TIMELINE
1 Month
ROLE
Product Designer, Installation Coordinator
TOOLS
Figma
TEAM
Account Lead: Ruby Sulter
Design Lead: Chris Kuang
& other designers
Black Ethos
OVERVIEW
Black Ethos is a new community binding, cafe, bookstore, and wine bar, focused on
uplifting black arts and culture in Detroit.
MY ROLE - PRODUCT DESIGNER
Black Ethos was looking for some interactive experience design elements to help bring the brand identity into the space for customers. With this scope, my team and I designed staircase designs, an interactive community engagement element, and a timeline mural.
The Mission-
Create a space for black artists, entrepreneurs, and residents who seek connection.
Black Ethos is a new community binding, cafe, bookstore, and wine bar, focused on uplifting black arts and culture in Detroit.
create a shift in perspective in the black community in Detroit
allow artists to have a unique platform for their work.
Branding Exercises-
We worked together to form one articulated sentence/Elevator Pitch that conveys what their brand is all about, in 10 seconds or less.
The team did a dots exercise where we placed dots which will indicate where we believe the client’s company falls (or think that it should fall) within the following sets of traits.
Potential Services-
Client gave us rankings on our thoughts of potential deliverables for the space and decided on the top 3 options:
Photo Mural Wall
Educate about vendors/artists (educational materials)
Stair design
Research and Lofis-
Timeline Piece:
Independence, Creativity, Individuality
Black Ethos wants to know it’s customers stories.
Client wanted customers to walk away from Black Ethos knowing more about their footprint on their city.
Interactive Wall Mural:
Client liked the idea of letting cafegoers “put themselves on the map”
History and the future of Black Ethos
Combination of art and images for the timeline (mixed-media)
Staircase Design:
Book spine format with Black Ethos Messaging
2st Pass - My Design
From this point I had proposed a new idea of designing a life-size book installation into the space, letting others interact with the pages and also learn about the history of Detroit through the timeline placed next to it.
3rd Pass
Page Design
Final
Reflecting on this project, I have learned so much about designing the in-person experience of Black Ethos. There were many days spent thinking of how to best echo Black Ethos’ mission and values. I think the interactive wall design communicates the black history of Detroit and allows visitors to interact in a way that both educates and brings about community in the city of Detroit.