Case Study
Put Your Shoes On
An environmental design pitch for sidewalk revitalization with street signage, murals, and community engagement renderings.
Problem & Context
Several neighborhood streets lacked visual interest and inviting environmental design, resulting in minimal pedestrian activity and limited community engagement. The project aimed to transform these spaces through strategic use of signage, art, and environmental graphics that would encourage people to spend time in the neighborhood.
The design challenge was to create a cohesive, engaging system that would feel authentic to each neighborhood's character while establishing a recognizable visual language across multiple street corridors.
My Role
I led the environmental design pitch development, creating the visual language, system architecture, and comprehensive renderings that communicated the design vision. My work included street signage design, mural concepts, wayfinding system development, and pitch materials including environmental renderings and implementation plans.
Design Concept
System Architecture
The design system integrated multiple elements: directional signage, neighborhood identity markers, mural concepts, and wayfinding graphics. All elements shared a cohesive visual language while allowing for flexibility and neighborhood-specific customization.
Neighborhood identity — Each street corridor receives distinctive visual markers celebrating local character and community stories
Pedestrian activation — Strategic signage and visual interest points encourage exploration and walking
Community storytelling — Murals and environmental graphics tell stories about neighborhood history and character
Process
Street Signage Design
Designed wayfinding and neighborhood identity signage that would be visible and engaging from the street while incorporating typography and visual systems developed for the project.
Mural & Street Art Concepts
Developed mural designs and street art installations that bring visual life to blank walls and create gathering spaces within the neighborhood.
Renderings & Implementation Plans
Created comprehensive environmental renderings showing the signage, murals, and wayfinding in context, demonstrating the full vision for neighborhood transformation.
Outcome & Learnings
Project Significance
Key Takeaways
This project demonstrated the power of environmental design and public art to transform community spaces. Creating a cohesive visual language across multiple interventions—signage, murals, wayfinding—helps activate streets and encourage pedestrian engagement. The pitch materials showcased how compelling renderings and strategic visual communication can communicate a transformative design vision to stakeholders and community members. The work reinforced that thoughtful environmental design is as important as graphic design in creating engaging, livable neighborhoods.