SEGD (the Society for Experiential Graphic Design), a multidisciplinary global community of professionals, has announced that the SEGD Xlab will return to New York City from 22 to 23 July 2026.
The event features two days of conversation, experimentation, and creative exchange, looking at what it means to create meaningful work in a moment defined by rapid technological change, uncertainty, and constant demands on our attention.
Bringing together designers, strategists, artists, technologists, and storytellers, Xlab is designed as a space to explore ideas before they become best practices.
This year's programme invites participants to consider what remains uniquely human: our ability to foster connection, create meaning, and imagine possibilities that don't yet exist.
Day one
The first day offers participants a choice of immersive site visits across the city.
Highlights include a tour of Snøhetta's experiential retail and wellness lab at 113 Spring Street, housed within a landmarked SoHo cast-iron building, and a visit to NYU Tandon @ The Yard, where engineering, fabrication and emerging media are shaping the next generation of interactive experiences.
New for 2026 is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Moment Factory's transformation of the historic Cipriani 25 Broadway.
The project has reimagined the landmark building as a programmable multimedia venue, combining 360-degree projection mapping, immersive audio and interactive lighting while preserving its historic architecture. Visitors will hear directly from the creative team about balancing technological innovation with heritage conservation.
The day concludes with an opening reception at Microsoft Garage.
Day two
The second day takes place at BRIC in Brooklyn, where the symposium has been designed as a journey rather than a traditional conference.
Structured around four themes, The Weight, The Counter-Move, The Experiment and Joy as Practice, the programme explores how designers can respond to uncertainty, embrace experimentation and create experiences that foster connection and optimism.
Opening sessions feature Susan Walsh, senior advisor on design at SYPartners, and Ashley Lukasik, founder and CEO of Murmur Ring, who will examine how design can inspire hope and agency in a time of technological, economic and geopolitical change.
Additionally, Eve Moros Ortega, senior director at Lord Cultural Resources, will discuss the role of museums and cultural institutions in shaping shared narratives during periods of uncertainty.
Later sessions explore creativity in the age of AI, the value of curiosity and experimentation, and the evolving role of designers as authors and cultural interpreters.
SEDG Xlab 2026 brings together designers, strategists, artists, technologists, and storytellers
Speakers include Lee-Sean Huang, co-executive director for learning and programs at AIGA; Julie Maggos, senior director of experiential design at IA Interior Architects; and Kimberly Gim, head of design and creative director at Bluecadet.
Later, attendees will also hear from Jason Bruges, founder and creative director at Jason Bruges Studio, and David Schwarz, co-founder and creative director at HUSH.
The symposium concludes with a conversation bringing together Lance Wyman, designer of the iconic Mexico City 1968 Olympic identity, and Ric Edwards, executive design director for the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games.
The pair will reflect on six decades of Olympic design, exploring how storytelling, technology and placemaking combine to create enduring experiences on a global stage.
Why attend?
Throughout the event, creative facilitators David "BBQ Dave" Sheinkopf, co-founder and creative director of Smooth Technology and Wilson Brown, creative director at Antfood, will lead interactive reflection sessions designed to connect ideas across the programme and encourage discussion among participants.
Every session this year connects with others.
Walsh and Lukasik's call for designing hope echoes Moros Ortega's reflection on storytelling in contested times, Huang's case for embracing the unexpected, Gim's insights on experimentation's costs and benefits, Bruges and Schwarz's look at creative tension, and Wyman and Edwards' thoughts on design fostering belonging, memory, and joy.
Collaborate to innovate: SEGD Xlab 2026 in New York.
Over two days, Xlab shifts from acknowledging today's weight to exploring experimentation, connection, and possibility through behind-the-scenes experiences, a symposium of collective reflection, and ongoing conversations, inviting participants to explore what creative practice can offer amid uncertainty.
The two-day event concludes with a closing celebration at Black Forest Brooklyn, giving attendees an opportunity to continue conversations and build new connections within the experiential design community.
For more information and to register, please click here.
Earlier this year, SEGD (the Society for Experiential Graphic Design) hosted the 2026 International Design Day, the annual celebration established by the International Council of Design (ICoD) to reflect on the role design plays in shaping society.
This year's event brought together conversations and local activations across time zones under the theme The Spaces In Between.
