ZEBRADOG helped reshape, replenish, and reimagine Madison College by taking the 103-year-old institution’s visual culture and creating a profoundly positive human experience for future generations. Upon completion, our experiential design team partnered with the college again to create an active, cultural storytelling series at the new Goodman South Campus.

The campus is aimed to serve minority and underrepresented students in the diverse neighborhood where they live, while also giving the South Madison community a place to call its own ­— bringing Madison College and the community closer together.

At the entrance, 17 different languages welcome visitors from above. The spacious gateway is filled with natural light and staged for conversation, collaboration, and learning. Further into the space, the stories of student journeys are featured through an inspirational digital experience framed by a patchwork of tiles forming the Madison College brand.

While navigating the colorful main stairs, the patchwork expands in a wave of art, color, pattern, and photography reflecting dozens of collaborative workshops with community members including four featured ethnic groups from the area; Ho-Chunk, Latinx, African American, and Hmong. ZEBRADOG experiential designers collected members’ photographs, textures, patterns, and dimensional objects. Attendees were invited to give feedback on the designs and representatives of each cultural group gave their final blessings on the design resulting in a vibrant decorative mosaic that weaves together imagery of cultural traditions and heritage, highlighting various cultural heirlooms.

Additionally, the corridors display a diverse array of murals, all created specifically for the Goodman South Campus by local African American, Latinx, Hmong, and Native American artists. With a strong commitment to the diverse South Madison neighborhoods, Madison College has given the community a catalyst to tell its stories.