Acknowledging the role of experience, new media and technology in the future of design, SEGD—the multidisciplinary design community whose members create experiences that connect people to place—added “Experiential” to its descriptor and mission.
SEGD’s board of directors voted to change the descriptor from Society for Environmental Graphic Design to Society for Experiential Graphic Design.
“This change recognizes the transformation our design discipline has been undergoing for years,” said Amy Lukas, president, SEGD and partner, Infinite Scale. “With the addition of ‘Experiential,’ we have broadened the description of what we represent to express the much-expanded scope of work that our members have already been doing for the past 10 years.”
The society’s mission statement was changed in early 2013 to reflect the importance of experience design to the discipline.
“Environmental” has taken on a different context today than in 1973, when the founders of SEGD first gathered to share best practices about a new discipline rooted in architectural signage, according to Lukas. With the advent of the sustainability movement, SEGD members have often discussed the potential for changing the association’s descriptor to better reflect the evolution of the discipline.
“Today, the scope of environmental graphic design encompasses ever-more complex projects and integrates new media and digital technologies,” added Lukas. “Thanks to these technologies and the Internet, designers can add layers of content and enhanced information, connecting people with the history and ambience of the space as well as creating a sense of place and helping them find their way. In this new era, both are possible, and more often than not, both are demanded by clients.”
SEGD’s founders and past presidents support the change. Since its establishment in 1973, SEGD has extended beyond its roots in signage to encompass a broad spectrum of visual communications in the built environment, from wayfinding to branded environments, public art and exhibition design.
