Leechburg Innovation Labs

Leechburg Innovation Labs was a project I can truly say I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into—literally. Following the success of Haine Elementary’s CIRC Lab, which won a Bronze Edison Award in the Maker Space category, expectations were high. Leechburg was an even larger undertaking, involving the full redesign of an entire school floor. At the time, I wasn’t just the graphic designer—I was the design team.

After conducting interviews with the teachers who would be using the space, my manager and I collaborated on layout concepts and handpicked furniture to support the lab’s vision. I designed custom wall graphics, printed them in-house, and even hand-stretched them on custom-built canvas frames. (The staple gun accident is where the "blood" part of the story comes in.)

This project pushed me to grow in unexpected ways. I taught myself 3ds Max specifically to create realistic renderings that helped gain buy-in from the school board—a skill that later became a core part of our design process. It was a challenging but deeply rewarding experience that taught me invaluable lessons in design, problem-solving, and perseverance. Leechburg will always hold a special place in my heart.