Thirst designed the identity for the first iteration of an exhibition series, titled Smart to the Core: Embodying the Self, at the Smart Museum for the University of Chicago's College Core general education program. The core curriculum, “Self, Culture, and Society,” lends a focus of exploration of identity, and the included artists investigate ideas surrounding gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity.

Anna Mort and Rick Valicenti worked with Smart to design an intro wall, section texts, object labels, and a poster.