Week 3: Proof of concept, outreach plan

After submitting my initial brand platform for the Rural Design Studio, I received some good feedback from classmates. So, my punch list for now as I move this part of the prototype to completion:

• Clean up the brand platform, likely moving forward with color palette A.

• Identify a secondary type.

• Refinements to the logo, see if I can soften the shapes.

• Move this into Figma for ease of importing site prototypes once I get there.

• Ideally, mockup animation of the dynamic brand mark.

• Get input from users.

To that last point, the folks I’m planning to share this with are:

• Courtney: Rural artist and Chief Mission Office at Community & Economic Development Associates, a nonprofit that works on rural development

• Melissa: Rural artist, Artistic Director at Lanesboro Arts, ED and founder of Mainspring, a rural arts and culture nonprofit

• Lindsay: Rural artist and board member at Mainspring

• Katie: Marketing director of a rural economic development foundation

Week 2: Plan + Prototype

This week, I spent some time sketching out a loose schedule for the semester as part of a larger project plan, starting a research doc, and then working on a moodboard for the brand identity and a rough sketch of a homepage as I move toward a week 5 prototype.

15 weeks will go fast! This is a best case scenario timeline, and very subject to change.

US Postal Service Art Deco type, vintage diner menus, patchwork quilts, weathered and loved space textures, and contrasting color palettes are offering a starting point as I start design.

A loose start of a homepage wireframe. This should be a fairly shallow site, with more time spent on design than site architecture.

Week 1: Project Brief Update

Based on some helpful feedback from classmates, as well as Lafe, I’ve made some adjustments to my brief:

• Refined my hook: Design of and for rural communities.

• Added to keywords.

• Added to clients and collaborators.

• Clarified deliverables.

• Added to my research plan.

• Reformatted research and audience pages to be more visual.

A question raised was related to the politics of design, especially design driven by “outsiders,” even if they have “moved in.” Related to this, there is the question of what makes design “good” or “necessary”? These questions underscore the need to have research demonstrating the value proposition of design, especially graphic and web design. What rural initiatives have benefited from effective branding, marketing, and outreach, and how did design help? What are some case studies I can point to, especially ones that transcend political lines?