Working alongside Detroit officials, three colleagues and I branded a 50-block stretch of the city encompassing five neighborhoods known as 'The District Detroit.' Inspired by Detroit’s community, we sought to create a brand that showcases the voice of a community coming together to express itself and to invite others to be part of that expression. In the same way bricks assemble buildings, people create communities, and visitors are enticed to become residents, the District Detroit brand represents an expressive voice and energy built by the people of Detroit.
● Visual Designer
● UX and UI Designer
● Creator of Various Assets
● Researcher
● Presenter
This design system is based on the idea of combining many individual parts, building into a greater whole.
Visual applications seen around each neighborhood pull from a primary color palette, blended colors of their neighboring communities as a secondary palette, all ground by shared neutral tones.
The grid is made up of 5 layers with increasing order of importance. Primary messaging or images are placed in the center, and outer sections contain less critical information or other visual assets.
Each pattern can flexibly scale to fit every layer of the grid, which builds into a series of symbols for way-finding around the city. It’s meant to help newcomers find their way around, explore the city, or define prominent gathering spaces.
Our pitch included suggestions for repurposing currently empty lots into community gardens, public basketball courts, community-led art-making spaces, and interactive installations.
We conceptualized 'District Detroit Connect,’ an app meant to serve as common grounds for community members to come together, plan events, and engage further with the city.
