Everyone has a hometown. For some, it became a place to run away from, and for others, it will be all they ever know. For most, it is a place of pride, peace, and roots. In America, every city may have the same gas stations, restaurant chains, and hotels, but each holds a different story as to how it came to be. These stories need to be shared.
For my university’s senior year capstone project, I focused on the particularly troubling yet inspiring story of Youngstown, Ohio.
The project began with a question— how can designers help place small American cities in the national spotlight? This question became the foundation for researching, prototyping, and ultimately the project’s final form. The story of Youngstown, along with other American cities, would be composed into a booklet that would finish with a brochure containing a map and information about the city.
Blooming Cities became a mission to spread the stories of these small American cities that are beginning the journey towards recovering, adapting, and redefining themselves into the cities of the future.
ROLE: Director + Graphic Designer + Illustrator + Copywriter
SCOPE: Publication, Branding, Advertising, Illustration, Copywriting
TOOLS: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects
James Madison University Project, 2022
