A PORTAL TO THE
IMAGINATION
CLIENT /
Design Core Detroit
ROLE /
Concept, Design, Art Direction
SCOPE /
Experiential Design
04
THE CHALLENGE / AN ANNIVERSARY IN ISOLATION
Design Core Detroit, a nonprofit fostering design-driven innovation in Southeast Michigan, faced a critical dilemma for the 10th anniversary of Detroit Month of Design. How do you celebrate a city-wide milestone when public health concerns and social distancing protocols made large physical gatherings unfeasible? Traditional indoor gallery formats were severely restricted, yet the milestone demanded a high-impact, communal experience that resonated with the city’s resilient creative spirit.
The objective was to recreate the "gallery experience" without the gallery, ensuring safety while driving deep engagement within the local community.
PROMO VIDEO
Design Core Detroit x Hook
THE STRATEGY / FROM STATIC WALLS TO URBAN SCAVENGER HUNT
Rather than adapting a traditional exhibit to pandemic constraints, we reimagined the entire format. Our strategy moved from a centralized model to a distributed one, turning the city itself into a gallery using augmented reality. We deployed four types of interactive decals across Detroit that activated through Snapchat, allowing us to meet the audience where they already lived digitally. This barrier-free approach maintained safety while encouraging the exploration of different neighborhoods.
EXHIBITION / LIVING DECALS
Our team developed four engaging interactive decals—
Fun Type, Futurism, Doodled World, and Renaissance—activated through Snapchat, showcasing 3D animated art pieces.
VISUAL CONCEPT / RENAISSANCE
I led the conceptualization and art direction for the Renaissance interactive decal, creating a visual metaphor for the creative process itself. The primary aim was to honor the rich history of art while incorporating a contemporary edge, seamlessly blending traditional artistic styles with modern influences like geometric shapes and bold color.
The design was specifically crafted to highlight the iterative nature of an idea: showcasing the journey from initial brainstorming sessions in the top right corner, to the drafting stages in the middle, and finally to the finished product in the bottom left. Knowing the phone screen was the primary canvas, I art-directed the composition with a vertical-first framing. This ensured the experience was inherently shareable, encouraging users to capture and broadcast the work to their own social networks.
After initial sketches and rough comping, designs were brought to life using Blender and Snap AR Lens Studio.
IMPACT / AWARDS
The exhibit successfully activated Detroit's creative community during a period of social restriction. Within 30 days, the decals generated significant engagement. The Renaissance interactive decal standing out as the most engaging, accumulating over 1,500 views and 400 plays.
The project received a Silver Award at the 2020 D Show, organized by Adcraft Detroit recognizing both its creative innovation and effective response to unprecedented design constraints.
DECAL
Carly Ouellette –– SR. ART DIRECTION/DESIGN (FUN TYPE)
Travis Taylor–– COPY
Brad Nawrocki –– 3D DESIGN
Shaun Walsh –– 3D DESIGN
Michael Crawford –– ART DIRECTION/CONCEPT, DESIGN (FUTURISM)
Cat Thielen –– ART DIRECTION/CONCEPT, DESIGN (DOODLED WORLD)
Tomi Rosanwo –– ART DIRECTION/CONCEPT, DESIGN (RENAISSANCE)