Bringing a client's dreams to life
Emeritus professor Ethan Seltzer came to the PSU Design program with a unique opportunity for collaboration. Through the BRANDLAB program Ethan was paired with a class of design students to come up with the the best ideas for branding of an event he had in the works. The class was split into groups of three and each group set themselves up as a mini design studio. In our group I was chosen to be the lead designer/art director. By the end of the term our team was chosen as the winners.
Ethan had some specific asks
He wanted the event to be as unique as Portland itself. He wanted to pay homage to the past but focus on the future. He wanted the design to be hip and cool to attract a younger audience, but not so loud as to scare off older people. He wanted the event to be a memorable and repeatable experience for years to come. He wanted to have the event spark interest in people in the Portland community to get involved in their city's future. With these asks in mind we got to work researching.
The Concept
One of the main concepts behind the event was that it was a recognition of the 1972 Portland Downtown Plan, the only problem is that Ethan didn't want the focus to be on the past. He had done events like this before and he felt that not enough emphasis was placed on the future, and getting people excited and engaged in shaping the future of their city. Out of that need the 50/50 concept was born, 50 years in the past in recognition of the historic downtown plan and 50 years in the future to represent the role that people today will play in shaping Portland's future. Once we had our winning idea we got to work iterating.
The Branding
The logo represents the connection between the planning that had been done 50 years in the past and the plan that we are building for the 50 years to come. The connecting element between the two numbers and supporting graphical elements resemble transit maps to signify the role that the '72 plan has on our every day lives as Portlanders, they also represent forward movement, community and partnership.
Web Design
50/50 Project App
Social Media Campaign
Street Team
Wayfinding
Swag
The Result
Ethan was thrilled, even though we were up against some tough competition our team rose to the top and was chosen to move ahead and start planning on how to implement the vision.
Thank You!