Exploring Chance as a Methodology
Based on the method of chance this project required me and a partner to select 12 different locations in Metro Detroit that were spatial locations of the everyday and that had some relevance to us broadly or culturally, and represent in some way an opportunity to create a message that affect change. After our locations were chosen we had to use the chance method to select only 4 of the 12 locations. Our locations were the old abandoned Train Station (Michigan Central Station) in Corktown, the Heidelberg Project, the Police Station located on Woodward Avenue, and Lafayette Greens garden which is owned and operated by The Greening of Detroit.
Collect + Document
Next we were asked to go to our locations to collect and document. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects about our locations were recorded.
Photography was used as inspiration for our color choices, and overall aesthetic we wanted to demonstrate.
Concept
After our research, we decided to focus on making a positive change and perception about the city of Detroit. So many people, including myself, who are not Detroit residents may think negatively of the abandoned and broken city of Detroit. We had noticed that our locations shared controversial views and opinions. For example, some may say that the Heidelberg Project is junk and serves no real purpose, while others see it as a true work of art that is inspiring. Regardless we wanted to make an impact within our community so decided to brand a social media campaign:
We are creating a social media campaign to promote positivity about Detroit and the community. Through the hash tag #DetroitCan we will offer a new perspective on the potential of the city with just a simple positive thought. We will then oversee the raw feedback that our users are providing and monitor just how far our positivity is spreading.
#DetroitCan - Digital Sketches
Initial sketches below helped to determine the overall look and feel we wanted to portray. We used bright colors with bold type.
Community Involvement
We went out into the community to get their response when asked "Detroit Can ________"
Twitter and Instagram Launch
Categories
After posting imagery on our Instagram we decided to use colors to categorize Detroit by Sports, Food, Community, Entertainment, Art and Businesses. This is then more clearly shown in the final #DETCAN book.
