See Portland Up Close with SEGD Conference Tours!
Read Time: 7 minutes
From public transportation to parks and gardens, the 2022 SEGD Conference Experience tours will showcase the offerings that make Portland an eclectic city for sustainability, inclusive design practices and experience design excellence!
SEGD’s tours have become a signature part of our annual gathering, giving you a chance to get out of the conference room and actually see the city! Your only problem: there are so many great tours, it’s hard to choose just one! All tours have size limitations and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please register early. Prefer to stay onsite for more sessions? Check out the agenda for Thursday afternoon.
All tours will run in the afternoon on Thursday, November 4 (specific times listed on the agenda). Some require walking and/or the use of public transportation. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis—so don’t wait to register!
Tour 1: Outlet Risograph Workshop
Want to learn what Risograph printing is? Want to meet others who do too? Come and learn all about the basics of the Risograph in our two-color introduction workshop. The workshop will kick off with a Show & Tell of exactly what a Risograph can do with a printing demo, print and zine samples and a general exploration of how we can get the best results from this amazing printing machine.
Workshop by: Kate Bingaman-burt
Participants will take home an edition of 2-color 8.5×11 prints of your own design plus one print from all of the workshop participants (your own starter print collection!)
Tour 2: Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River gorge is a spectacular river canyon, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, that meanders past cliffs, spires, and ridges set against nearby peaks of the PNW’s Cascade Mountain Range. Join us for a scenic drive through the gorge on the Historic Columbia River Highway. We will stop at iconic waterfalls and viewpoints while learning about restoration efforts, interpretive work, community education, and wayfinding projects that ensure the gorge remains a vibrant, living place—wondrous, wild, and open to all.
Tour by: Friends of the Columbia River Gorge
The tour will begin and end with a 30-minute bus ride. Hiking shoes are not required, but comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
Tour 3: Portland By Bike (sponsored by DE Powder Coated Graphics)
Experience the design of Portland with a bike ride! As a young city compared to East Coast and European cities, Portland has spent many resources on planning for pedestrians and cyclists. We’ll ride through the inner Eastside, along Portland’s waterfront pathways, the Pearl District, and through the borders of downtown, before heading across the transit and pedestrian-only Tilikum Bridge into the pretty residential neighborhood and an art-heavy industrial district.
Tour 4: Oregon Zoo Wayfinding + Education Center
The Oregon Zoo consistently attracts more than 1.6 million visitors per year and has more than 42,000 member households, giving it a unique platform for broad-based community impact. The Education Center calls the public to live sustainably with natural systems and habitats through hands-on exhibits and flexible program space. The tour will also explore the zoo’s new wayfinding system that leads visitors along miles of meandering paths through a forested park setting with a colorful system that piques curiosity in young (and young at heart) visitors.
Tour by: Opsis Architecture, Hunt Design
Tour 5: Cannabis Dispensary Branding Walking Tour
High there! Join us as we explore the cannabis world with a behind the scenes of some Portland’s most notable cannabis brands. This tour will feature Electric Lettuce and Serra, with a preview of a spot they just launched(shhh!). Then we’ll hit the streets on a walking tour to see how these two brands live I.R.L.
Tour by: OMFGCO
Tour 6: Vancouver Waterfront Tour
Take a one mile walk along the north shore of the Columbia River and visit two interpretive design features which re-connect the city of Vancouver, Washington to its riverfront—telling stories of history, culture and ecology. The tour starts at the Vancouver Land Bridge, with newly-installed interpretive work by Native American artist Lillian Pitt. We will then walk to the new Vancouver Waterfront Park to explore the sculptural pier, public art waterfall by Larry Kirkland, historic paper plant artifacts, and interpretive and wayfinding signage designed by PUBLIC. Grab a refreshment from a café and enjoy the park before the shuttle back to the hotel.
Tour by: PUBLIC Architecture + Communication
Tour 7: PDXNext
A series of transformative projects expanding the Portland International Airport is the largest construction project in Oregon’s history to date. Branded PDXNext, the project demonstrates Pacific Northwest values of sustainability, collaboration, inclusive design, and celebrates local culture. Tour attendees will see the PDXNext vision coming to life. Learn about the new Wayfinding Master Plan, implementation lessons learned, experiential graphics, art installations and how the Port helps passengers navigate an airport under construction. The tour will visit the rental car center, parking garage expansion and concourse E extension.
Tour by: Port of Portland, HOK, Mayer/Reed
Participants must bring a valid license or passport for the TSA checkpoint.
Tour 8: The Portland Japanese Garden Expansion + Wayfinding (sponsored by iZone Imaging)
Join us on an EGD-focused tour of the beautiful Portland Japanese Garden! With the recent expansion by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma and renovation of the grounds, there is new interpretive, wayfinding and identity signage to celebrate! As we meander through the garden, the design and fabrication team will share their process for the new EGD experiences.
Tour by: Knot Design
Tour 9: South East Portland Street Art Walking Tour
PSAA is a non-profit that helps to promote, document, and create a vibrant street art scene in the Pacific Northwest. In the past 10 years, we have managed over 200 art projects, collaborating with 100s of artists in the region. PSAA is actively transforming the public art landscape by developing more inclusive place-based programs which aim to increase access to art for everyone in the city. This interpretive walking tour through the Central Eastside Mural District will provide participants with a glimpse of some of Portland’s best murals, street, and graffiti art productions. PSAA’s Executive Director, Tiffany Conklin, will be leading the tour, sharing stories about the history of street art in Portland and the process of making art in the streets.
Tour 10: TriMet Transit Tour
Transit lovers unite! TriMet provides bus, light rail and commuter rail service with a mission to connect people with their community, while easing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution — making the region a better place to live. Hop on the MAX to explore station design, wayfinding, art and integration of bike friendly design. On this tour you will see the evolution of the brand, understand how changes in service impact station and sign design, walk across the Tilikum Cross Bridge and visit a new bus rapid transit station.
Tour by: TriMet, Mayer/Reed
Thank you to TriMet for providing passes for this tour.
Tour 11: Providence Park Expansion
Providence Park is home to our beloved Portland Timbers, one of the premier franchises in Major League Soccer. This tour will explore the renovation and expansion that celebrates the team’s meaning and impact on the city and community. A new venue brand identity, sponsorship integration, historical storytelling, as well a new unified wayfinding system creates a cohesive feel across the original architecture and new expansion, all done with the goal of blending the brand-new east side with the rest of the century-old stadium. Green and Gold, Green and Gold, Green and Gold, Gold, Gold!
Tour by: Downstream
Tour 12: Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading science museums and a trusted educational resource for communities throughout Oregon and the region. Through museum exhibitions, public programs at the museum and across the region, outdoor programs, traveling exhibitions, digital learning, and learning research and design, OMSI nourishes a lifelong love of science, curiosity and learning for diverse audiences. On this tour we’ll explore interactive exhibits and learn about OMSI’s vision to create a new waterfront education park that will restore Tribal presence on the Willamette and create access to the River for all. The OMSI District will be a one-of-a-kind neighborhood – an inclusive community destination with innovation, culture and science learning at its heart.
Tour by: OMSI, +&>
Design Improv
SEGD’s beloved “Design Improv” is back with a focus on sustainability and creative re-use. A great opportunity for designers from all levels and backgrounds to get their creative juices flowing, this fast-paced mini-design challenge is always inspiring, frequently rambunctious, and sometimes downright outrageous. Kick off the conference by making new connections forged in the heat of hilarity and competition. Participants will be assigned to ad-hoc teams – who will collaborate on a design concept using only supplied materials and their wits – and then will share their concept with the group, and our surprise guest judges. This year’s design challenge will benefit The Re-building Center (https://www.rebuildingcenter.org/), a Portland non-profit with a focus on supporting climate justice and racial justice through reuse, repair & resilience.
Improv by: Jemma Radick
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Tours are booking up fast, so don’t wait! Space is limited, and tours are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Register HERE to lock-in your tour!