In early June, I had the pleasure of attending Convergence, the Society for Experiential Graphic Design’s (SEGD) annual conference in Atlanta. In addition to the usual benefit of gaining valuable insight and connections at an SEGD event, I particularly enjoyed being in “Hotlanta”, my former residence.
However, that was 15 years ago. Since then, the transformation of the Midtown neighborhood where the event was held made it seem like an entirely new city. Decades-old, low-slung residential and retail structures have been replaced by high-rises or otherwise revitalized architecture. I also browsed downtown as part of an SEGD walking tour, and visited Little Five Points (L5P), Atlanta’s kitschy, bohemian enclave, the day after the conference to snap shots of interesting signage. Thanks to Jan Lorenc, co-principal of Lorenc+Yoo Design (Roswell, GA), who’s as brilliant as he is unassuming, for serving as my chauffeur for the L5P junket.
I hope you enjoy my photo gallery, which rather aptly embodies Atlanta’s dynamic spirit. Elegant, trendy, funky, it’s all here. Although Atlanta is known for frequently reinventing itself – Sherman’s 1864 burning of the city en route to the ocean during the Civil War likely embedded Atlanta with this trait – some signs do preserve vestiges of Atlanta’s history.