Environmental graphic design is a multidisciplinary field that merges graphic design, architecture, and other fields to visually communicate through the built environment. It involves designing signage, wayfinding systems, exhibits, and other elements to help orient people and shape a sense of place. While often misunderstood as relating to sustainability or the natural environment, environmental graphic design actually refers to designing in the three-dimensional built environment. Examples of pioneering works include Hector Guimard's metro entrance designs in Paris and Frank Gehry's architecture that tells stories through unique forms.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
GRAPHICS

3. What is environmental graphic design?
• Environmental design is a field without borders, and is
therefore commonly misunderstood. As a multidisciplinary
profession merging so many different fields, it’s easy to
understand how anyone not directly involved would get
confused. That lack of clear definition, however, is arguably
one of the profession’s strengths.
• along with the lack of clear definition and boundaries, part of
the confusion stems from the many different terms they are:
• Environmental graphics,
• architectural graphics,
• way finding,
• signage,
• and super graphics
are just a few of the terms that have been used the history of
our profession.

4. Common misconceptions about
environmental graphic design
• Before we know what the term really means! We ought to
know some of its misconceptions.
1. When the term environmental is used we assume its related
to something about sustainability, green buildings and
focusing on our environmental footprint.
2. Designing or improving the natural environment; confusion
with landscape architecture or environmental engineering.
• Clearly the most widely misunderstood aspect of
environmental design is that it is often mistakenly associated
with sustainability and the recent “green” movement. While
it’s important to consider sustainable materials and be
environmentally responsible regarding our design practices,
the word environmental bears no relationship to the natural
environment.

5. DEFINITION
• Environmental graphic design (EGD for short) is a design
profession embracing many design disciplines including graphic
design, architecture, industrial design and landscape architecture.
• Practitioners in this field are concerned with the visual aspects of
way finding, communicating identity and brands, information
design, and shaping a sense of place.
• Some examples of work produced by environmental graphic
designers include the design and planning of sign programs, way
finding consulting, exhibit and interpretive design, entertainment
environments, retail design, information design including maps, as
well as memorial and donor recognition programs.
• Using the term “environmental graphic design” is a way to
distinguish the practice from that of “conventional graphic design”,
or rather designing in the three-dimensional environment as
opposed to a two-dimensional medium such as printed paper or the
screen.

6. HOW IT STARTED?
BRIEF HISTORY:
•Up until the beginning of twentieth century the art nouveau movement
the design is developing parallel to architecture – skirting each other but
rarely interacting much.
•In the post war economic boom of 50s and 60s design and architecture
merged further as architectural spaces grew in size and complexity.
•By the 1970s the term “environmental graphic design” came to be used
to describe a close relationship between architecture and communication
design.
•Hybrid commercial and transportation spaces required more attention to
signage design and navigation systems.
•Followed by the formation of the society for environmental graphic
design in direct response to growth of demand and profession.

7. EXAMPLE
• One of its best examples can be
seen in station entrances for
Paris new metro system
designed by the architect
hector guimard.
• Not only were the structures a
marvel of Art Nouveau
architecture, but they
successfully integrated the
“Metropolitan” lettering into
the architecture, becoming one
of the earliest, most widely
recognized and documented
examples of environmental
graphic design.

8. EXAMPLE
• Another recent example • Robert Venturi designs
can be seen in frank buildings that are themselves
gehry’s architecture who environmental graphics.
tells a story in each of his
projects through unique
use of building forms and
communication.

9. Contents of environmental graphic design
• Environmental
graphic design
activity has been
broken out into three
distinct (but
overlapping) arenas,
They are:
1. Signage & way
finding
2. Interpretation
3. placemaking

10. SINAGE AND WAYFINDING INTERPRETATION
• Signage and way finding programs • Interpretive environments tell a story
communicate site and navigational or communicates an idea or theme.
information to a viewer. Signage helps Most often recognized as exhibit
to identify and brand a specific place, design, it also includes projects such
and when used as part of a larger way as historical sites or donor recognition
finding program helps people to programs.
determine orientation and navigate a
complex environment.
PLACEMAKING
Placemaking takes a more conceptual approach in that it involves
designing a distinctive image for a site. It typically focuses less on
communicating information and more on a site’s branding, architecture
and interior design, among other things.

11. ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED
• SOCIETY FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL
AND GRAPHIC
DESIGN [SEGD]
• SEGD is the global
community of people
working at the
intersection of
communication
design and the built
environment.
• E:SEGD_World_Tour_v4_lores.pdf

12. THE IMORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN
• If you’ve ever successfully navigated a new city, arrived
at the correct airport terminal or learned something
new at the museum, then you’ve already
demonstrated the importance of environmental
design. In fact, good environmental graphic design is a
good example in communicating the value and
importance of design in general.
• Environmental design plays an often overlooked but
rarely disputed key role in how people interact with
and experience the built environment.
• As the field of environmental graphic design has grown
and matured, its value and demand has increased as
well.
• Well designed signage is recognized as a key
contributor to increased well-being and safety.

13. WHAT ARE THE WORKS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC
DESIGNERS?

14. ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
• Environmental graphic designers design architectural elements that visually define facilities, and
they often offer related services such as development of promotional materials and publications.
such as
• Sculpture,
• landscaping elements,
• fixtures,
• walkways,
• and signage
are examples of the types of three-dimensional architectural elements that may be produced.
Publications and promotional materials that reflect the facility’s identity —including
• brochures,
• Web sites,
• uniforms,
• stationery,
• multimedia presentations,
• custom wallpaper,
• packaging, reports,
• newsletters,
• and user manuals—
often are part of the package of services that environmental graphic design firms offer their clients.

15. CONCLUSITION
• In the last three decades the field of
environmental graphic design has emerged
• as the integration of the communications and
architecture professions.
• Practitioners are creating not only a visual
language but a full sensory experience that
orients users to a space and may reflect a
distinct image or theme.

16. THANK YOU