The Birth of SEGD: From Bold Beginnings to Lasting Legacy
In 1973, a small group of ambitious designers gathered in Detroit with a simple but powerful idea: to elevate the practice of sign and graphic design into a recognized professional discipline. That meeting would spark the birth of the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD)—an organization that has since defined and championed the field of experiential and environmental design.
The First Sparks
The earliest years were anything but smooth. The handful of designers who showed up to the first SEGD meeting didn’t yet have a shared language, much less an established industry. Terms like signage and graphics were hotly debated, while “environmental” was met with skepticism.
Yet these spirited conversations captured the urgency and energy of a new profession in the making.
The pioneers weren’t just discussing fonts and materials. They were wrestling with identity, legitimacy, and how to define a practice that existed between architecture, planning, and communication design.
Former GNU Doug Akagi designed the now iconic “Walking Man” logo in 1982,
Naming a Discipline
At a pivotal meeting in Houston, the group settled on a name that would
resonate across decades: The Society for Environmental Graphic Designers.
It reflected not only what they did but also who they aspired to become—a collective of professionals shaping the human experience in built environments.
Even the branding became a milestone. The now-iconic Walking Man logo, designed by GNU Group and affectionately known as “Sedgewick,” was adopted in 1982. Its blend of everyday symbolism and bold clarity gave SEGD both recognition and credibility at a time when the Society was struggling to survive.
The first SEGD conference was held at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Building a Profession
Through the late 1970s, SEGD endured growing pains: limited membership, scarce resources, and long lapses in communication. What kept the movement alive was necessity.
Designers needed guidance on liability, pricing, accessibility, and how to run a practice in uncharted territory.
The first official conference at Cranbrook in 1980 changed everything. With more than 100 attendees, it was both a financial and emotional turning point. For many, it was the first time they realized:
“I belong to a profession.”
Members gather in 2023 to celebrate SEGD’s 50th anniversary.
Lasting Legacy
Today, SEGD (now renamed the Society for Experiential Graphic Design) represents thousands of designers around the world. What began with two or three people comparing notes in Detroit has grown into a global network that has elevated environmental graphic design to a respected and influential discipline.
GNU Group Today
For GNU Group today, the same spirit of experimentation that defined SEGD’s early years continues to guide how we approach wayfinding, experiential branding, and environmental design.
We continue to build trust that resonates with clients, peers, and partners across industries.
The story of SEGD’s early years is also the story of GNU Group’s DNA:
Bold thinking, collaborative spirit, and the drive to turn emerging ideas into lasting institutions.
Richard Burns is the founder of the GNU Group, guiding the firm through its first two decades. He is also a Co-Founder of the Society for Experiential Graphic Design and served as SEGD President from 1979-1986. Rich was honored as the first SEGD Fellow in 1987 and is a member of the SEGD 50th Foundation.