A month ago, a survey was sent to Lexington High School students and staff, along with other town community members. The survey, titled “Experiential Graphics at Lexington High School,” collected information on schoolwide traditions, history, experiences, and values that could be displayed as possible artwork in the new high school building. 

With the construction of the new LHS expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, the layout of the school has been largely finalized. There is now an increased focus on design elements such as artwork and other visual displays, which have been termed Experiential Graphics. 

“We’re [exploring] artistic elements like colors, patterns, and the actual stories and signage that go through the school,” Jack Dombrowski, a member of the SMMA experiential design committee working on LHS’s building project, said. 

Experiential Graphics are visual representations of Lexington’s diverse community. The creative process is led by the experiential design team, consisting of graphic designers Jack Dombrowski and Hillary Dutton, as well as Allison Ucci, the graphic design manager. The team hopes that Experiential Graphics will enhance the new school in a way that goes beyond traditional designs. 

“[We want] to make it feel unique and special for the people that will be using this space,” Dombrowski explained. 

To encapsulate the diverse experiences of the LHS community, the committee launched a survey in early Dec. So far, they have received responses from 30 staff members, over 200 students, and around 60 community members. They plan to analyze the results to determine how to proceed. 

“If a lot of people bring up the same things, we’ll identify those and bring them up as key elements that we want to focus on or delve deeper into,” Dombrowski said. 

The team previously used a similar approach at Waltham High School, largely relying on survey responses for inspiration. After reviewing feedback from students, staff, and community members, Dombrowski and his team incorporated elements from all three groups into their designs.

“Bringing those things together built a more unique style around telling historical stories and mixing in elements from the diverse backgrounds of students,” Dombrowski said. 

The news of this project has also sparked buzz among students at LHS. 

“It felt nice to hear that the school is intentionally thinking about how the space will feel to students, not just how it will function,” Lorelei McLoughlin, a freshman at LHS, said.

While some may question asking the current student body for their opinions on a school they will not attend, others see the value of implementing current students’ ideas.

“It’s exciting to know that future students will get to see a school with ideas of the current students mixed into it,” McLoughlin said. 

The concept of students of all generations being represented within a school is not new. Here at the current LHS, traces of older classes appear throughout campus, most notably the Minuteman plaque from the class of 1989 on the main building’s wall surrounding the Quad.

While the design process is still ongoing, Dombrowski believes that every student voice adds to the design process. He hopes to collect more survey responses in order to identify key elements to add to the experiential design. 

“We’re definitely looking for more student and staff surveys […] We want to collect as much information as we can. It’s very exciting. It’s a lot to start digging into,” Dombrowski said.