2024 Q1 CEO Update

Cybelle Jones

Embracing 2024


As we embark on 2024, I want to express my deep gratitude to our dedicated members and supporters who played a vital role in celebrating our 50th year in 2023. Your unwavering commitment helped us reaffirm SEGD as a global leader in experience design.

We are excited to welcome our new 2024 SEGD Board President, Traci Sym, a founding principal at +&>. Joining her is our incoming Vice President, Bosco Hernández, Design Director at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), who leads our SEGD Racial Justice Commission as well as new board member, Nu Goteh, Founder of Room for Magic .

I’d like to extend heartfelt thanks to our outgoing President, Kathy Fry, and acknowledge Anna Crider‘s significant contributions. Both Kathy and Anna have graciously committed to assisting us in working with our Chapter leadership to continue enhancing our value, content, and culture at the local level.

We have an exciting year ahead with a rich program of events. Explore our calendar and consider investing in our 2024 Event Bundle for maximum value. Collaborating with our Board, I’ve set CEO goals aligned with our Mission, Vision, and Core Values. Learn more about our 2022 Strategic Plan on our website.

View our Strategic Plan
Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success. 
Pablo Picasso

Our Key Priorities for 2024

Membership

Since I joined SEGD in the spring of 2020, we have focused on enhancing our programming and events to elevate our educational outreach and raise awareness within the experience design profession. Diversity and equity have been at the forefront of our efforts, alongside the introduction of new tools, including Glue Up, our membership platform and app, as well as our new website, and the brand refresh we launched in 2023. These changes reflect the stature of our 50-year history and the excellence of our members’ work.

In the coming year, we will continue to train our membership community on how to effectively utilize these tools to recruit, celebrate member achievements, and harness the community as a resource for real-time problem-solving, job seekers, recruiting, RFPs, and best practices. We will refocus on defining membership value for our broadest membership base while staying attuned to industry trends and the sustainable future of our members and our area of practice. Additionally, we are committed to ensuring our staff remains responsive and supportive of member needs.

We will introduce new programming, such as our upcoming Sports and Entertainment event in April, while delving into existing and new profit centers for our membership and staying abreast of trends in our areas of practice.

Growth and Retention Strategy

We have established a Strategy and Revenue committee to evaluate our current event and programming revenue streams and expenses. Our aim is to determine the most impactful, efficient, and effective ways to serve our members and attendees. As a multidisciplinary member organization, we are actively seeking ways to utilize our resources wisely, exploring necessary modifications and new models to provide ample resources for our members while ensuring our financial sustainability and competitiveness.

Observations from our initial workshop findings have illuminated some key areas of focus:

  • Our SEGD community is characterized by openness, generosity, and active engagement.
  • The fields of design encompassed by SEGD are boutique, specialized, and foster mutual understanding among members.
  • The practice of experience design is both resilient and timeless.

Areas of Focus:

  • Enriching the culture of local SEGD Chapters.
  • Facilitating the collective evolution of our practice.
  • Enhancing membership value and relevance.
Amplifying Exposure of Our Community and Areas of Practice

Building upon the momentum of our 50th Anniversary celebration and the launch of our new website, brand identity, and language, we are charting a strategic course to increase awareness of our organization and field of practice. This entails establishing strategic goals and measurements and forming strategic partnerships with aligned organizations and corporations.

In Closing

As we embark on this exciting journey through 2024, I want to express my deep appreciation for your unwavering support and commitment to SEGD. Together, we will continue to elevate our community, enrich our profession, and shape a brighter future through design.

With Gratitude,

Cybelle Jones
CEO, SEGD

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