Collective Insights | Via Collective

SEGD Conference 2026: Experience Kansas City

Jess Schrader — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 20:08:34 +0000

Attending SEGD’s annual conference was a reminder that great experiential design begins with curiosity, one of the four foundational values at Via Collective. Before we can create intuitive environments, we need to understand how people move through spaces, make decisions, emotionally respond to their surroundings, and build a sense of place. Intuitive design is never accidental.

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Building What’s Next: Reflections from the Inaugural DBIA NYC Metro Region Conference

Katie Osborn — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 19:44:30 +0000

At Via Collective, our practice is rooted in understanding how people navigate complex, ever-evolving environments. Last week, I had the opportunity to step back and look at the macro-level forces shaping those environments at the inaugural Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) NYC Metro Region Conference. Held at the iconic Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, the two-day event centered on…

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Designing for Ages and Stages: Wayfinding and EGD in Educational Spaces

Katie Osborn — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 20:16:21 +0000

The Visitor Advocate Educational spaces serve people at very different stages of life. A young student entering a school for the first time has different needs from a college student navigating a new campus—and both have different needs from a faculty member, staff member, or first-time visitor. As an advocate for the visitor, Via Collective approaches educational wayfinding and environmental…

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Designing the Changing Workplace

Gus Whitaker — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:40:30 +0000

Workplaces are Changing; the Way We Design Them Should, Too The modern workplace is less about ritual and routine, and more about how people move, meet, collaborate, and connect. Open offices, hot desking, shared amenities, digital room booking, and flexible collaboration spaces have changed what it means to come to work. A desk may not always be yours. A meeting room may be somewhere you’ve…

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Master Planning the Visitor Experience: Insights from the EdUp Campus Planning Podcast

Katie Osborn — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 13:28:50 +0000

Recently, Via Collective’s Principal and Wayfinding Strategist, Katie Osborn, joined host Chris Morett on the EdUp Campus Planning podcast. Their conversation explored the intricate relationship between people and the spaces they navigate, peeling back the layers of what it truly means to design an intuitive environment. From a high-stakes hospital visit to a freshman’s first day on a sprawling…

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Color as a Tool: From Brand Identity to Wayfinding and Experience

James Tupling — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 20:10:48 +0000

Color is more than just a palette. In the built environment, it is a powerful tool in wayfinding for communicating information, establishing identity, shaping perception, and influencing how people experience space. When thoughtfully deployed, color can add both strategic and emotional value to navigation systems, creating a consistent visual language that reinforces spatial hierarchy while giving…

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The Signs That Guide Us: A Look at Accessibility in Everyday Wayfinding

Jess Schrader — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:01:27 +0000

Whether you’re catching a flight, navigating a busy train station, or exploring a new city this summer, chances are you’re relying on the wayfinding cues within your environment to get around. The elements you encounter along your way take many forms, from tactile identification signage at the entrances to restrooms all the way down to an intuitive decision a visitor might make to walk up the…

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AAM 2026: Finding Our Space in Time and Place

Katie Osborn — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:58:35 +0000

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro delivered welcoming and opening remarks at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, emphasizing museums as essential civic infrastructure. He positioned museums as vital community spaces that strengthen civic life, build stronger communities, and help preserve shared cultural heritage. He pledged ongoing state support for cultural…

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The Emotional Experience of Wayfinding

Katie Osborn — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:32:59 +0000

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to increasing understanding around the many factors that influence emotional well-being. While conversations about mental health often center on healthcare, relationships, or workplace pressures, the built environment also plays a powerful role in shaping how people feel as they move through daily life. The experience of navigating a space…

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The Gap Between Our Concepts and Our Senses

James Tupling — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:15:44 +0000

Hosted at Antfood in Brooklyn, the event brought together sound and built-environment professionals including Emilie Baltz, James Cathcart, Léonard Roussel, and Steve Keller. Their discussion highlighted how heavily design presentations rely on visualization as the primary method of communicating intent. In a discipline that is inherently visual, this reliance makes sense.

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