the wheels on the logo go round and round

This turned out to be a fun task. Designing is much easier when you have a solid foundation of ideas by a talented group to build on: that means you!

logo schematic

I hope these sketches may spark some inspiration to complete our logo design.

an unfinished premise

at our meeting last week, we agreed to each post a stamp like version of the logo. the only decent idea here is that there could be a stamp with the greensboro postmark. not my area of strength...so here's hoping others have met with greater success.

pencils, paper + ACTION-- let the logo draw off begin..

over the past month-- addie and i have been brainstorming, doodling, + creating ideas for our logo to establish a brand for ourselves. as you see below- we have gone through a few revisions once getting comments and suggestions from the collective group. upon take 3-- we issued a 'draw-off' amongst the group to take our logo a step further into ONE direction not three or four like we previously did. the direction we all agreed to continue with is shown in take 2- option 2: a stamp or postmark quality.

take 1:

take 2:

take 3:

communities within communities

our studio 'synchronized swimming' outside Gateway Plaza on a cold, cold day

So excited by the great work being generated by my studio class this semester. Right now we are exploring multiple-family housing, looking at what works and what doesn't. Here are some of the students' thoughts:

“This chapter has taught me to consider the residence, work with the governing body throughout my process, and pray to God for a good design.” – Clairissa Anderson

“If these cookie cutter homes with community pools are suppose to be a way to bring people together, why is that, that's not always the situation?” – Tracey Wright

“We need to research why certain communities work, so that we can better design for the future. Let’s bring everyone together as one big positive community.” – Hope Talley

“It is necessary to cooperate with a design itself and its given surroundings to fulfill the designer's duties.” – Young Moon

“Altogether, I want to learn how to be more thoughtful in my design so that I don’t create places that ignore the people, but rather embrace them.”- Kelsey Rhodes

“If structures are built solely for the purpose of sheltering humans or building eye-catching homes, they are not answering all the needs of a neighborhood’s community.” – Felicia Dean

Learn more about this studio here.

challenging design opportunity

sterling ridge, florida, 2009
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/02/01/opinion/space1/custom3.jpg

i don't quite know where i'm going with this, but i was struck by the content of this blogpost via the NEW YORK TIMES opinionator that speaks of the over-abundance of space in our homes + cities. something to consider as we ponder directions for design interventions...

they sat so we can stand

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum opened its doors today in Greensboro, and I could not miss being a part of the crowd that honored it with a visit. As I entered the Center, I had to make a huge effort not to let a tear run down my face. I was deeply moved as I witnessed that many of the visitors were people who had lived those years of uncertainty and drastic social changes.

Another thought came to my mind. I don't think the four young men who walked in Woolworth's 50 years ago today, sat down and requested service had any idea that their courageous act would contribute in changing an entire nation. And I don't think they ever suspected that the place from which they were kicked out would today become a landmark for social justice. These young men simply sat down, so we can stand.



-Edgar

the arts + design for social justice conference

suzanne + patrick presented a talk-about at the ARTS + DESIGN FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE conference in tallahassee on martin luther king day. with nearly two dozen participants in the session from universities and colleges around the united states, they posed a series of prompts about social justice design projects to which participants. this post summarizes the responses from participants....with gracious thanks to those who attended and participated. in the end, all agreed that the conversations had been valuable...with an email list circulated for us to be in contact...if you'd like to be on that email list, drop us a line and let us know and we'll add you.

FINDING COMMUNITY PARTNERS + PROJECTS

one of the most challenging aspects of doing design projects for the community is finding a good partner for student-based projects in a university setting. some of the issues relate to outcomes for the community partner that equate with student learning goals, the actual act of finding the partners, and challenging issues about what designers do and how.

PARTICIPANTS in the session noted that contacts with well known non-profit groups and non-profit consortiums (collectives of groups banded together for some purpose) represented two pathways to likely community partners. importantly, PARTICIPANTS stated that local government resources and the students themselves provided additional avenues for finding both partners + processes. PARTICIPANTS suggested that the strongest projects were those that contained the most emotional connection, with clearly articulated (and desired) outcomes for both students + partners. in the matter of partner participation, PARTICIPANTS identified programming, fundraising, and actual construction/build/installation as key moments where students + community partners come together. PARTICIPANTS identified a challenge in the perceptions of roles + capabilities for both students + partners by each other.

IDENTIFYING FINANCIAL SUPPORT

another obstacle to community-based research and projects falls under the realm of financial support. PARTICIPANTS began their discussion noting university and community resources for key projects on which they worked, noting popular options of trading goods + services, as well as at-cost contract work negotiated with community contractors as ways of reducing overall costs. in identifying ready sources of financial support, PARTICIPANTS suggested that those connected to a social concern or issue were most likely to support it with money and other services. PARTICIPANTS articulated that marketing services and press releases were easy avenues to give credit to financial sponsors, while liability and insurance issues prevailed as the largest challenge in linking partners. with the goal of achieving as much as possible on a limited budget, PARTICIPANTS pointed out that smaller projects in scale sometimes were the most successful approach to community-university collaborations.

GETTING THE WORD OUT

we think that often great projects are overlooked by media sources, and sometimes the universities for which we work. PARTICIPANTS concurred that this was an issue but suggested that being constantly visible, making photographs, pushing students to the forefront, and having an explainable project all were keys to maximizing visibility for community-based work. often PARTICIPANTS suggested that timing of events in the news cycle, having (and using) appropriate contacts at the right time, and succinctly delivering + managing the message were ways to counter some of the challenges.

MANAGING UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

sometimes managing university relations -- in terms of promotion + tenure expectations, getting credit for community-based work, and sharing news of the project internally are the most difficult pieces of a community based project. PARTICIPANTS recognized that many university have vastly different opinions about the value of community-based project, with that low value placed reflecting on the perceptions of students, faculty, and administrators. these projects are often not part and parcel of design department curricula, but PARTICIPANTS suggested that they should be.

MOBILIZING STUDENTS

students are a key factor in the equation to successful projects + outcomes. in identifying student attitudes toward community-based projects, PARTICIPANTS characterized tremendous buy-in and excitement, though some admitted confusion as to what exactly these projects might be. the key factor in success, PARTICIPANTS believed, was in achieving buy-in by making the project personal, reaching the student/designer with the realities of human beings + their lives. in doing so, PARTICIPANTS asserted that students come away with a greater responsibility in design as a social act, thus showing that students often do make a difference in these kinds of community-based approaches.

thinking point

Patrick and I just returned from ADSJ where we were able to discuss with other art and design educators and students the opportunities and obstacles inherent in community-based projects. We look forward to sharing more details from these conversations soon. In the meantime I thought I'd share the central question of the symposium:

I look forward to the ways we can explore answers to this question in our work this year.

-Suzanne

our portfolio of projects

reaching the end of 2009 gave us the opportunity to look back and see the wonderful work--and people--that has shaped our agenda the last couple of years. here is our portfolio of projects:

suzanne and patrick are headed off to tallahassee to the art + design for social justice conference where they will present this portfolio and brainstorm with smart people from around the country about community based research challenges and opportunities. here's a slide from their presentation summarizing the specific topics they will talk about. watch this blog for a full report.

the next project...

for our next undertaking, we see a project that involves...

...students, professionals, local manufacturers, community members...
...each of our talent sets and a variety of community members to "grow" the community and inspire understanding. students receive hands on design opportunities..
...showcasing the talents of the community , highlighting the arts/organizations that give greensboro life...
....design challenges we haven't yet faced and one that pushes us to learn new things about ourselves as designers
...playing on our individual collective strengths..
....defying convention + the expected
...multi-faceted approaches and many people
...making a positive change in the community

project roles + responsibilities...

...addie : collect, craft, curate
...debbie : brainstorm + outreach
...edgar : ideate, explore, make, build
...matt : build things + help others do the same
...patrick : connect people + tell stories
...suzanne : draw + document

should we REALLY tackle a book?

suzanne came by my office yesterday and pitched the idea of a book centered around community-based design. the more we talked about sharing outwardly our successes as faculty members in the studio and beyond, the more i became convinced that we should at least attempt to put together a proposal. so we've committed to meeting for one morning each week next semester to flesh out the idea. stay tuned to see the process unfolding.

mission/vision statement : revised

we just finished a most exhilarating meeting and looked at the previous mission/vision statement...here's the final version. if you'd like to comment, please feel free to do so.

we see COMMUNITY BY DESIGN as...

...a CATALYST for change at multiple scales
...an ADVOCATE for results-oriented, responsive design
...an INCUBATOR for good ideas + thoughtful outcomes
...a community-centered NETWORK of people who embrace design opportunities

we aim to...

...DREAM + DO in all we undertake relying on our individual + collective experience
...WELCOME conversations + REALIZE connections to bring about amazing projects
...FOSTER the value of thinking + making in populations young + old
...ENRICH + ENLIVEN the community in elevating quality design in the Triad + beyond

we value...

...the POWER OF DESIGN to address issues of SOCIAL CONCERN
...inclusive community DIALOGUE with many different types of people
...UNEXPECTED projects in UNEXPECTED places
...LOCAL + GLOBAL sharing
...SUBSTANCE that lies beyond surface

OUR VISION : we see communities TRANSFORMED as places where people value good design and recognize the social responsibility inherent in the re-allocation of resources to meet human needs.

setting the frame

several of us gathered a week ago to brainstorm a bit about future directions for COMMUNITY BY DESIGN. since that time, suzanne + patrick have met several times to further polish + embellish the ideas that everyone had. the result : a bit of a muddle...so we decided to move the "conversation" on line....thus this blog post.

we see COMMUNITY BY DESIGN as...

...a CATALYST for change at multiple sclaes
...an ADVOCATE for results-oriented, responsive design
...an INCUBATOR for good ideas + thoughtful outcomes
...a community-centered NETWORK of people who overcome design challenges

we aim to...

...DREAM + DO in all we undertake relying on our individual + collective experience
...FACILITATE human + resource connections to bring about amazing projects
...FOSTER the value of thinking + making in populations young + old
...ENRICH + ENLIVEN the community in elevating the quality of design in the Triad

we value...

the POWER OF DESIGN to address issues of SOCIAL CONCERN
inclusive community DIALOGUE with many different types of people
UNEXPECTED projects in UNEXPECTED places
LOCAL + GLOBAL sharing
SUBSTANCE that lies beyond surface

OUR VISION : we see communities TRANSFORMED as places where people value good design and recognize the social responsibility inherent in the re-allocation of resources to meet human needs.

so, there we are....let us know what you think.

the project update

photograph courtesy edgar a. cabrera

now that the new semester has begun, the bus | shelter remains in our lobby, providing seating for those in the space. it's interesting to note that those sitting in the lobby far prefer the shelter over the excruciatingly uncomfortable concrete and metal benches usually encountered there. a small group of students met with the greensboro transit authority board in january in an effort to maximize the impact of their work. the shelter will be used as an exhibit for the regional design, arts + technology symposium in high point at the beginning of march. we hope that the project lives on in future years as a reminder to the community about the power of change in the face of adversity. in this way, the bus | shelter serves as a symbol linking past to present in our community. thanks for following this project.