MONTREAL-You know you are at the Society for Environmental Graphic Design (SEGD) annual conference when you walk into a reception area and find people taking photos of restroom signage. In this case, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Montreal, the sign consisted of a digital screen on which looped an animation of female and male stick figures walking in opposite directions. The conference, which takes place from June 1 to the 4th, has attracted 437 environmental designers, specializing in wayfinding and exhibiton design, from 19 countries, including a contingent of 100 Canadians. An international roster of speakers is featured, as well as an emphasis on Montreal's many achievements as a UNESCO City of Design.

On Thursday, June 2, after opening remarks from SEGD president Wayne McCutcheon, of Toronto's Entro Design, SEGD past president David Gibson, of New York City-based design firm Two Twelve, took the stage. Born and bred in Montreal, Gibson talked of his early days in the city and its influence  on his career. "Expo 67, that cultural bizarre, [and its dazzling design] interrupted my way to the corporate boardroom. I'm an environmental designer in part because I went so often that summer to the fair," he said.

Next up was Helen Fotopulos, the City of Montreal's executive committee member for design, culture, heritage and the status of women. Shespoke about Montreal as a design hub, and Montreal's efforts to infuse design thought into every level of civic government and adminstration. "The biggest challenges in these last few years was getting the 28,000 civil servants in t he city to understand and accept the idea of culture and design and not roll their eyes, but to see design as a dynamic economic force for the city." Montreal has had a design commissioner since 1991; the UNESCO designation came in 2006. The city is home to 25,000 designers of all stripes. As well, Fotopulos helped establish a cultural lobby group called Mission Design.

Design Edge Canada will have another report from SEGD tomorrow.