During the 2019 SEGD Conference Experience Austin, winners of the 2019 SEGD Achievement Award were announced and celebrated at the largest annual gathering of members of the experiential graphic design community. Since 1987, SEGD has honored the individuals, companies, and institutions whose work has significantly advanced the environmental and experiential graphic design fields. The 2019 Achievement Award honorees and links to their bios are as follows.
2019 SEGD Fellow Award
Paula Scher,Partner at Pentagram
The SEGD Fellow Award recognizes an individual for promoting the highest values in environmental and/or experiential graphic design, and significantly contributing to the direction and growth of the field. SEGD Fellows are the laureates of environmental and/or experiential graphic design, whose body of work epitomizes the highest standards of practice in the field. SEGD Fellows include Jane Davis Doggett, Jan Lorenc, Donald Meeker, Doug Morris, Chris Calori and David Vanden-Eynden, Wayne Hunt, Massimo Vignelli, Deborah Sussman, and Robert Probst.
Paula Scher, Partner at Pentagram since 1991, has been at the forefront of graphic design for four decades developing identity and branding systems, promotional materials, environmental graphics, packaging and publication designs. Her work for clients such as Microsoft, Bloomberg, Coca-Cola, Shake Shack, The Public Theater, the Museum of Modern Art, the Sundance Institute, the High Line and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has been widely recognized, honored and imitated. Scher is also an accomplished fine artist; with artworks exhibited in museums around the world, she is best known for her hand-painted maps.
2019 SEGD Distinguished Member Award
Donald Kiel, Retired Manager of Wayfinding & Visitor Information at New York-Presbyterian (and SEGD Auction hero)
The SEGD Distinguished Member Award recognizes an individual for demonstrating outstanding volunteer efforts while significantly contributing to the direction, growth and excellence of SEGD programs. Recipients of the award have been instrumental in cultivating university programs, advancing accessible and green design and promoting cultural agendas through design. Past winners include Amy Lukas, Kelly Kolar, Alexandra Wood and Wayne Hunt.
Don Kiel is an invaluable asset to the SEGD community through his many years as the SEGD Auction for Excellent at the Conference curator and hands-on volunteer. Prior to his recent retirement, Don was the Manager of Wayfinding & Visitor Information at New York-Presbyterian, a world-class academic medical center committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. Previous to that, he was Director of Graphic Design at Swanke Hayden Connell Architects for over twenty years. Don has been an involved and supportive SEGD member since 1999.
2019 SEGD Arrow Award
DESIGNTEX
The SEGD Arrow Award recognizes exemplary service or dedication to advancing technologies and manufacturing in experiential graphic design, and striving to provide the highest quality in products and services to the field. Recipients of the SEGD Arrow Award have advanced new manufacturing processes, led the development of innovative new products, and championed sustainable practices and materials. Past winners include SH Immersive Environments, 3M, Neiman & Company, CREO Industrial Arts, Matthews Paint, and Nova Polymers.
Designtex, part of the Steelcase family, was founded in 1962 as a commercial textile company driven by a simple desire to create better environments through better designed textiles. Now a leader in the design and manufacturing for the built environment with a catalog of over 8,000 materials, Designtex is known for its rigorous and dedicated approach to research and development of textiles and wallcoverings with reduced environmental impact.
2019 SEGD Insight Award
NYCEDC
The SEGD Insight Award recognizes entities that consistently commission environmental graphic design programs that significantly enhance or promote opportunities for the field and experiential graphic design education and demonstrate a long-standing commitment to recognize the field. Recipients of the award are the visionary design clients behind years of outstanding museum exhibits, innovative hospital wayfinding systems and rewarding partnerships between architects, developers and designers. Past winners include MD Anderson Cancer Center, Taubman, Portsmouth City Council, TATE, Apple, Amtrak, Herman Miller, and the National Park Service.
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a non-profit corporation whose stated mission is to promote economic growth in New York City, especially through real estate development. It is the City’s official economic development corporation and has commissioned many EGD projects from SEGD Members, including Bedford-Stuyvesant Streetscape, PlaNYC, Coney Island Hospital Wayfinding, East River Esplanade and Piers 11, 12, 88, and 90.
2019 SEGD Educator Award
Robert Probst, Dean at the University of Cincinnati (DAAP)
The SEGD Educator Award recognizes an individual for demonstrating innovation in the theory and practice of design education that not only integrates the needs of the industry but serves to advance the field. Recipients foster the development of the next generation of designers through a creative and innovative curriculum as well as through the promotion of forward-thinking research and scholarship in the field. Robert Probst is only the second honoree to receive this award.
As of July 2008, Robert Probst has led as dean of Univerisity of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP). He is recognized for his own professional design excellence and is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, an elite group of the best professionals in graphic design worldwide. Robert has been an active contributing member of SEGD by filling a national leadership role with SEGD, being active on the SEGD board and leading the SEGD Education Foundation. He was also given the distinction of SEGD Fellow in 1996.
2019 SEGD Chapter Chair Award
Cynthia Damar-Schnobb, Partner at Entro
The SEGD Chapter Chair Award recognizes outstanding volunteer efforts while significantly contributing to the direction, growth, strength and excellence of SEGD Chapters both locally and throughout the organization. Cynthia Damar-Schnobb is only the second winner of this award.
Along with being a highly talented leader as Partner at Entro, Cynthia Damar-Schnobb is an incredibly involved member of the EGD community through her extensive work as Chapter Co-Chair for the SEGD Toronto Chapter from 2013 until recently as well as currently serving as Vice President of the Association of Chartered Industrial Designers of Ontario (ACIDIO). She was instrumental in developing the extremely successful speaker series for the chapter, which has been growing in attendance annually since 2015.
More information about the SEGD Achievement Awards and past winners is available at SEGD.org.
