A couple years ago, I had the opportunity to spend significant time in the Netherlands visiting design studios and spaces throughout the country. As part of the international graphic design summer program entitled deprogram, I traveled with a group of faculty, students and professionals while working alongside local designers. I soon gained an appreciation for a culture that values design, understands its role in society and recognizes it as a strategic tool for communication and economic development. Just like the Netherlands, Michigan has a rich history of design innovation. But unlike the Netherlands, Michigan has forgotten how to leverage the power of design to help rebuild Detroit’s ailing economy. (more…)
Plot 63, photo credit Ryan LeCluyse
Last month, five young individuals from around the country gathered in Detroit for a two-week session of Project M. For those readers who missed this, Project M is a group of designers, writers, photographers and other creatives brought together to challenge the conventions of design and prove that their work can have a positive and significant impact on the world. Since it’s founding in 2003 by John Bielenberg, Project M has engaged in projects all over the world, from Maine to Costa Rica, from Alabama to Iceland and most recently in Detroit. I had the opportunity to spend a week with the M’ers, as they transformed a vacant city lot into a community gathering place near Detroit’s North End. Their vehicle? Horseshoes. (more…)
