BEYOND FOOTWEAR
Change by Design
Fall 2019
This term-long project involved addressing a social issue through design in partnership with Detroit Community High School (DCHS) students. Upon arrival, we observed students had unique and vibrant shoes, which we saw as a symbol of individual expression. We found that there is a historical racial divide on the way sneakers are marketed differently for White and Black youth. The problem we came to address is that White-owned sneaker companies exploit Black youth by marketing shoes specifically to them using popular athletes, and high prices.
With our partners at DCHS we developed Beyond footwear in order to address this divide in the footwear industry, and allow Black urban youth to transition from consumers to creators.
The images to right are from our final report.
PORTABLE TOOL SHED
Plywood
Social Spaces
Fall 2018
This cart was created for the Ypsilanti community group, Growing Hope, to help assist them in the storage of their harvesting tools. It is equipped with large wheels for uneven terrain, shellac and weather resistant exterior paint, and a sturdy frame and locking mechanism to deter theft. It is maneuverable and easily convertible from storage to workspace with the flat surface on tap and fold out shelf.
A VEGETARIAN GUIDE TO ANN ARBOR
Digital
Social Spaces
Fall 2018
In this piece I was asked to design a socially engaged piece, so I created a map of vegetarian friendly restaurants in Ann Arbor, and a dish to try at each one. I used my experience of being a frustrated vegetarian on campus and not knowing where I could find a meal as inspiration. I also added a key for vegan options, and places that use locally sourced and/or organic ingredients. I distributed this map to several dorms on campus.
