From Vision to Legacy: SEGD Founders Rich Burns and John Berry Reflect on 50+ Years

July 2, 2025

Cybelle Jones

Episode 4: Voices of Experience with Rich Burns and John Berry, founders of SEGD

As SEGD celebrates its 52nd birthday this week, it’s the perfect moment to spotlight two of our founders: Rich Burns and John Berry, 2024 SEGD Fellows and lifelong advocates for the profession they helped shape.

In this fourth episode of Voices of Experience, filmed by Abigail Honor of Lorem Ipsum during SEGD’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Rich and John share their reflections on SEGD’s early days—from figuring it out as they went, to the formative conferences at Cranbrook, to the passionate community of designers and fabricators who laid the foundation for what would become experiential graphic design.

Their stories are honest, funny, and filled with gratitude—for the collaborators who showed up, the community that took shape, and the unexpected success of a profession once dismissed as too niche to survive.

To accompany the video, Rich Burns also penned a personal reflection for SEGD, revisiting those early years and celebrating how far the Society has come. And while Rich may be a founder, he remains deeply connected to SEGD’s present and future. Just last year, he joined us in Las Vegas for SEGD’s Sports + Entertainment event, energized by the next generation and the evolution of the work.

We are honored to share their stories—then and now—as a reminder that the spirit that built SEGD is still very much alive.

A Founder’s Reflection

Rich Burns, FSEGD

Anniversaries have a way of surfacing memories. SEGD’s 50th-year conference did that on steroids. At the conference, Lorem Ipsum’s Abigail Honor conducted video interviews with the Society’s Fellows. Edited into vignettes, her Voices of Experience series captures their insights.

The conference was especially poignant for John Berry and myself. Along with Jim Glass, we are largely credited with birthing SEGD.

From Serendipity to a Global Movement

In retrospect, SEGD’s beginnings appear strategic and well-conceived. Rather, it was serendipity and dumb luck that brought SEGD to life. This movement was driven by an unfulfilled need for signs and wayfinding, and a smattering of designers who were responding.

Early membership was largely traditional graphic designers working without experience, precedent, or resources. Our first decade was touch and go, but as the needs grew, our group evolved as credible—with the capabilities to add value.

The first national conference at Cranbrook Academy in 1980 marked a significant turning point, bringing together nearly 100 professionals who sought information, guidance, and clarity in this emerging field of practice. Like-minded practitioners quickly bonded to create the foundations of a new profession.

Even among hardcore competitors, collaboration was an early hallmark—and to this day, it remains a core value of SEGD.

Collaboration at the Core

Also in attendance were a number of industry partners. We called them fabricators back then. They recognized the group’s potential and became a vital resource—turning our drawings into reality while teaching us much about what we needed to do. They are owed much thanks.

SEGD’s universal success affirms that, collectively, we have created a wholly new profession—a marked evolution from a patchwork of designers seeking credibility within the established professions.

Early on, after a presentation to a prospective client where I went into some detail about our process, the would-be client looked up and exclaimed, “A grown man can make a living doing that?”

Viewing the breadth and depth of our contributions to how people experience their environments—and SEGD’s 2,000+ thriving members—the answer is a resounding yes!

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Episode 4: SEGD’s Voices of Experience with Rich Burns and John Berry

In this episode of Voices of Experience, SEGD co-founders Rich Burns and John Berry reflect on SEGD’s origins and the Society’s lasting impact on the design profession.

Rich, SEGD’s first Fellow and a past president, helped advance professional standards through his work with GNU Group and introduced environmental graphics to the development industry through the Urban Land Institute.

John, former Vice President of Corporate Communications at Herman Miller, played a key role in shaping design discourse and amplifying the voices of design legends, including the Eames Office. As an educator and mentor, he continues to influence future generations through his work with Design West Michigan.

Join us every two weeks as we continue honoring SEGD Fellows whose work has shaped the environments—and experiences—that define our world.

We are honored to share their stories—then and now—as a reminder that the spirit that built SEGD is still very much alive.

SEGD’s Voices of Experience Series was filmed and produced by Lorem Ipsum on behalf of SEGD.