An installation aimed at combatting misconceptions about third spaces
ROLE
Project Lead
Product Designer
User Researcher
TIMELINE
January 2026 — March 2026
TEAM
Brittney N. Van
Ryan Evans
Carina Jiang
Hazel Knowbar
SKILLS
UX Research
Product Design
Participatory Design
3D Modeling
01 — OVERVIEW
Between classes, students often search for a place to pause — somewhere to eat lunch, recharge, or talk with friends.
But for many low-income and marginalized students, spaces that feel welcoming, accessible, and truly theirs are often missing from campus environments.
So…
02 — PROBLEM
Seattle is shaped not just by where people live and work, but by the spaces in between: cafes, libraries, parks, community centers — often called “third spaces,” where people build community and a sense of belonging.
8
sources reviewed on third-spaces
1
population chosen to focus on
Given the task of re-envisioning Seattle’s third spaces, our preliminary research showed that access barriers disproportionately affect low-income and marginalized students — so we focused our efforts there.
“Their [Third Spaces] relevance to public health and quality of life is understated and under-researched, particularly among socioeconomically marginalized, vulnerable, and isolated individuals.”
03 — RESEARCH
Many of the topics we’d be asking about were personal, and at times sensitive — so we chose methods built for depth and trust, not just speed.
4
Interviews
1
Diary Study
1
Story telling session
Our pain and suffering organized…
Then the data surprised us
3
main categories
12
subcategories
These barriers were rooted in broader societal issues, which made them harder to articulate.
That made our “how might we” harder to define, but working through it gave us four key insights.
1
Participation is limited by fear of perception, not just physical access.
2
Hostile design quietly filters who can use a space at all.
3
Ideas of “acceptable” behavior constrain how people interact.
4
A space’s intent often misaligns with what people actually need.
04 — IDEATION
It sounded manageable — even fun — but quickly became harder than expected.
Down sizing our options…
Most of our ideas were about physical space. Though they looked strong, but something felt off.
They didn’t fully reflect what we heard in our research.
“I think that’s what’s so great about it [third space] … they can feel safe, seen, heard… without the fear of being judged or being othered.”
— Participant R.N.
After rounds of grouping, debating, and cutting, a few stronger directions emerged. We narrowed it down to three concepts and ultimately chose our idea of a…
05 — CO-DESIGN
We then ran a participatory workshop with two low-income UW students to co-design what an emotionally accessible space could feel like.
Mood boarding
Roleplaying
Prototyping
Participants suggested everything from pool tables to vending machines to beanbags (we kept the beanbags), giving us a lot to consider and question.
But what they talked about most was amenities: water, snacks, and especially a microwave. They echoed our research, so we took them seriously.
3
amenities revisited
0
in the final installation
Almost 3 months in, we began missing the point of our installation. After a long discussion, we chose not to include them. We felt it would shift the focus away from our core insight:
But the workshop still shaped how we planned the space.
Not closed off
Closed spaces can feel like invading people who are already there, so we made spaces easy to step into.
Still room to focus
Open didn’t mean noisy. We still made space for people to study and concentrate.
05 — SOLUTION
Don’t you belong
1
Furniture that encourages users to stay and be themselves
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Infographics that challenge misconceptions about third spaces
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An Interactive activity that sparks creativity and community
Curved seating and tables to gather, talk, or just sit.
Visitors draws themself on puzzle pieces to connect and build something together.
Detailed floor plan showcasing a top-down view of the installation space. Highlights specific gathering spaces such as study spaces, lounging/rest areas, etc. Showcases plans detailing content placement in relation to seating and other furniture.
Visitors draws themself on puzzle pieces to connect and build something together.
Visitors draws themself on puzzle pieces to connect and build something together.