forum
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Forum is a collaboration with the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, assisting their mission of becoming a 3rd place for the SOAAHD community.
Team
Sofia Arellano
Madeline Baulch
Leslie Kwok
duration
11 Weeks
client
Jacob Lawrence Gallery
context
Problem
The Jacob Lawrence Gallery wanted to become a “third place” for the School of Art + Art History + Design community—a space where students could gather, connect, and spend time outside of class.
However, the gallery’s formality created an invisible threshold: even with its doors open, students often felt they needed permission or an academic reason to enter and stay.
Solution
In partnership with the gallery, our team created Forum, a physical and visual system designed to make the space more approachable and adaptable for community use.
Rather than a temporary showcase, Forum provides lasting tools the gallery can use to activate the space for future students and events.
system components
Modular Furniture
Designed to remain in the gallery beyond the project, this mobile cart system consolidates seating, storage, and event infrastructure into a compact footprint that can be moved and reconfigured as needed.
Brand Identity & Magazine
To extend Forum beyond the physical space, we created a magazine and visual identity that communicate the gallery’s mission and reinforce its approachable, community-oriented presence.
Together, these resources help students understand the JLG as a space they are welcome to use while giving gallery staff flexible tools to promote future events.
Forum in Action
We launched Forum at the UW Design Show as a pop-up cafe to demonstrate how our system can activate the gallery courtyard.
