Paint the Pavement

Branding, Visual design, Information design

Carnegie Mellon University | Fall 2016

Challenge

Pittsburgh, PA has been chosen as the next city to host Paint the Pavement. This national program promotes community building and public safety, using public art as a means to transform dangerous roadways into neighborhood assets. As a designer, my goal was to create the visual identity system for this new and exciting citywide initiative.

Outcome

A visual system used in a poster and a booklet, informing residents about the Paint the Pavement movement and encouraging initiative to participate.

Initial Research

I conducted some background research to learn more about Paint the Pavement and road violence in Pittsburgh. In cities that previously hosted Paint the Pavement, the face of the neighborhood was beautifully transformed, drivers were encouraged to slow down at intersections, and traffic safety improved. As it turns out, this was a city in need of some change as it ranked consistently low for driver safety in years reported.

BACKGROUND & FRAMING

Organizing Content

To start the project, I was handed a thick packet of text that outlined the entire application process, which was cumbersome and was difficult to navigate. In order to communicate the content inside, I first sought to establish an information hierarchy and reorganize the content to make it more sensible and approachable.

EXPLORATION

Wordmark

I began exploring visually to see what styles might be fitting for such a project (hand drawn or digital? messy or clean?). I brought my explorations together into a conceptually meaningful wordmark, one that highlighted Pittsburgh's unique infrastructure while tying into my hope-driven concept of "building bridges to the future."

Visual Language

I built process boards to study color and typography. I played with bright color palettes, and palettes that reflected the city of Pittsburgh. This resulted in a lot of clashing colors, so I decided to be less literal and opted for brighter, more whimsical color tones.

I found a high-contrast color scheme (left) that would be for my main content, while other graphic elements might include the darker pallet (right) to represent a "before" Pittsburgh or other such narrative needs. Overall my color palette is vibrant, exciting and bold.

I also wanted an appealing poster to serve as the first level of interaction. This crucial piece would draw attention to and gather interest in the program. These are explorations that led to my final.

I crafted my copy and imagery to compel readers through the booklet with a sense that the next step is always just within reach. This is to evoke a sense of empowerment and enable people to act. In my final iteration (last image), I added a grid background to the pages to give the piece a raw quality, like an artwork in progress. It further drives the idea that the PTP project is a whimsical process of creation.

Content and Form

For my concept, I was inspired by the uniquely abundant number of bridges in Pittsburgh's infrastructure. I wanted to portray the PTP program as metaphorically bridging the gap from the present to a desired future of safe and happy communities.

I had all of Pittsburgh as my audience, filled with diverse demographics, but I decided to target those who were active in community efforts and spread the word through them. For my system's entry point, I considered how I would reach my audience. The application content involved a lot of timelines and checklists, so I decided that print pieces would lend well to physical foldouts and forms. I considered mailers to reach homeowners, but they were too easily disposed of. I also played with ideas inspired by the form of paint rollers, but it was difficult to implement them in practical ways. Below are some visualizations and prototypes.

grid

I chose to make a booklet because, while a standard choice, I felt the form served the application's purpose well as an approachable yet official-feeling medium. In my initial iterations, I wanted a grid that tied back to my bridge concept. You can view my full process work and iterations here!

content7

content_app8

spreads5_17

I designed my poster and booklet system to inform readers about the PTP program and application with clarity, friendliness and excitement. The large poster, placed in a community center, school campus, art store, or other public place, reaches active members of the community and brings their attention to the program.

Further information about the program's pre-application and application forms are enclosed in a booklet that is easy to pick up and carry around. The booklet orients the reader with background on traffic safety and the purpose of PTP, provides information about the application, and incites action. It includes organizational features such as timelines and checklists so as not to undermine the labor involved in the task ahead, but still makes the process approachable by using friendly, energetic language and providing the tools to get started.