Leah Ferguson

Background

About Leah Ferguson

I help people find their way. For over a decade, I have specialized in signage and wayfinding through user experience in the built environment. I thrive on understanding complex systems to design a simplified experience for users and stakeholders. Currently, I’m a Senior Experiential Designer at HOK, focused on wayfinding in complex environments like airports and NFL stadiums. I’m also an adjunct professor in Sheridan's Experiential Design program, teaching wayfinding to the next generation of designers. I'm an active leader with the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD), serving as Chapter Chair Liaison Assistant since 2024 to support Chapter Chairs worldwide. Previously, I was San Francisco Chapter Chair from 2020 to 2023, committed to my role and community, despite being in Canada. Beyond my professional work, I’m a community moderator with Obsidian.md, supporting a community of users in personal knowledge management. I help the community find their way through the intersection of personal knowledge management and technology, not just discussing the “how” of technology, but the “why” of knowledge management. I see strong parallels between digital information architecture and wayfinding in the built world. Before returning to school for my Master of Design, I was an Associate at Gensler in their San Francisco office, and lead Environmental Graphic Designer on Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport. As a part of the larger team, I brought a combination of strategy, research, and creativity into my wayfinding design practice, helping to open the first main phase of the check-in hall, baggage claim and security process. I was honoured to redesign the feature facade sign commemorating civil rights icon Harvey Milk, but was laid off due to the pandemic shortly after it was installed. Prior to San Francisco, I worked at Entro Communications in Toronto as a Senior Designer, where I focused on experiential opportunities at international airports, and other large-scale multi-user complexes. I love analyzing and understanding complex systems, and reducing the complexity for the end user through strong design and planning. I’m passionate about the intersection of wayfinding, technology, and user experience. My work has centered on complex wayfinding systems through the lens of wayfinding, master planning, and service design. I have specialized in complex wayfinding experiences, and I look forward to the next challenge of personalizing and individualizing the wayfinding experience: leveraging smart technology.