When Design Meets Community: Bringing Student Creativity Into Everyday Spaces
Public spaces shape how we experience our communities every day. From historic landmarks to neighborhood gathering places, thoughtful design has the power to inspire, educate, and connect people. Recently, a unique partnership between Excel Dryer and CoDesign Collaborative demonstrated how custom hand dryers can become more than functional restroom fixtures, they can become platforms for creativity, storytelling, and community engagement.
Through the Summer CoDesign Student Challenge, eight Greater Boston high school students transformed everyday restroom experiences into opportunities for artistic expression. Their custom artwork now appears on hand dryers installed throughout some of Boston’s most recognizable public destinations, creating meaningful interactions in places people visit every day.
The Growing Impact of Public Art in Boston’s Shared Spaces
Across the city, public art Boston initiatives continue to redefine how people engage with their surroundings. Whether displayed on building facades, transit stations, or community installations, art can transform ordinary environments into memorable experiences.
The CoDesign Collaborative Student Challenge brought this concept into an unexpected setting: the public restroom. By incorporating student-created artwork onto custom hand dryers, the project blended public space design with everyday functionality. The resulting installations can now be found in several prominent Boston public spaces, including Faneuil Hall, Boston City Hall, and the Boston Center for Youth & Families Thomas Johnson Community Center.
As one of many impactful community art projects taking place throughout Greater Boston, the initiative demonstrates that creativity can thrive anywhere. Even a simple restroom dryer can become a canvas that sparks curiosity, celebrates local talent, and creates a stronger sense of community.
These installations also showcase how a customized dryer can contribute to a larger design vision, helping facilities create spaces that feel unique, welcoming, and reflective of the communities they serve.
From Concept to Installation: Turning Student Ideas Into Reality
One of the most inspiring aspects of the Summer CoDesign Student Challenge was the opportunity for students to experience a professional design process from concept to installation. Through a partnership between Excel Dryer and CoDesign Collaborative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring social change through design, eight Greater Boston high school students were challenged to create custom artwork for Excel Dryer hand dryers that would ultimately be installed in prominent public locations throughout Boston.
The program was led by Alfred Byun, Design Director at Gensler, who guided students through every stage of concept development, from brainstorming and sketching ideas to refining final designs. Along the way, students learned how designers balance creativity, functionality, sustainability, and user engagement when creating solutions for real-world environments. Every participant contributed a unique perspective, exploring themes ranging from community pride and environmental stewardship to abstract artistic expression and space-inspired imagery.
To mirror a professional design experience, participants presented their concepts to a panel of industry experts who evaluated each submission. The judging panel included William Gagnon, Executive Vice President and COO of Excel Dryer; David James, Senior UX Designer; and Katherine Brekka, Senior Associate and Sustainability Practice Leader at Fennick McCredie Architecture. Their feedback gave students valuable insight into how design decisions are assessed in professional settings and how ideas evolve from concept to production.
For organizations considering hand dryers custom designed to reflect their brand, mission, or community, the project demonstrates what’s possible when functionality and creativity come together. A thoughtfully designed restroom can become an extension of an organization’s identity while creating a more memorable experience for visitors.
Most importantly, the challenge gave students something few young designers ever experience: the opportunity to see their work permanently installed in some of Boston’s most recognizable public spaces. Their designs now greet visitors at locations such as Faneuil Hall and Boston City Hall, proving that great design can create lasting impact far beyond the classroom.
Want to watch the students’ ideas come to life? Follow the entire process, from brainstorming to installation day, and see how young artists transformed everyday fixtures into meaningful works of public art.
The Environmental Impact of Paper Towels vs. High-Efficiency Hand Dryers
The winning student design, Paper Pollutes by Ariel Lin, focused on an important environmental message: encouraging users to consider the impact of paper towels vs hand dryers.
Today, sustainability plays a growing role in facility planning and restroom design. Organizations are increasingly looking for solutions that support sustainable hand drying practices while reducing operational waste.
Research commissioned through a third-party Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) found that Excel hand dryers reduce carbon footprint by up to 94% compared to single-use paper towel systems. These findings reinforce the role of high-efficiency hand dryers in supporting restroom sustainability initiatives and long-term carbon footprint reduction goals.
Beyond environmental benefits, touchless hand drying solutions help facilities maintain cleaner restroom environments. Industry research found that cleanliness and hygiene remain among the top considerations for architects, facility managers, and business owners when specifying restroom solutions.
The environmental message behind the winning artwork reflects a broader trend: users increasingly expect public spaces to be both functional and responsible. Through custom hand dryers, facilities can communicate these values in a creative and memorable way.
Bringing Creativity Into Everyday Experiences Through Functional Design
Great design often goes unnoticed because it works so seamlessly. The most effective environments combine aesthetics with purpose, creating positive interactions without disrupting the user journey.
This is where functional and experiential design intersect.
As part of the Summer CoDesign Student Challenge, students were encouraged to think beyond creating attractive artwork. They explored how design influences behavior, perception, and engagement within public environments, applying the principles of user experience design to a product that people interact with every day. Their artwork transformed hand dryers from simple restroom fixtures into opportunities for storytelling, creativity, and connection.
The project also highlights the versatility of hand dryer design. Through customization, these everyday fixtures became conversation starters and visual focal points that reflected the students’
perspectives on community, sustainability, and public life. Whether used to communicate an environmental message, celebrate local culture, or create a memorable visual experience, custom hand dryers can help facilities make a lasting impression on visitors.
For the students, the experience became even more meaningful when they saw their designs installed in some of Boston’s most recognizable public spaces. Ladan Osman, a 12th-grade student at Excel High School in South Boston, reflected on seeing her work displayed at Faneuil Hall, “My name is in Faneuil Hall. I’m going to be graduating in Faneuil Hall, so I’m going to be able to drag over all my teachers, all my friends, and say, ‘Look, look, look, I made that.'”
The project culminated in a special celebration that brought together students, families, educators, community leaders, and project partners to unveil the final installations and recognize the participants’ accomplishments. More than an awards ceremony, the event celebrated the creativity, collaboration, and dedication that made the project possible. It was an opportunity for students to see the real-world impact of their work and for the community to recognize how thoughtful design can transform everyday experiences.
By bringing student artwork into public spaces, the initiative demonstrated that design is not only about aesthetics, but also about creating connections, inspiring conversations, and leaving a lasting mark on the communities we share.
Every facility has a story to tell. Discover how personalized graphics, branding, artwork, and messaging can transform your restroom into a memorable extension of your space.
Create a Restroom Experience That Stands Out
The CoDesign Collaborative Student Challenge demonstrates how thoughtful design and community engagement can transform even routine interactions into meaningful experiences. Excel Dryer was proud to support this initiative and help young artists see their creativity brought to life in public spaces across Boston.
This collaboration underscores Excel Dryer’s commitment to fostering the next generation of creative leaders while demonstrating the power of partnerships to inspire lasting change.
By combining creativity, functionality, and sustainability, custom hand dryers help facilities create environments that people remember. Whether showcasing artwork, reinforcing a brand, supporting sustainability goals, or creating a more engaging restroom experience, customization opens the door to new possibilities.