The Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) is excited to announce an evolution of its flagship event, Xlab, with a dynamic new format for 2025. For the first time, Xlab will extend beyond its New York City roots with 2025 SEGD Xlab Offsite Chicago, a bold reimagining focused on creative experimentation, alongside a more intimate 2025 SEGD Xlab Studio Sessions New York experience.

Breaking New Ground in Chicago

In its fourteenth year, Xlab is breaking the mold — and heading offsite. Sometimes we need to shake things up — our work, our routines, our expectations — and return to more grounded ways of connecting and creating community. We’re asking: What is the value of experimentation? And we’re exploring it through the lenses of Imagination and Inspiration.

This year in Chicago, we’re stepping outside the conventional format to learn from artists and designers across disciplines. Over two immersive days, we’ll engage with powerful projects and ideas shaped by creators across art, dance, science, journalism, literature, music, and performance — people who build worlds and shift culture.

Register now for Xlab Offsite Chicago

  1. Discover new perspectives at Xlab Offsite Chicago. Hosted in the historic DuSable Roundhouse on the South Side (see lower left), inviting bold thinking and hands-on exploration. Photo by Kai Brown

DAY 1 | Wednesday, September 17 – Studio and art tours across Chicago, followed by a lively evening social.

DAY 2 | Thursday, September 18 – In-the-round talks, interactive showcases, and hands-on workshops that blend disciplines and defy expectations — ending with a one-of-a-kind closing party.

The event is strategically timed to align with the kickoff of the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial, offering attendees an unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves in both SEGD’s program and the city’s globally recognized design showcase.

The 2025 Xlab Offsite is co-chaired by three visionary leaders in the field:

  • Traci Sym, SEGD President, Founder of +&> (plus & greater than, llc), a Portland-based post-disciplinary practice dedicated to creating environments, immersive narratives, and cultural touchpoints that reunite culture and place through art, design, and discourse.
  • Aki Carpenter, SEGD Vice President, Global Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA), leading major exhibition design projects for institutions like the Obama Presidential Center, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the Japanese American National Museum.
  • Monica Chadha, AIA, LEED AP, SEGD Member, Founder and Principal Architect of Civic Projects, a Chicago-based practice focused on civic-scale, socially impactful design. Monica’s career includes work with Studio Gang, Ross Barney Architects, and Sri Balkrishna Doshi (Pritzker Prize winner).
2025 SEGD Xlab Offsite Chicago invites you to reimagine how we practice, see, work, and belong. It’s not just about tools and tech—it’s about shifting mindsets. We’re calling on designers to remix their practice, challenge assumptions, and embrace the unexpected. This isn’t just a conference—it’s a creative recharge. We’re excited to bring this new vision to life in Chicago, a city rooted in innovation and civic engagement.
Traci Sym, Aki Carpenter, and Monica Chadha, Co-Chairs, 2025 SEGD Xlab Offsite Chicago

  1. 2025 SEGD Xlab Offsite Chicago will bring fresh new ways to connect and engage with the work, your peers, and the world around you.

Returning to NYC with a Fresh Take

Recognizing the event’s strong following in New York, SEGD will also present 2025 SEGD Xlab Studio Sessions New York in August. This limited-capacity event will offer intimate, hands-on workshops and exclusive studio tours spotlighting emerging firms and groundbreaking experiential projects, followed by an evening social gathering.

For over a decade, Xlab has been where our community gathers to explore the future of storytelling and experience design. In 2025, we’re expanding that spirit—bringing Xlab to Chicago with a fresh focus on experimentation and cross-disciplinary inspiration. At the same time, we’re honoring our NYC roots with a smaller, high-impact Studio Session that taps into the energy of the city’s experience design scene. Together, these two events will provide unique entry points for learning, connecting, and evolving our practice.
Cybelle Jones, CEO, SEGD

Two-Event Special Rate

Attendees who register for both NYC and Chicago will receive exclusive bundle pricing and VIP access to networking events.

Choose the “Combo Package” when registering at either of the links below.

Register for Xlab Offsite Chicago – Sep 17-18
Register for Xlab Studio Sessions New York – Aug 5

Thank you to our partners!

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsors DCL and NanoLumens; and to our event sponsors, Daktronics, and others to be announced soon.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Kristin Bennani Kristin@segd.org.

About SEGD

We are designers of experiences connecting people to place. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, SEGD is dedicated to educating, connecting, inspiring, and advocating for the advancement of design practices that enrich the human experience.

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See more Xlab content by following these hashtags: #SEGD #segdxlab

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