Reference Room: Curating spaces for shared context and meaningful connection

The Reference Room began as an experiment in expanding the page. Conceived alongside Issue 03: Envisioning Equity, it was designed as both a physical installation and conceptual space—where the inspirations, citations, and intellectual lineages behind Deem Journal could take on new life. More than an appendix, the Reference Room offered a way in: a curated environment of books, essays, and artifacts gathered from our contributors, revealing what shapes their thinking and what they return to. It invited guests not just to read, but to reflect—to sit with ideas, and to sense the textures behind them. Full case study coming soon.