Organizer Information
The Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) is a multidisciplinary global community of professionals who create experiences that connect people to place. Since 1973, SEGD has been the leading advocate for experiential design, covering fields from wayfinding and placemaking to digital environments and exhibition design. SEGD is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that fosters collaboration between designers, fabricators, and educators to enrich the human experience.
Title & Description
2026 SEGD Global Design Awards
Since 1987, the SEGD Global Design Awards have set the international standard for excellence in experiential design. These awards honor projects that imbue spaces with context, storytelling, and meaning, celebrating designers and firms who innovate the practice and improve life for people of all backgrounds and abilities. Winning work ranges from complex airport wayfinding and interactive branded environments to social justice memorials and accessible museum exhibitions.
Categories
The awards are divided into seven professional categories:
- Branded Environments: Integrating brand identity into the physical environment.
- Digital Experiences: Interactive and technology-driven spatial experiences.
- Exhibition: Static or traveling exhibits for museums, visitor centers, or trade shows.
- Placemaking: Enhancing the character of a place through design and art.
- Public Installation: Temporary or permanent art and design in public spaces.
- Strategy/Research/Planning: Master plans, design standards, and research projects.
- Wayfinding: Information systems that help people navigate complex environments.
Eligibility
- International: Open to designers, design firms, students, and clients worldwide.
- Student Category: There is a dedicated category for student work (Experiential Design Research/Student Work).
- Project Status: Projects must have been completed within the last three years (typically between January 2023 and the current deadline).
Program Benefits & Awards
- Best of Show: SEGD’s highest accolade for the single most outstanding project.
- Sylvia Harris Award: Honors designs with a commitment to improving the civic experience.
- Honor & Merit Awards: Recognizing exemplary distinction and creative solutions across all categories.
- Sustainability & Life-Centered Awards: Special recognition for ecological balance and holistic impact.
- Global Recognition: Winners are featured in the SEGD annual publication, showcased on the SEGD website, and celebrated at the SEGD Conference.
Application Fee
- SEGD Student Members: $0/entry
- Student Non-members: $50/entry
- SEGD Members: $330/entry.
- Three or more entries at $275/entry
- All others: $650/entry
- Each entry entered after the early deadline on January 31, 2026 will incur a $100/entry project
late fee up until February 28, 2026
Application Requirements
Entries must be submitted digitally and typically include:
- Project Description: A narrative explaining the challenge, solution, and impact (approx. 500 words).
- Visuals: High-resolution photographs (8–10 images) and/or a short video (under 2 minutes).
- Project Credits: Full list of designers, fabricators, and clients.
- Technical Details: Materiality, software used, and accessibility features.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Standard Deadline: 14 February 2026
- Late Deadline: 28 February 2026
- Final Deadline: 15 March 2026
- Awards Ceremony: Celebrated during the 2026 SEGD Conference (typically in late summer/autumn).
Location
United States
Additional Details
SEGD places a high value on accessibility and sustainability. Projects that move beyond "human-centered" to "life-centered" (considering the planet and ecological balance) are highly favored for special recognition awards.