Real Change Movement
Real Change Movement is a partnership between Saeshe, the City of Pasadena, and the Art Center of Design to increase awareness and raise funding for the city's homeless population. I kept this project in my portfolio because it is truly dear to my heart.
Role & Duration
Graphic designer
2014
Deliverables
Brand identity
Advertising campaign
Social media marketing
Website development
Platform
Desktop
Live events
The challenge
The project involved repurposing parking meters as donation sites. My team was responsible for unveiling this new effort within a short timeframe and with limited resources.
Design Process
Following initial meetings with the City of Pasadena and the Art Center, we developed a creative process. We identified the project's content needs, and outlined a delivery schedule.
Ideation
Brand Identity
Website
Prints
Real World Test
Release
In the ideation phrase, we brainstormed various forms media to best serve the content. By researching our target audiences, we got a basic idea of where to best gain social exposure, as well as tone for the copy.
A unique aspect of the Real Change Movement is the introduction of our donation meter program, the first of its kind in Los Angeles County.
After trying out hundreds of different styles, shapes and colors, we decided on one that reflected a simple and positive sentiment. We implemented the well-known happy face to increase familiarity, and elicit a positive reaction from the public. We combined 2D and 2.5D to attract people's attention.
We co-designed the house-shaped bubble for the campaign's key copy. We felt that this design would encourage public conversation about the homelessness issue.
Collaboration
In order to create more content for social media, we went out into the community to talk about the project with real people. We got local feedback, and also took photos of the people holding the bubble frame.
ME!
Website
Since the project exists primarily in the real world (not online), we decided to use minimal resources to create a simple website. The main functions of the website are:
1. Help people understand the project better
2. Build trust between the community and the organization
3. Accept donations
See the website HERE.
Prints
For this project, printed brochures were even more important than digital content. Brochures were distributed at live events and in proximity of the specialized parking meters. The main goal of the brochure was to drive public curiosity and to educate people on how they could serve the homeless by using the parking meters. Large format posters were also printed and displayed at Pasadena bus stops.
Real World Test
From the initial design of the meter to its real world implementation, the process was very rewarding. We workshopped different designs on an actual parking meter. Once the design was finalized, the donation meters were placed in 9 locations throughout Pasadena.
Location list: Art Center Hillside Campus, Art Center South Campus, Convention Center, Fuller Theological Seminary, Mobile Meter, Old Pasadena Garage – DeLacey, Old Pasadena Garage – Schoolhouse, Pasadena Federal Credit Union, Paseo Colorado, Public Library
Release
Pasadena Mayor Bill Boggard and other community leaders unveiled the first operational Real Change Movement parking meter on August 13, 2014.
Results
The campaign was a big success. We attracted a lot of sponsors, and 7 of them committed. The campaign also got millions of media impressions and other media coverage.
Within 4 weeks
7
Businesses committed to sponsor
Within 6 weeks
130M
Media impressions
$700K
AD value generated
Earned coverage in media outlets:
TIME | L.A. TIMES | KTLA | KABC | TELEMUNDO
Final thoughts:
1. I am really grateful to be a part of the project. From 2014 - 2015, $8,000 was donated through the meters and contributed to non-profit agencies working on homelessness solutions. 20 homeless people have been assisted with permanent housing.
2. As a designer, it is not only the look of the product which is important, but the impact; not only the impact for the company, but for our fellow human beings as well.