Thursday 9 July 2026 (1pm BST)
H2E studio co‑founder Ingūna Elere joins us for our July ’26 online seminar to demonstrate how clinical and structural constraints can be transformed into environments that are intuitive, emotionally supportive, and deeply human. An approach that is built on a three‑tier framework:
- Function: Solving practical problems and ensuring clarity.
- Value: Embedding user psychology, positive reinforcement, and inclusive accessibility.
- Meaning: Creating authentic narratives that shape how people feel in a space.
Ingūna uses two of H2E’s recently completed wayfinding schemes for the Latvian healthcare sector to illustrate this philosophy in action:
- Children’s and Youth Mental Health Center A butterfly‑based zoning system, neuro‑inclusive wayfinding, and sensory friendly spaces support neurodivergent patients through calm, research‑driven design.
- Emergency & Outpatient Health Center Storytelling characters (the Red Deer and Blue Crane) guide children through large‑scale graphics, sculptures, interactive projections, and tactile furniture that reduce anxiety and aid orientation.
Ingūna argues that environmental graphics and placemaking are not decorative, but essential therapeutic tools, turning complex buildings into spaces that are functional, meaningful, and emotionally restorative.
About the speaker
Ingūna Elere is co-founder and Design Studio H2E Creative Lead, Professor at the Art Academy of Latvia, and co-founder of SEGD (the Society for Experiential Graphic Design) Riga Chapter. Ingūna believes that design is constantly evolving and dynamic, that everyone is entitled to good design, and that design is a tool for creating better services and experiences. The interaction of space and graphics creates an experience that affects users in the long run. Interdisciplinarity is key to the work of H2E. Ingūna’s experience is based on classical art education which has developed in her professional practice for more than 20 years. In 2025 Ingūna Elere was awarded the SEGD Fellow designation, the organisation’s highest honour, recognising individuals whose work has made a profound and lasting impact on experiential design.
About the event
Tickets are free for paid-up SDS members, otherwise £19 per person, available to purchase via the SDS Administrator (please email: enquiries@signdesignsociety.co.uk for more information). Unable to make the seminar on the day? You can buy time-limited access to the talk recording too.
Tickets are non-refundable, unless the seminar is cancelled. We are unable to accept credit card payments over the phone.
