Workers Solutions + Lafayette Square Institute
wcif: working class insights forum
Connection and relatability are pivotal aspects of human nature, especially when it comes to working-class communities. This year (2026), the idea of putting actual workers at the forefront of the conversation was not the only priority. It was also a creative muse for the overall event because a prestigious conference discussing the state of the working class should have an emphasis on the people who are actually being impacted.
Agency: Studio Lafayette
Role: Art Director + Designer
CD: Aaron Ricchio
The blue carpet
To pay homage to the working class, we laid down The Blue Carpet. This interior element was meant to be everything that a typical red carpet was not. Instead of a glamorous, photo-moment tool, the utilitarian carpet was a nod to the blue-collar folks who were at the center of the conversation and served as a critical wayfinding tool throughout the huge event space.
The worker portraits
As another way to highlight workers, as conference-goers would find there was down the blue carpet, we flanked the halls with LED billboards displaying dynamic animations. The screens featured interesting portraits and quotes from real workers from the company’s portfolio companies and relevant statistics to the working class.
A challenge of creating the experience at WCIF was how lengthy the halls were leading up to the main ballroom, where the sessions took place. This meant having to keep people engaged for the duration of this journey. So, in the spirit of tangibility, we set up activations where folks could actually physically contribute to the legacy of this event such as the Wall of Wisdom and the Signing Statue.
The Wall of Wisdom
This interactive wall gave people a chance to answer a critical question related to the topic at hand, reinforcing the message of doing things by hand in real time.
The Signing Wall
We designed a giant sculpture of the WCIF logo for people to sign and leave an everlasting impact of their presence at the conference.
The main ballroom of the event was a grand culmination of our message of connection and tangibility. We designed larger-than-life sculptures of brand elements to convey the message that WCIF was more than just a concept you were seeing on a glowing screen. The stage was also adorned with more worker portraits because their impact was ever-present throughout the whole space, topic-wise and visually.
Aside from the speaker-oriented aspects of the conference, attendees were also treated to networking opportunities such as daily luncheons and an impressive dinner after the first day. The presence of workers was woven into those social moments through small moments such as Solution Starters, which were small tabletopers that offered interesting and critical conversation topics for guests to ponder while they enjoyed cocktail hour and meals.
Similar to the Solution Starters, we also designed several lollipop signs that not only acted as wayfinding elements but also kept the spirit of the topics at hand ever-present throughout the experience.
We were also tasked with concepting an experiential moment for one of the event’s main sponsors, United Health Care. We wanted to create something that felt well integrated into the event and would intrigue guests, so we thought of the Recharge Bar. During day 1’s luncheon, we set up a beautiful, UHC-branded bar cart that served adaptogenic mocktails that each had its own specific perk. From a relaxing recipe to an invigorating one, guests enjoyed a little wholesome pick-me-up from UHC. We also selected a number of relevant giveaway items from the FSA store that were placed in branded pharmacy-like baggies.
The conference’s dinner was very special in itself. Since WCIF took place at a historic equestrian landmark in Middleburg, VA, dinner took place in a beautiful horse stable. Guests got to experience a juxtaposition between WCIF’s forward-thinking branding and the unique venue space.
