Project title: Design Project – Data: Elmwood Road between New London Road and Oakwood Drive Neighborhood watch poster
Project Description
For this assignment, we were prompted to create a design that aimed to appeal to a chosen persona that lives in a particular area of Hamilton, Ohio. We were assigned a specific location in Hamilton to focus our final deliverable on. The goal of this assignment was to reconsider, reimagine, and create a valuable and useful design for a persona that lives in Hamilton, Ohio which is somewhat of a historically disinvested community. When approaching this assignment, I wanted to create something that would have a positive impact on the persona I chose and on the specific community my final deliverable was created for.
Who Was Included
Throughout the development of my project, my classmates and friends gave me valuable suggestions. They shared insight on how I could effectively communicate my message while keeping my persona in mind. Google Street View also allowed me to get a better understanding of the area. One of my housemates with a car had to run an errand in Hamilton, and I had the opportunity to go along for the ride and see the area I was assigned to work with.
Research
In this section, describe what forms of research took place and how you investigated the design challenge. Your research may have included the following, among other activities: reading (assigned readings for course, websites, books, case studies, articles, white papers); gathering key evidence-based insights (statistics. facts, anecdotes, initial fieldwork); and qualitative research (observations, interviews, surveys, cultural probes). Summarize what you learned from all of your research. It might be helpful to think of this as a proposal for the final design since it includes a synthesis of the research that can serve as the foundation for the next approaches. It should demonstrate that you have a deep understanding of the challenge and topic and that you critically considered the range of issues that might lead to a positive impact (approximately 150 words)
The research portion of this assignment was one of the most valuable parts that led to the creation of a successful final deliverable. I began by using google street view to thoroughly investigate the area in which I was assigned to focus on. I noticed each of the houses, the overall landscape, and even took note of small details like the various street signs present. After this, I turned to the internet. I wanted to learn as much as I could about Elmwood Road between New London Road and Oakwood Drive. Next, I chose my persona. I decided to work with Brad Smith, a young man looking to start a family with his parter in Hamilton. As mentioned before, I had the chance to visit the streets I was assigned, driving through them gave me a stronger idea of what I was working with. I think that this primary research I conducted proved to be the most beneficial when creating my final design composition.
Design Approach
Use this section to describe and show your process. Include images of sketches, roughs, and/or concept maps that helped you arrive at your ideas. Describe the feedback you received in critique and how you implemented it into your final deliverable. (approximately 100 words).
In the beginning phases of this assignment, I had a difficult time deciding which direction I wanted to go. I began preliminary sketches and even started working with digital roughs but none of my ideas seemed to stand out. Once I finally found the inspiration, I began creating additional sketches. I used the feedback from my peers to push myself. One of my peers suggested that I focus on Brad’s wants and needs and try to implement them in a way that could actually benefit his entire community. This led me to design a flyer for a neighborhood watch meeting. The neighborhood watch flyer would benefit anyone in the neighborhood, especially those who may have children or plan on having children soon. This flyer could benefit anyone who may be new to the area as well and are looking to get to know their neighbors.
Final Deliverable
Reflections
I think that this final deliverable would work well and achieve what I intended it to considering the target audience, being the persona I chose and the surrounding community. I think that the final design I created is clear and concise, both of which are important parts of an effective flyer. The title is eye-catching, I utilized scale and contrast in order to achieve this. This project breaks barriers on the Matrix of Domination because it is accessible for many individuals since flyers are typically posted around town outdoors on telephone poles or building walls. The only group that was not included in the development of this project were illiterate individuals. This flyer does specifically target individuals living in the area that I was assigned, so people living outside of Hamilton are not necessarily targeted either. The theoretical meeting being advertised is an inclusive activity because all members of the community are welcome, and encouraged to attend in attempt to make the community safer for younger children and people that may live alone.
