Sitcoms, Synaptic Suits and the Spirit of SEGD: Xlab Studio Sessions NYC Recap + Chicago Preview

Cybelle Jones

On August 5, SEGD kicked off its 2025 Xlab series with a sold-out, day-long experiment in creative chaos—and it might have just reset the standard for what a design event can be.

  1. 2025 SEGD Xlab Studio Sessions New York Participants. Image courtesy of TAD

A Day of Rapid Prototyping, Sitcoms & Surprises

Xlab Studio Sessions, held inside the innovative TAD (Technology, Architecture, Design) studio in Manhattan, was designed to break the mold. And it did.

Participants were divided into morning and afternoon groups for a high-speed ideation sprint. They had just 2.5 hours to design a fully immersive theme park based on a sitcom—yes, a sitcom—ranging from Gilligan’s Island to The Office, The Simpsons, Arrested Development, Futurama, and beyond.

  1. Attendees were divided into small groups for workshop sprints

  2. At the end of the session, attendees shared their ideas and voted on their favorite

But there was a twist:
Attendees had to take on roles outside their usual comfort zones—developing storylines, soundtracks, wearables, ride experiences, merchandise, and more. Some didn’t know the show they were assigned. Others had never touched AI tools like Midjourney, ChatGPT, or Suno. But they dove in, co-creating wild, world-building ideas on collaborative Miro boards and pitching them to a panel of peers, whose applause crowned the winning concept.

Ideas included:

🧠 A synaptic suit that lets visitors experience life through Maggie Simpson’s eyes (or the belly of Homer)…

🌋 A Gilligan’s Island volcanic spa resort…

👖 And top-selling Tobias’s Never Nude jeanshorts, of course.

It was raw, ridiculous, and downright brilliant—an exercise in risk-taking, team creativity, and the joy of being new at something again.

TAD Facilitator Matthias Brendler kicking off the day with a grounding manifesto

As our event manifesto stated:

“This is a creative workshop with a compressed timeline to intentionally force unexpected output and inspire collaboration… and remind us how vital human connection is to the design process, even amid the continual flow of newer tools.”

And the connection? It was palpable.

The Other Half: Studio Tours that Inspire

When not creating at TAD, attendees ventured behind the scenes at three of New York’s visionary studios:

  • Mercer Labs – a mind-bending exploration of immersive, multi-sensory environments
  • The LAB at Rockwell Group – where architecture meets narrative-driven technology
  • G&A’s Design Lab – showcasing immersive workflows and experiential storytelling

Each tour offered a rare window into how physical, digital, and emotional design coalesce to shape next-gen experiences.

Xlab Studio Sessions participants enjoying the rooftop mixer, hosted by S+D Corp.

A Rooftop to Remember

The day wrapped with a sunset rooftop mixer hosted by S+D Corp., the perfect end to a day full of experimentation, laughter, and shared learning. It was a chance to reflect, reconnect, and toast to what SEGD is all about: community, creativity, and courage.

Our Thanks to the Creative Catalysts

  • DCL & Nanolumens – Presenting Sponsors
  • TAD – Lead Curator, Day Sponsor + Design Playground
  • S+D Corp. – Rooftop Host
  • Smooth Technology + Antfood – Co-Curators and Free Form Facilitators
  • And to our collaborators, studio tour partners, and every participant who jumped in wholeheartedly.

  1. An extra big THANK YOU to the Xlab Studio Sessions Facilitators

Who Was in the Room?

The 2025 Xlab Studio Sessions NY brought together over 120 creatives from more than 65 organizations in design, technology, architecture, media, and education. Participants included CEOs, creative directors, designers, strategists, technologists, professors, and students—all united by a passion for experience design and a willingness to experiment.

From global architecture and design firms to AV innovators, immersive studios, academic institutions, and museums, the crowd represented the full ecosystem of experiential design. This remarkable mix of voices created the perfect storm of creativity—and proved that Xlab isn’t just a place to learn, but a place to leap.

  1. 2025 SEGD Xlab Offsite Chicago, hosted at the historic Roundhouse of the DuSable Museum

Up Next: Chicago. September 17–18.

If New York was the sketch, Chicago is the experience.

Join us for Xlab Offsite Chicago, a bold, two-day creative retreat at the iconic DuSable Roundhouse.

You’ll step into workshops, installations, and provocations led by thinkers like:

  • Bruce Mau, FSEGD – Global design visionary leading a Manifesto Workshop to kick off the event
  • Sarah Fornace, Manual Cinema – Blending theater, animation, and tech to explore new modes of storytelling
  • David Macaulay – Celebrated illustrator guiding a hands-on session on drawing as a tool for creativity and communication
  • Jamie Kalven – Journalist and activist sharing insights on design through the lens of investigative journalism
  • Monica Chadha – Architect and civic leader on designing for community engagement
  • Rosanna Vitiello – Placemaking strategist introducing a “futures literacy” toolkit for collaborative urban visioning
  • Rebecca Gates – Musician and strategist exploring the role of sonic identity in shaping place
  • Norman Teague – Artist and designer delivering a keynote on radical reimagination through art and design

Less work, more wonder.
Less format, more freedom.
Less passive, more possible.


If you attended Xlab Studio Sessions New York, contact Rachel Moran (rachel@segd.org) to register at a discounted rate. 

Xlab isn’t a conference. It’s a movement.

Thanks for being part of the experiment. See you in Chicago!

People also viewed