Arts and sciences experiences for a more vibrant civic culture.

The Plenary, Co. • San Francisco, California

People viewing colorful artwork and informational plaques in an exhibition space.

Impact Areas

Arts & culture
Community building
Education

Services

Strategy
Brand identity
Website design + development
Digital ecosystem
Ongoing design partnership

Years

2021-2025

Overview

The Plenary Co. enlisted Sereth to clarify and evolve how their bold interdisciplinary work shows up across physical and digital touchpoints.

The Plenary Co. is an organization working at the intersection of art, science, and community. They create experiences that make complex issues feel tangible, personal, and alive. Through every element of design, we wanted to do the same. Our collaboration began with a strategic and creative evolution of how The Plenary Co. expresses its mission. Through iterative design and close partnership with their team, we shaped a unified visual and narrative system that connects their diverse programs—from exhibitions to education—under a single, curiosity-driven framework. The result was a foundation that feels expansive yet cohesive, allowing each initiative to maintain its individuality while belonging to a larger story.

ThePlenaryCo_Illuminations_2_11zon.webp

Brand identity + expression

We refined The Plenary Co.’s brand identity to reflect its interdisciplinary spirit: balancing clarity with exploration.

Because The Plenary straddles the boundaries of art, science, and civic participation, we drew inspiration from knowledge-tending communal references like archives, libraries, and card catalogs. We also pulled from the graphic language of technical and scientific visuals.

We crafted a complete style guide and extended toolkit, including social templates, reports, and presentation systems. This gave the Plenary team the flexibility to communicate their mission with consistency and confidence across mediums and at every scale.

Abstract digital artwork featuring overlapping circles of various sizes and colors, including black, white, green, red, blue, yellow, and peach, on a white background.
Thumbnail of a presentation design template with sections on style guidelines, storyboards, color palettes, typography, design elements, use cases, social media, digital layouts, and an outro thanking viewers.
Person sitting on a dark blue plush sofa reading a magazine with a colorful artwork on the left page and bold black text on the right page that says, 'WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF REAL WORLD CONNECTION'.
A collage of eight colorful posters and flyers promoting community events, art exhibitions, sustainability initiatives, and cultural programs, featuring diverse artwork and photographs.
Collage of event flyers and posters promoting community activities and initiatives for 2023, including non-profit projects, clubhouses, and civic engagement.
Person holding a document titled 'Human Change Project' with text about developing a multidisciplinary framework for driving change, seated with one leg crossed over the other, wearing a white top and beige pants, against a plain background.
An indoor exhibition space with artistic posters and digital displays about colors and illumination, with people sitting and walking around.

Event + experiential design

We collaborated on Illuminations, a large-scale event at The Foundry in San Francisco featuring six artists exploring social and environmental themes. 

The showcase’s event design was led by Sam Galison. Every detail, from spatial layout to themed cocktails, expert talks, and immersive soundscapes, was crafted to spark interaction, blur the line between art and dialogue, and foster community around pressing issues.

The entire exhibit was custom built, with design led from layout through production and installation, including the engineering of free-standing walls, supervision of their build, install, and de-install with San Francisco fabricators One Hat One Hand, and oversight of all graphics from digital files through prepress and printing, as well as the creation of custom graphic elements, wall text, and information panels.

Illuminations photos courtesy of Melissa Papas, Christine La, Kathleen Sheffer, Sam Galison

View the Illuminations recap

Learn more about the exhibit design

Two people stand and look at artwork and informational displays in an art gallery or museum, with colorful printed illustrations on the walls
Close-up of a printed sign with a red circle on the left and text that reads "Why do we think pink is for girls and blue is for boys?"
Architectural blueprint of a building layout with labeled sections such as 'IMAGINE THAT', 'NATURE KNOWS BEST', 'GREEN GAP', and 'KNOWING BETTER', including various measurements and notes.
Four people standing in front of an art installation of a giant cartoonish face with butterfly wings, illuminated in purple and pink lights.
People at an event standing in front of a large, colorful display featuring illustrations of brains, and scientific or technological diagrams, under a ceiling with lighting and scaffolding.
Framed informational poster with quote about strategy and knowledge, a QR code, and a brief text about research and information.

Digital ecosystem

We reimagined The Plenary Co.’s digital ecosystem to mirror its evolving work and interdisciplinary reach.

The engagement began with a complete redesign of Their primary website—transforming complex content into an intuitive, exploratory experience. Interactive storytelling elements, playful transitions, and vibrant visuals captured the organization’s curiosity and creative energy.

We later expanded the system to include two sister sites:

I Am A Scientist — a K–12 education program that makes science personal and accessible.

The Commons — a space for experimentation and community learning with a more daring, experimental tone.

Together, these sites create a connected ecosystem that expresses The Plenary Co.’s mission and supports its diverse audiences.

Explore the Plenary, Co.'s website

Laptop on a wooden desk displaying a webpage about exploring issue shaping futures, with a curtain in the background.
Design layout of an exhibit website with sections for featured art, most-loved experiences, exhibits, and a science spotlight, including text and images.
Website displaying information about interactive exhibits and hands-on experiences, with images of people engaging with exhibits.
Website homepage for "I Am A Scientist" showing a smiling African American woman. Text says "The stories & science of real world physicists." Navigation menu includes explore, teach, support, our approach, shop, and a donate button.
A laptop on a brown sofa displaying a website titled 'THE COMMONS' with a colorful graphic of two people and illustrations of brains and planet Earth.
A digital collage including a webpage with sections titled 'Insights', 'Participation', and 'Imagination', featuring images of people at an event or exhibit, with text overlay and colorful circular graphics.

WHAT THEY SAID

“I looked forward to every meeting, both to see what brilliant creative solution you’d dreamed up and because you are such a warm and supportive creator.

We felt like a partner, not a client, and I think that collaborate approach comes through in a final product that is both stunningly designed and deeply aligned with the spirit of our organization.”

— Stephanie Fine Sasse, Executive Director

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