Wight & Company is thrilled to welcome Jeannine Colaço, owner and design director of Studio J9, a 100% woman-owned firm that empowers, celebrates, and focuses on partnering with other women professionals across a range of projects.
After more than 20 years as Graphic Design Studio Head at the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM), Jeannine recently left the firm to found Studio J9. Jeannine’s award-winning experiential designs are as diverse as they are original. Her wide-ranging practice has embraced a multi-disciplinary approach which blurs the boundaries of graphic design, interiors, and architecture. For example, her work for Chicago’s West Loop Library included environmental graphics that creatively connect two spaces together and leads visitors on an interactive journey through the library by using color and playful visual cues.
She also recently collaborated with the Chicago Architecture Center for their new headquarters, where the future of cities is explored through dynamic exhibits. In addition, Jeannine’s work for UI Labs (now MxD), a Chicago-based research and commercialization collaborative, unites key university and industry partners and enables them to collaborate side-by-side as they reinvent manufacturing for the 21st century. Studio J9 is proud to be WBE and MWBE certified.
During her presentation, Jeannine will share design insights and illuminate how she brings her art and master-level design craftsmanship to each of Studio J9’s creative pursuits, realizing the practical and emotional aspirations of every project and enjoying the opportunity to collaborate with professionals in varied disciplines.
