SEGD Love Stories – Hannah LoGalbo

May 22, 2024

Hannah LoGalbo

The 2024 SEGD Love Stories series is presented by Archetype.

Last summer I had the opportunity to work with the incredible team at SEGD as a co-op. As a design student at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program, I complete five co-op rotations, similar to an internship, as a part of my curriculum. SEGD was my third co-op, which I dove into with a background in print and digital design experience. With two architects for parents, I’ve always been interested in the interdisciplinary work that occurs between graphic design and architecture, and I had a feeling EGD would be the perfect niche for me. 

During my time at SEGD, I learned about the countless possibilities within the realm of environmental and experiential graphic design, drawing inspiration from the Global Design Award project winners as we revamped the website. Working on the Global Design Award project pages and attending multiple SEGD lecture series got me excited to apply my knowledge to a new project. Leading up to SEGD’s 50th Conference, I designed a timeline to represent SEGD history starting in 1973 when SEGD was founded. Concentrating on this project gave me a well-rounded knowledge of SEGD’s entire history, which was fascinating to study in detail. It was extremely rewarding to see my timeline in person at the conference and watch attendees interact with it, sometimes even finding an event they took part in or their own name.

Participating in the 2023 SEGD 50th Anniversary Conference Experience in Washington DC connected me with several talented EGD designers who gave me valuable advice and encouraged me to stay connected with the community. I was actively involved with the Emerging Experiential Professionals group, where I received mentorship from experienced EGD designers who were more than willing to answer my many questions. Their insight gave me the confidence to pursue EGD as a career path.

Because of my experience at the conference, I made it my goal to work at a firm practicing EGD for my next co-op rotation. Four months later, I find myself employed at an architecture firm, having connected with their graphics team during the conference. On my third day of my new job, I noticed the SEGD Annual magazine sitting on my co-worker’s desk. When I opened it up, my name was listed as a contributor from my time at SEGD helping edit the magazine for print. It was truly a full-circle moment for me! I am so appreciative of the SEGD community, and the career opportunities it has given me. I’m now a part of the SEGD DAAP chapter, and have an EGD capstone project in the works!

Hannah LoGalbo is now working as a Graphic Design Co-Op at MSA Design.

If you would like to share your SEGD Love Story, click the link below. We’ll highlight a range of SEGD member stories on our website and in our weekly newsletter throughout the year. The 2024 SEGD Love Stories series is presented by Archetype.