Having never participated in a conference of this designerly sort, I was most curious to see what would happen. I quickly realized how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to work with Josh McManus, David Berman, John Bielenberg, fellow graduate students from SCAD and other colleges, and artist Jerome Meadows.

My team, Empowering Culture, was the beneficiary of previous work done by Team ArtME from a Winter 2012 SCAD class in Design for Sustainability / Design Management. This progression of project development is a good example of how different players within a community landscape can design their ideas so that the process has longevity, despite barriers such as the length of an academic quarter.

After the conference opening we traveled to Indigo Sky Community Gallery and met Jerome for a tour. We walked from the gallery to SeeS.A.W.’s installation of Candy Chang’s ‘Before I Die” exhibition on 31st and Waters Avenue. Along the way we looked at the spectrum of planters while Kate Bordine and Jerome shed light on the stories behind ARTme’s research.

We also had a chance to discuss the art installations that Jerome had created only a week before the DO-ference as a direct result of the previous class’s work. Jerome was working with this class, and with the DO-ference, as a part of an Artist in Residency he has held with SCAD’s Graphic Design Department. These two planters (in pictures above and below), which had been on a neighbor’s business property and derelict for years, were ‘loaned’ to Jerome and the SCAD student team to create a demonstration of how these symbols of a long and contentious economic struggle that Waters Avenue has wrestled with could be transformed into a vision of an equitable and prosperous future. The ‘We Are Waters‘ theme of these two planters is a riff on another class project developed in the Winter 2012 quarter.

On the second day, we engaged in strategic inquiry to understand more important details from ARTme’s research and Michelle Hunter’s, Cultural Affairs Contract Coordinators, professional experience with the Waters Avenue community. After an exercise facilitated by John Bielenberg, we were ready to rethink what could be done with the planters.

We wanted to redefine their use in a way that enticed people to take care of them. We also wanted to make sure that whatever was developed, was going to be sustainable. To achieve this, we were inspired by Kiva.org and Adopt a Fire Hydrant. The significant part of inspiration was in the effort to humanize the planters—to give them an identity evoking emotional response to many of the planters’ abandoned states.

The third day was marked by intense work on developing the identity and mission of 400lb Baby. We split up based on our respective talents and came up with a logo, scenarios of what could be done with the planters, a wooden stork to symbolize delivery, and the inner workings of the adoption program. Our final presentation captured the audience’s hearts. A number of people came up to me following the conference and congratulated us on a job well done.

The next steps of the 400lb Baby Adoption Agency is to become an active member of the Waters Revitalization Initiative. There are already people eager to adopt and steps are being taken to ensure adoption.

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THEME D // EMPOWERING CULTURE
ASSET: INDIGO SKY GALLERY & MEADOWLARK STUDIO

As an established cultural center on Waters Ave, MeadowLark Studio’s founder and director, Jerome Meadows was a logical choice for someone to convey the importance of art as an integral part of the Waters Avenue revitalization initiative. Jerome also runs Indigo Sky Community Gallery, which is housed within the same historic icehouse as MeadowLark Studio.  The gallery serves as a grass roots exhibition and events space for the community, and for the city at large. Jerome’s position as a SCAD Visiting Artist in the winter and spring quarter of 2012 has afforded him an opportunity to work with graduate students in addressing ways in which art can foster and codify an expressive community voice.  These efforts, informed by extensive research and documentation provided by the students, are in their formative stages and provide a unique opportunity for input from conferees. IN WHAT WAYS CAN A BEACON OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION WITHIN A COMMUNITY BE EMPOWERED TO EXPAND ITS REACH SO THAT THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF CULTURAL IDENTITY FOR ANY HEALTHY COMMUNITY CAN THRIVE?

Team 'Youth' on the first day of the Design Ethos DO-ference

By Tiffany Lindeborn // photos by Tiffany Lindeborn

We were called the Empowering Youth group. Our group was responsible for working with Harambee Farms and Gatorball Academy. It is Gator River’s dream to bring the excitement of basketball to farming and gardening. In order to be on the Harambee Globecroppers team you have to tend the gardens first. Not only will this educate youth on gardening, but also help build their self-esteem and instill responsibility. And so we were challenged with the question; “How does design help a real champion transform an innovative idea into a strong, sustainable program for youth empowerment and community enrichment?”

Is This Our Stop?: Attendees experience Waters Ave. & become acquainted with the community

The first day of the Do-ference started off with a walk on Waters Avenue. Our tour began at the garden at the St. Pius X Family Resource Center located at 705 Anderson Street. On our way there, the bus driver got lost, and no one knew if that was our stop or not. But hey what isn’t a life-changing event without a little confusion? Our tour guides, Dr. McClain, Debbie Hasan and Larry “Gator” Rivers, told my group of Harambee House, Gator’s plans for a basketball team, and the gardens. As I was listening and documenting I could see the members of my group becoming consumed by the stories that were shared.

Touring Waters Ave. while listening to stories and partaking in deep discussion.

Once the tour got underway, it wasn’t long before Gator made an unpredictable stop. He introduced the team to Sallie Robinson, author of “Cooking the Gullah Way” and television host, who kindly invited us into your house to share her stories.

Our next stop was at the local non-profits SeeSAW’s  installation of Candy Chang’s “Before I Die,” where the group had a chance to write their thoughts and read what others had written. Gator signed his name and I had a chance to write my own “Before I die” wish; to be a mom.

Gator signing the “Before I Die” mural. One member of the group jokingly commented, “Before I die I want to become Gator Rivers.” Photo by Noah Scalin

The tour ended at the W. W. Law center where all the Do-ference attendees had a chance to reflect on their tour experiences, discuss design and enjoy the delicious southern soul food prepared by Penny Evans, who owns the Waters Avenue catering service and restaurant, Penny’s and Tanya’s. Following lunch, it was time to break down into our assigned groups and start the first of several workshops. During this first workshop, the team wanted to recap everything they had talked about on the tour.

Do-ference attendees enjoy Soul Food prepared by Penny Evans at the W. W. Law Center

This is what we learned…

Harambee Farms at St. Pius X: Farms needs planning, maintenance, harvesting and advertising (Promotion of farming) // Elements of Basketball: exercise, eating right= healthy // Kids= Ambassadors of nutrition & healthy lifestyles // Sense of strong community // Cooking school & passing on skills // Teaching canning and food preservation // School systems are a “built in” buyer and schools are a source of revenue // Want to bring community in and send produce out // Key elements are word of mouth & seeing involvement with farms //  This will help the passing on of culture & history from the older generations // Food Deserts – because this is defined as one (Community has no access to other sources of fresh produce) // Create a systematic approach to distribution // Mailing lists, newsletters can be used for outreach //  Need common forum in order to communicate.

There is a community center on 35th and Reynolds street // Promotion of specific events (Saturday markets, Christmas event, etc.) //  Identify schools vs. community goals // Utilizing feedback from community on which vegetables to grow // Schools: have cucumbers, collard greens and squash // Only 1% of produce in Savannah is from Georgia //  Need to create a system for returning compost // Need a neighborhood truck for transportation

Top Priorities: Farming equipment, seeds, fertilizer (compost mostly free) // There is a barrier to success: Funding, // Need materials for grant applications, Identify grant sources (farming/organic specific) // Alternative fundraising for start up costs like business plan proposal= $80,000, including stipends for interns and workers // Technology for future growth and widened exposure // Restaurants in Savannah & prisons // Need to seek additional land and spaces for farming (currently in process) // Need existing plans visualized //  Cultivate wild growth, herbs, etc.  // The goal for St. Pius X garden: Creating jobs for community members.

This is the list for future possibilities for applied funding:

Drip irrigation (rain water & ground water), Green house for year round growth, In need of a designed method for teaching and educating, Packaging opportunities, eco-alternatives (newspapers: folding instead of plastic bags), 35th & East broad- promo event & display, Westside farming at Woodsville, Pick your own investment from community and Establish regular schedule for distribution.

After an exciting new experience and many new faces, the day came to a close as everyone socialized at the opening reception.

More to come from this DOer…

Team Renewal came together at the Design Ethos 2012 DO-ference for an engaging, exciting and educational three-day journey exploring opportunities for residential revitalization. With our multi-disciplinary team of “doers,” my role was to steward the process of Theme F – Empowering Renewal as we dove into the subject of the housing stock on Waters Avenue in Savannah. A download of the final presentation can be found here.

The team’s mission for the three days of workshops was to develop innovative, short-term ideas that contribute to the overall vision of Waters Avenue. Team Renewal started with a guided tour through the community where we experienced an oral history of local residents who shared that the neighbors are the eyes of the community and are aware of the needs and barriers experienced on a daily basis. The team recaptured their experience the following afternoon by recognizing the housing stock is a long-term, complex challenge that will require sustained support and community trust to succeed.

The group began their collaborative exercises focused on first identifying the challenges, then the assets, and finally the opportunities the invited community members recognized as pertinent to the state of the housing stock on Waters Avenue. After being divided into three groups, ideating possibilities, and then selecting key opportunities from the collection of thoughts captured, the design voices identified three main themes that would determine the design criteria for the final workshop.

The first theme confirmed that ideas should move beyond academic bonds and focus on social bonds, because social bonds build trust and trust is essential in reaching our goals. The second theme asserted that ideas should represent an equal relationship between existing residents and SCAD. Finally, the third theme maintained that ideas should prioritize existing residents and relate to housing.

The design criteria led us to developing a conceptual framework we called BLOCKlab, which was a grassroots proposal centered on refreshing residential activism by focusing on a block-by-block renewal strategy where intrinsically motivated residents interested in initiating residential revitalization projects could obtain the knowledge and resources needed through a centralized tool-share program organized by a network of participating local residents. My goal is to document the framework and process to create a resource guide the community can use for future residential revitalization projects.

THEME F // EMPOWERING RENEWAL
ASSET: HOUSING STOCK

Many residents within the Waters Avenue study area fear that even with an influx of resources and attention to the Waters Avenue business district, the sheer quantity of derelict residential buildings in the blocks surrounding Waters Avenue will hinder a healthy residential revitalization. With so many homes vacant and falling apart, neighbors feel threatened by the decay, and by the crime that such derelict homes can foster. HOW CAN A BURDEN BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY? WITHIN THE CHOICES OF DEMOLITION, RENOVATION, AND DECONSTRUCTION, HOW CAN DESIGN FACILITATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF DECREPIT BUILDING STOCK INTO A SOURCE OF WEALTH, WELL BEING, RENEWAL AND PRIDE FOR THE LOCAL RESIDENTS?

By Krista Siniscarco

We had a fun, exciting and educational three days during the Design Ethos 2012 Doference. I had the privilege of working with and amazing multi-disciplinary team of design thinkers who were tasked with identifying development opportunities for an abandoned school building. My role was to act as a steward of the process for Theme E – Empowering Place as we brainstormed around the Romana Riley School on Waters Avenue in Savannah, GA.

The final presentation of  Theme E – Empowering Place can be found here. And a Flickr site with more images can be found here.

The team’s goal for the three days of workshops was not to define a single solution but to demonstrate an approach to identifying and evaluating opportunities that could be adopted by the Waters Avenue community for future projects. The team started with a guided tour of the school property and ended the intensive three days with a final presentation to the Design Ethos conference attendees. The group began their ideation process with a refocus to examine the opportunities for the site, needs of the Waters Ave neighborhoods and broader urban context. Members of the community were invited to engage in engaged in a cultural asset mapping exercise of the Waters Avenue corridor. The goal of the exercise was to determine what assets exist, asset categories, what may be missing and where there are clusters.

The asset map was a first step in identifying opportunities for the Romana Riley School that would have a positive impact on the community. The team then went on to explore uses and activities for the whole property. Four distinct opportunities were identified and expanded into scenarios, outlining positive and negative attributes of each.

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The four scenarios included reopening the property as a charter school, converting the building to residential units (multi-family units and live/work spaces,) community green space and urban farming, and mixed used repurposing with community spaces a variety of business opportunities. For the remainder of the SCAD spring quarter I will be working to further develop and visualize these scenarios. My goal is to document the approach and process to create a toolkit the community can use for future development projects.

There is further news on this theme which will be posted soon.

THEME E // EMPOWERING PLACE
ASSET: ROMANA RILEY SCHOOL

On a geographically central corner of the Waters Avenue study area sits a large, vacant building that holds great promise as a cornerstone of a revitalized corridor, even as its present conditions cast a shadow of lost opportunity. Romana Riley Elementary School, built in the 1920s, closed in 1990 and has sat vacant ever since. While interest is high in redeveloping the majestic building and its property, renovation and remediation challenges have plagued the structure. Romana Riley plays an integral role in the future health of the community.
WHAT POTENTIAL USES WOULD PROVIDE THE MOST BENEFITS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND ECONOMY, AND HOW CAN DESIGN PLAY A ROLE IN FRAMING A POSITIVE DISCUSSION FOR SHARED PROSPERITY WITH STRONG LOCAL ROOTS?

The Design Ethos 2012 Swag Bags were a true community design project. I was presented the challenge of creating 360 bags from locally sourced used materials. Fairly early on in the game, Heather Kochendafer (SCAD events coordinator) found out that one of our local hotels was redesigning and throwing out hundreds of curtains. She arranged for a sample to be delivered to the West Broad Street YMCA where I work. Well, the sample turned out to be an SUV sized heap of synthetic drapes! While I was speedily trying to get the pile of curtains under control before several hundred children came through for dinner, I realized that the grey lining of the curtains would be perfect for a tote bag!

After dinner that night, I told some of my students that I was going to make bags out of the lining fabric, but needed to figure out how to make the handles. Any Ideas?? We all started rifling thru the art closet until someone found a box of neck ties that my uncle Len had sent from New Jersey a few years ago…. How perfect, neckties! They are everywhere, they are beautiful and they tend to collect dust after a while.

SCAD Professor Jane Zash and I came up with a few designs and we calculated that we’d need close to 600 neckties! We launched a giant Facebook search for ties and they just started pouring in! 200 from my high school Librarian and historian! 20 here or there from local business men and 3 or 4 from my neighbors!

With all the ties in hand, I started making the 360 bags. Around the same time I picked up a giant artist residency project in a bunch of Chatham County Schools….. Time was scarce! A little bit panicked, I asked my best friend Tasha if she would like to help with the project. She said yes, of course but she would need to learn the right skills. Tasha has five young kids and goes to school, so we found a few little in between everything else times in our schedules to get some serious swag bagging done!

Before you know it thirty bags at a time we’re going back and forth between our houses— I would sew the hems, Tasha would match up the ties and pin them on, I would sew everything together, and she would turn the bags from inside out and clip threads.

About three weeks before the conference, we were both busy as ever and realized that we needed more help! Tasha’s mother, auntie and sister also started helping! Sewing, clipping, pinning…… learning a lot and making a TON of bags…..

It occurred to us that it would be really great to set up a program where we taught women in our community the skills that they would need to create a certain product which was in some sort of demand. Once they had the skill set they could work from home as much as their busy schedules allowed and then they could be paid for their work. So much of our economy and our lives are determined by systems which don’t necessarily work for us—- it can be hard to take on an extra job or two are in school and have a handful of kids who come first!

So what’s stopping us from digging a few tunnels and creating an economy that works for us??? Our common design challenge is to make a community, an economy, a life that works for us and that feels good. What could be more fun than seeing through a big project with a group of friends and what kind of product would you rather purchase than one that was made by creative minds and careful hands who are working for a better, safer, more beloved community??
We are launching a way for all of this to happen— it’s called Handmade Neighborhood. We’ll be teaching the skills and providing the tools through my art program, Loop It Up Savannah of the West Broad Street YMCA and then we’ll be selling our sweet, sustainably made stuff in local businesses and online here at Etsy.

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MOLLY LIEBERMAN is a BFA alumna of SCAD’s Fiber Department. She created and runs The Loop It Up Savannah Project, an arts-education based program at the West Broad Street Y. Molly also designed and made the swag bags for the premiere Design Ethos conference in 2010.

by Aaron Beattie, A.J. Getz, Shannon Fidler, Taylor Pollack

It all began at the Savannah Barber Styling Institute on Waters Avenue. Our mission was not to learn how to cut hair (maybe next time), but rather get to the roots of merging design with a local voice. The Waters Avenue Business Association is an independent collection of business owners. WABA was established to share resources and opportunities with its members. WABA is an organization that has high values on substantial, lasting businesses, with a focus on improving all aspects of life in the Waters Avenue corridor. It was then up to us to design an effective and timeless visual identity, as well as cost-efficient designs for an association that gives Waters Avenue business owners a voice.

From the beginning of our meeting and interview with Mr. Hezekiah Hudson Jr. and Mr. Sidney J. Johnson, we knew we were about to learn a lot. They are both wise men who have lived on Waters Avenue for the majority of their lives and currently have a standing foundation and relationship with many people within the community.

During the interview we were enlightened by the history and culture of the Waters Avenue corridor, and how it has evolved over the years. We found it crucial to gather specific information on the core values of WABA, their major obstacles, the general goals of WABA, and most importantly the history of Waters Avenue. The history of Waters Avenue immediately triggered our imaginations of the olden days with ‘Mom and Pop’ shops, and a small thriving twenty-four hour community.

The notion of bringing the Waters Avenue corridor back to its roots really carried on through our design process. We wanted to create a brand identity for WABA that exuded class, professionalism, and credibility. We feel that this would strongly increase WABA’s ability to attract new members to the Association, and cultivate a strong and positive image of WABA in the community. It was our main objective to help WABA reach their goal of uniting all businesses in the Waters Avenue corridor.

Mr. Johnson was extremely excited to see the options, and had a much brighter spark when we showed him the concept for a logo and identity program that he and many current members of WABA ended up choosing for the final solution. The final logo chosen consists of a traditional style golden seal equip with 4 icons that represent WABA:

1. ‘Vision’.  WABA has an unwavering optimistic view of the Waters Avenue corridor, and is fully committed to finding new and interesting ways to bring new life to the corridor.

2. ‘Support’. WABA allows businesses to easily share resources, information, and opportunities with one another to more quickly reach mutually beneficial goals.

3. ‘Positive Growth’.  WABA is a catalyst for positive economic growth and the revitalization and re-beautification of the community.

4. ‘Watchdog’.  WABA helps to protect local businesses from large corporations that would draw capital out of the surrounding neighborhoods, and be a unified voice against legislation that would adversely effect the Waters Avenue corridor.

We also came up with the slogan ‘Progress with Pride’ which was integrated in the final solution. This statement was suggested to describe who they are and what they stand for. They are an organization with an eye toward the future and positively progressing. The founders, members, future members, and anyone living in their community are passionate and prideful.

Meeting with Sydney J. Johnson and a few of the WABA members on the day of the presentation was a joyful experience. They were extremely open to new ideas and respectful toward each identity the class has prepared for them. We were all able to have a few laughs and get down to business. They were all enthusiastic to speak with us about our designs and share with us stories about Waters Avenue.

We appreciated the opportunity to be a part of the development of WABA’s identity. We learned a great deal about the community and how collaborative efforts can make a difference. We now hold the knowledge that will better guide us towards understanding the importance of helping local causes through design.

http://editthis.info/design_ethos_2012/Main_Page

As per David Berman’s suggestion at the close of Ethos 2012, a Design Ethos Wiki has been started. It is now up to you DO-ers to discuss what worked, what didn’t work and where everything is going. We have an amazing opportunity and something as simple as a wiki could help in the further facilitation of the ideas discussed at Ethos.

You’ll find the wiki at: http://editthis.info/design_ethos_2012/Main_Page

Good luck, and remember to “DO Good”.

In our business for Graphic Design course with Professor Jane Zash, we were first assigned a collaborative project to create a fictitious Graphic Design agency. Little did we know that “studio á” formed by Cynthia Guzman, Mafe Sotillo Lairet and Nicole Alessandra, would next be given the opportunity to create a visual identity for an actual client, the Waters Avenue Business Association also known as WABA. WABA is a group of local business people that focus on the mutual interest of the local business community along the Waters Avenue corridor in Savannah.

We had the chance to interview Sidney J. Johnson and Hezekiah Hudson Jr, two founders of the organization.. It was incredible starting points that led us to understand WABA’s vision and values, as well as opening our eyes to a side of Savannah that was unknown to most of us. For the next four weeks WABA became part of our daily routine. Along with on the ground research, a number of websites, blogs and photo archives were explored to gather more information that created a better understanding of Waters Avenue and WABA’s role in it. In the below image, we had the pleasure of doing some research in Mr. Hudson’s business, an anchor business in the community for decades, the Savannah Barber Styling Institute.

Hours of research were followed by intensive concept ideation which we must admit at times got frustrating. Nothing seemed good enough for this inspiring association, that despite the conditions of their community, they have a way of looking at things from a fresh and bright perspective.

We established that WABA needed a strong identifying mark. That would give the association a voice to attract and unify all members of the community along the corridor.  From there we decided to come up with two concepts that could visually represent our clients vision.

Our first concept aimed to portray a sense of balance, security and stability as well as unity and mutual support. Concept number two wanted to express a community that was ready for change with WABA as the force behind the transformation. Working for the improvement of the community and being part of the process of WABA ‘s identity development was a truly gratifying experience. The smile of a content client makes the entire process worth it. “studio á”  is eager to see what the future will bring to the community of Waters Avenue .

The Design Ethos DO-ference is comprised of 6 workshops that each focus on a particular existing asset along Waters Avenue. Over the course of the 3-day DO-ference, city staff, community leaders, local business leaders, and a small army of designers and design thinkers will explore and define ways to empower those assets.

We understand that the conference is only 3 days, and that much will need to happen by way of action after the event. One goal is to empower local assets, another is facilitating a more creative dialog in the community revitalization realm, and yet another is encouraging future collaborations and relationships.

It’s with great pleasure that we introduce two local design studios that have stepped forward to contribute their skills as a means of carrying the torch beyond Design Ethos. Brightwhitespace and Paragon are two of the most accomplished studios in the creative Savannah landscape, and both firms will donate 60 hours of design work to develop some of the ideas that emerge from Design Ethos.

Ariel Janzen of Brightwhitespace (right), and Susan Isaacs (center) and Drew Davies (left) of Paragon are all alumni of SCAD, and through their decade long experience in running their respective studios, have generously engaged in pro-bono work for organizations all around Savannah.

Over the next 6 months each firm will work directly with one of the assets identified in Design Ethos to help them realize their visions. It is exactly this way of being in the world that Design Ethos aims to celebrate! Now that you know what kind of ethos these spectacular young professionals embody, we invite you to check out the kind of work they do: