Throughout my career, I have been asked a familiar question: “Why does a graphic designer work at an architecture firm? What do you even do?” It is a fair question, and one that speaks to a discipline that is often misunderstood or overlooked in the built environment. The answer has evolved significantly throughout my career, just as the role of experiential graphic design has grown within the architecture and design industry.

Experiential graphic design (EGD) is about much more than creating graphics. While technical expertise, typography, scale, and visual composition are essential to the craft, they represent only one part of the process. At MSA Design, our graphic design discipline has evolved alongside the firm, moving beyond individual graphics to develop cohesive systems that help shape how people experience a space. We consider how visual communication, environmental graphics, and storytelling work together with architecture and interior design to create environments that are intuitive, engaging, and meaningful.

It is increasingly uncommon for architecture firms to have an in-house graphic design department, and even less common for that discipline to be fully integrated into the design process. At MSA, we see experiential graphic design as an essential part of creating a complete experience. Our work helps establish a sense of identity, communicate a space’s purpose, and reinforce the stories that make a place unique. Whether guiding someone through a building, expressing an organization’s values, or celebrating a community’s history, thoughtful graphic design helps transform a physical environment into a place people can understand, navigate, and connect with.

Designing for People, Not Assumptions

A successful design begins with understanding the people it serves. As community engagement has become an increasingly important part of MSA’s design process, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the perspectives, experiences, and insights that users bring to a project. Our role is not to define an organization’s identity or tell a community who they are. It is to listen, ask thoughtful questions, and understand what matters most to the people who will experience the space.

This approach requires curiosity, collaboration, research, and analysis. Through meaningful conversations and intentional engagement, we can uncover needs, challenges, and opportunities that may not be immediately apparent. These insights help inform design decisions, ensuring the resulting environment reflects the people it serves rather than preconceived ideas about what they need.

Community engagement also challenges us to remain open to possibilities. The most valuable insights often emerge when we are willing to listen without assuming we already know the answers. By bringing different perspectives into the process, we can develop more thoughtful design solutions that respond to the unique character and needs of each project.

Translating Insight Into Experience

Recently, we hosted a workshop during Cincinnati Design Week focused on the role of community engagement in design. Participants from across the city, representing a variety of professional backgrounds and perspectives, joined us at MSA to explore how we build connections with people and translate those relationships into our work.

Preparing for the workshop offered an opportunity to reflect on just how significantly user insights can influence a project’s direction. As our presenters shared lessons learned from their experiences with community engagement, one theme emerged consistently: the importance of approaching each project with an open mind and allowing the people who will use a space to help shape its future.

These conversations can challenge initial assumptions, reveal unexpected priorities, and introduce opportunities that might otherwise go unexplored. For experiential graphic design, that understanding is especially valuable. The stories we communicate, the visual language we develop, and the systems we create should be grounded in the identity and experiences of the people they represent.

This is where storytelling becomes an integral part of the design process. Every organization, institution, and community has a story to tell. Through a thoughtful combination of visual identity, environmental graphics, signage, and interpretive elements, we can translate that story into a physical experience. When these elements are considered alongside the architecture, they contribute to a cohesive environment that communicates purpose, strengthens identity, and creates opportunities for connection.

Creating Meaning Through Design

Experiential graphic design brings together strategy, creativity, and human insight to help shape how people understand and experience the built environment. It requires us to think beyond individual design elements and consider how every interaction contributes to the larger experience. From the first impression someone has when entering a space to the details that help them navigate it, each decision has the potential to influence how that environment is perceived and remembered.

Perhaps that is the most meaningful answer to the question I have been asked so many times throughout my career. Experiential graphic design is about creating more than graphics. It is about understanding people, communicating stories, and building connections through the spaces we share.

I could not have predicted how much this discipline would grow or how significantly it would shape my work at MSA. What began as designing graphics has become an opportunity to help shape experiences, collaborate across disciplines, and create environments that reflect the people who bring them to life. I am proud of the impact our team has made and excited about the possibilities ahead as we continue to explore how thoughtful design can bring people, places, and stories together.