Building the Project Management Skills Designers Have Asked For

March 11, 2026

Cybelle Jones

The SEGD Business & Leadership Bootcamp is a half-day workshop at ISA Expo 2026 designed to help experiential designers build practical project management and leadership skills. Participants learn how to scope work, manage teams, coordinate fabrication, and guide projects from concept through installation.

Over the past several years, one request has consistently surfaced from SEGD members, firms, and emerging professionals alike: more opportunities to build practical project management and business leadership skills.

While designers are trained to think creatively and strategically, many of the skills required to successfully deliver experiential design projects—scoping work, managing teams, building fees, coordinating with fabricators, and navigating construction—are often learned informally on the job.

In response, SEGD is launching the Business & Leadership Bootcamp, a new hands-on professional development workshop focused on skill-building for experiential design practice, debuting at ISA Expo 2026.

Participants who complete this half-day intensive will receive a Certificate of Completion from SEGD, recognizing advanced professional development in project management, business strategy, and leadership for experiential design practitioners.

This program is designed specifically for environmental graphic designers, wayfinding specialists, experiential designers, and project leaders who want to strengthen the operational and leadership skills required to guide projects from concept through installation.

SEGD Business & Leadership Bootcamp
Thursday, April 9, 2026
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
ISA Expo — Orlando, Florida

Why This Bootcamp Matters

Many designers find themselves managing projects early in their careers—often without formal training. Yet the success of an experiential design project frequently depends as much on planning, budgeting, communication, and coordination as it does on creative vision.

The SEGD Business & Leadership Bootcamp is designed as an intensive skill-building workshop where participants gain practical tools they can immediately apply to their projects and teams.

Participants will explore how to:

• Translate design ideas into clear project plans
• Define scope, deliverables, and project phases
• Manage multidisciplinary teams effectively
• Communicate clearly with clients, architects, and fabricators
• Maintain design integrity while managing schedules and budgets
  

The goal is simple: to strengthen the professional skills designers need to lead projects successfully.

Led by Leaders in Design, Fabrication, and Practice

The Business & Leadership Bootcamp brings together three seasoned professionals representing different perspectives across the experiential design ecosystem: design leadership, fabrication expertise, and project delivery.

Amy Rees, Partner & Experiential Design Director, Exit Design
2026 SEGD Board Member

Amy Rees leads multidisciplinary design teams that deliver large-scale experiential environments for a diverse client base. With more than two decades of experience, she is known for guiding complex projects from concept through implementation while maintaining strong client relationships and delivering results on schedule and within budget.

Amy also contributes extensively to professional development within the field. She serves as co-chair of SEGD’s Wayfinding & Experiential Graphics Professional Practice Group and teaches as Adjunct Faculty at Drexel University.

Mike McCarthy, Vice President, Design Communications Ltd. (DCL)
Treasurer/Secretary, SEGD Board

Mike McCarthy brings the fabrication perspective to project management. As Vice President at Design Communications Ltd., he oversees operations across multiple offices and has spent more than two decades translating design concepts into complex built environments.

His experience helps designers understand how early project decisions influence fabrication, installation, cost, and schedule.

Rush Otis, Studio Director & Co-Owner, Iconograph

Rush Otis leads the experiential design studio Iconograph, specializing in branded environments and wayfinding for higher education and community-based clients.

With a background in architecture, construction, and land development, Rush focuses on aligning design intent with constructability and coordination. She is known for guiding multidisciplinary teams through clear communication and structured project processes.

What Participants Will Learn

The bootcamp is organized around the full lifecycle of an experiential design project, helping participants understand how projects move from proposal to completion.

Foundations & Planning

Participants begin by building the framework for successful projects, including defining goals, structuring scope and phases, allocating team resources, identifying risks, and establishing communication systems that keep teams and clients aligned.

Getting the Work

This section explores the business side of design practice, including responding to RFPs, translating scope into deliverables, building design fees and project budgets, allocating hours across phases, and managing reimbursables and vendor costs.

Doing the Work

Participants will examine the design and documentation phases, including schematic design, design development, construction documentation, bid processes, and responding to RFIs while maintaining design intent.

Delivering the Work

The final portion focuses on moving from design into fabrication and installation. Topics include shop drawings, fabrication coordination, construction administration, installation oversight, and project closeout.

A Certificate That Recognizes Professional Skill Building

Upon completion of the bootcamp, participants receive a SEGD Professional Development Certificate recognizing advanced training in project management and leadership skills for experiential design practice.

This program is part of SEGD’s broader initiative to provide structured skill-building opportunities that strengthen both the technical and professional sides of experiential design.

Part of SEGD’s Expanded Learning Programs at ISA Expo

The Business & Leadership Bootcamp is offered alongside SEGD’s Accessible Design Bootcamp, a hands-on program focused on accessibility standards, tactile signage, contrast measurement, and low-vision design.

Together, these programs respond directly to member requests for practical training that helps designers grow not only creatively, but professionally.

Join Us in Orlando

If you are looking to strengthen your leadership skills, improve project management, and gain practical tools to guide complex work, the SEGD Business & Leadership Bootcamp is designed for you.

Seats are limited to maintain an interactive learning environment.

We look forward to learning together at ISA Expo 2026 in Orlando.

Register here for the SEGD Bootcamps and Tours.