Interior design students at the University of Central Arkansas created a fun and functional space for the new office of 501 Advertising and Publishing in Downtown Conway.
The project – part of a class taught by UCA instructor Jennifer Whitehead – provided students with a hands-on opportunity to work with a client to develop and implement a design plan.
“We really enjoyed meeting and getting to work with such a talented group of students,” said Donna Spears, an owner of the company. “We were very impressed with the caliber of their work and we love our office.”
Students created a design plan for three spaces – a conference area, a smaller office and a larger office with an area for informal meetings and a photo studio. “We had different needs for each space,” said Tracy Ferrell, 501 owner. “The students listened to our needs and suggestions, and presented us with different options.”
The conference area features original artwork created for 501. Last spring, Jeff and Jennifer Whitehead commissioned the artwork to commemorate the launch of 501 LIFE. UCA students and freelance artists Meagan Williams and Kayce Johnson created three paintings that depict the numbers 501 in a contemporary style.
“We love the artwork so much and are proud that it has a prominent place in our office,” Donna said.
The larger space at the office accommodates two work areas, an informal meeting space and a photo studio. “My favorite in the office design was the informal meeting space in the large open office,” said Sonja Keith, the third owner of the company.
Appreciative of the students and their hard work, all three owners agree that the project was a big success.
“The entire space is beautiful and we really enjoy our office,” Sonja said. “We can’t thank the students enough for their hard work.”