Fred Hutch Visitor Center

The team at Fred Hutch came to us wanting to tell a very big story in a small space. We connected three small spaces from a former on-campus bank, and added curved walls with recessed lighting to visually elevate the space despite its low ceiling. The central structure invites in visitors and features artifacts on its reverse. In the central band that wraps the walls, changeable panels describe the Hutch’s ground-breaking research and their Nobel Prize-winning science.

Although the global impact of their scientific work is incredible, we understood that what truly resonates with visitors is personal stories. We devised an inexpensive photo booth using an iPad, a ring light, and a basic laser printer. Under the theme Share Your Story, visitors can take their portrait, write their story and post it to the wall, contributing to a growing collection of moving stories from cancer survivors, families, staff and researchers.

SEGD Jury Comments:

“This project thoughtfully integrates the scientific information and human interaction. It is calming, balanced and fresh. The designers created a comfortable space for visitors personal stories to shine. Color usage and typography enhance the experience and welcome you in.”

“This exhibition is a beautiful example of a solution that’s elegant in both concept and execution. Implementing the interactive photo experience allows the life-saving research to connect in a meaningful, story-driven way. It’s one thing to read about technological innovations, but to listen to the families and friends who have had their lives directly impacted by said research gives the information a gravity that wouldn’t have otherwise existed. I lost my mother to cancer when I was in high school, so to see a wall full of people who have been through similar struggles would certainly be an overwhelmingly powerful, hopeful experience.”