For two decades the snowboard has been a canvas for cultural expression. Early outsider status at ski resorts shaped an ethic in snowboarding that, despite its growth as billion-dollar industry, still informs its culture.

Forum snowboards, a brand steeped in the progressive feel that defined snowboarding’s beginnings, partnered with JDK to find an authentic expression of culture. To create a fast and loose feel in a massive market is a tall order. For JDK, this was a design challenge that required a new way of thinking and new format for creating.

With Forum, JDK pared down to one room and a unit of designers. “We named the room and wanted it to have a desperate, gritty feel. It had to be different from anything we’ve done with boards past,” explained Cris DaBica, JDK Associate Creative Director. “We started only with concepts—ideas on Post-it notes.” Conception to completion was a streamlined process aided by the small size and self-imposed isolation of the JDK-Forum design team. "It blew my mind," said Designer Chris Partelow. "We lived, ate, breathed the design." Forum will partner with JDK again for 2012 board graphics and the design process will follow the same lifeline. After the concepts are posted, the artists will return to "Detroit." Click here to view video.