Via Collective

Welcoming Caroline Atkinson to Via Collective

Katie Osborn — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 22:21:48 +0000

We are excited to share that Caroline Atkinson has joined the Via Collective team as Designer. Caroline brings a collaborative mindset and a passion for creating inclusive wayfinding experiences. She approaches design with empathy, recognizing that the most successful wayfinding systems are shaped by understanding the many ways people experience the built environment.

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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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Welcoming Kevin Spencer to Via Collective

Katie Osborn — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 06:26:38 +0000

We are excited to share that Kevin Spencer has joined the Via Collective team as Creative Director! Kevin shapes the firm’s design vision with a focus on clarity, simplicity, and purpose. He specializes in translating complex information into intuitive, human-centered experiences that support the public in everyday settings. Grounded in principles of equity and inclusion, Kevin brings a thoughtful…

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Bring Change Home: Reenvisioning a Presidential Center

Katie Osborn — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:59:22 +0000

On June 19, the Obama Presidential Center will officially open, bringing years of planning, design, and collaboration to life. Located in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park, the 19.3-acre campus reimagines what a presidential center can be—not simply a place that preserves history, but one that encourages civic engagement, learning, and community connection. The choice to open on Juneteenth…

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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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Building Accessibility through Experience: Inside SEGD’s First Accessible Design Bootcamp

Jess Schrader — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:59:36 +0000

April marked a major milestone for the design community as the Society for Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) Accessible Design Task Force launched its first certificate-based Professional Development Bootcamp at the 2026 ISA International Sign Expo in Orlando, Florida. Focused on accessible design and evolving building code requirements, the program set out to move beyond theory and immerse…

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NJTransAction Conference: Rethinking How We Build and Connect

Katie Osborn — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:35:16 +0000

This year’s NJTransAction Conference brought together leaders across transportation, infrastructure, and design to discuss some of the industry’s most pressing challenges. Across sessions, three themes stood out: the rapid rise of AI in construction, the deep coordination required for the success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the ongoing effort to deliver major infrastructure in dense…

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AI and Design: Expanding Capacity, Not Replacing It

James Tupling — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:41:52 +0000

AI and Design: Expanding Capacity, Not Replacing It In the age of AI, conversations about its impact on design often swing between extremes. A common narrative suggests that AI will replace designers entirely, reducing creative work to a prompt. It’s a compelling idea, but it overlooks something fundamental. Design is not just output– it is judgment, empathy, and interpretation.

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