About us
Five students. One class. One question.
Where did the creativity go at W&L, and what would it take to bring it back? This is our answer, or at least the first line of it.
We're a team in BUS 3340: Design Thinking at Washington and Lee. The assignment was to find a real problem on campus, understand the people living it, and do something about it.
The problem we kept running into was creativity, or the lack of room for it. Not because people here aren't creative. Because there are so many small reasons not to try: you don't know where you're allowed to write, you're worried it'll be embarrassing, you don't have time, you don't have a group. So you stick to the same music, the same shows, the same three places to eat, and you rarely step outside your comfort zone.
The One-Line Wall is our push in the other direction. It's small on purpose. One line is easy. One line next to someone else's is the start of something neither of you would have made alone.
How we got here
The design thinking, start to now.
- 1
We asked around.Empathize
We sat down with classmates and asked what creativity means to them and where they feel it. Most could define it. Almost nobody could say where on campus it happens.
- 2
We found the pattern.Define
Everything we heard fell into four buckets: place, people, pressure, and access. Creativity isn't only something inside a person. The space, the people around you, your time, and what you have access to either block it or help it grow.
- 3
We went wide.Ideate
Each of us chased a different idea and built out what it could look like. Then we got feedback, and the advice was clear: pick one and go deep.
- 4
We picked the one people could start in five seconds.Prototype
The One-Line Wall. We set up a booth in the Commons on Oct 19, 2026 with a whiteboard and markers and asked people for one line each. The time-lapse on our home page is that afternoon.
- 5
Now we put boards out and see what happens.Test
Whiteboards in high-traffic spots. Weekly prompts that students pitch and vote on. We watch what gets used, where, and when, and keep what works.
What we want out of it
Small boards. Bigger goals.
1
Lower the stakes
Take away the questions that stop people: where can I write, will it be embarrassing, do I have time.
2
Make shared space feel like ours
Turn hallways and lobbies into places where it's normal to leave a mark.
3
Mix people up
Your line connects to a stranger's. Your favorite movie reminds someone else of theirs. That's how new circles start.
4
Build a weekly habit
A new prompt every Monday, chosen by students, with a newsletter that brings the answers to everyone.
The team
Five markers, one wall.
Each of us has a color. Look for them on the boards.
Julianna
Elliott
Jake
Jackson
Thanks to Prof. Gavin Fox and everyone who stopped by the booth and picked up a marker.
Your line goes next.
Find a board on campus, or pitch what next week's wall should be.