The Challenge

The Honest Tea Entrepreneurship Suite is a vital hub for creators at the Yale School of Management. Initially, the project focused on decorating a single conference room. However, during our site visit, Chelsea, the suite director, and our team recognized a greater opportunity in the hallway leading to the suite.

We made a strategic pivot to transform this transitional space into a narrative-driven wayfinding system. Our aim was to move beyond the typical business school aesthetic, creating a fun, visually engaging narrative that signals to students that the suite is a place where exploration, creativity, and a scrappy attitude are valued.

The Concept

A key objective was to debunk the myth of the "solitary genius"—the idea that entrepreneurs work in isolation. In our research, we found that Yale SOM founders are incredibly diverse, moving between industries as varied as healthcare, robotics, and sustainable fashion.

We developed the "Bloom" Metaphor: Entrepreneurship is a collaborative garden. It isn’t something that appears overnight; it requires growth and a diverse "ecosystem" of peers and resources to thrive.

The Challenge

The Honest Tea Entrepreneurship Suite is a vital hub for creators at the Yale School of Management. Initially, the project focused on decorating a single conference room. However, during our site visit, Chelsea, the suite director, and our team recognized a greater opportunity in the hallway leading to the suite.

We made a strategic pivot to transform this transitional space into a narrative-driven wayfinding system. Our aim was to move beyond the typical business school aesthetic, creating a fun, visually engaging narrative that signals to students that the suite is a place where exploration, creativity, and a scrappy attitude are valued.

The Concept

A key objective was to debunk the myth of the "solitary genius"—the idea that entrepreneurs work in isolation. In our research, we found that Yale SOM founders are incredibly diverse, moving between industries as varied as healthcare, robotics, and sustainable fashion.

We developed the "Bloom" Metaphor: Entrepreneurship is a collaborative garden. It isn’t something that appears overnight; it requires growth and a diverse "ecosystem" of peers and resources to thrive.

The Execution

We curated ten ventures by industry proximity—robotics near engineering, fashion near furniture, to create a seamless walk through the 'garden.' The system uses layered vinyl, felt wayfinding, and interactive QR codes to bridge the gap between a physical wall and digital founder stories. The felt and acrylic materials were chosen to make a serious academic building feel tactile, warm, and inviting.

The Impact

The installation transformed a hallway into one of the most recognizable spaces in Yale SOM. Incoming students noted it immediately as a signal that this is a space where creativity and exploration belong inside a serious academic building. The system was designed to be expandable — a second phase using the same visual language was installed to celebrate the legacy of Honest Tea and its founder. The Suite now has a visual identity, a narrative, and a statement piece that draws people in.

Next project.
Next project.

Blue Clay: Designing trust for the AI infrastructure of healthcare.

Building a dual-brand system for a complex AI infrastructure into an coherent narrative that feels authoritative, reliable, and human.

2025

Brand Identity

Next project.
Next project.

Blue Clay: Designing trust for the AI infrastructure of healthcare.

Building a dual-brand system for a complex AI infrastructure into an coherent narrative that feels authoritative, reliable, and human.

2025

Brand Identity

Bloom: Founder Stories at Yale SOM

Yale SOM's Honest Tea Entrepreneurship Suite was the dedicated place for any entrepreneurs in the making, yet there was tucked away from the main classrooms. We transformed its entrance into a narrative wayfinding system — an isometric garden mural that celebrates ten ventures, tells their founders' stories, and leads visitors into the space. What started as a conference room decor brief became a full environmental storytelling installation.

Year

2025

Year

2025

Client

Yale School of Management

Client

Yale School of Management

Timeline

8 weeks

Timeline

8 weeks

Bloom: Founder Stories at Yale SOM

Yale SOM's Honest Tea Entrepreneurship Suite was the dedicated place for any entrepreneurs in the making, yet there was tucked away from the main classrooms. We transformed its entrance into a narrative wayfinding system — an isometric garden mural that celebrates ten ventures, tells their founders' stories, and leads visitors into the space. What started as a conference room decor brief became a full environmental storytelling installation.

Year

2025

Client

Yale School of Management

Timeline

8 weeks