//A motivational message for Detroit
Detroit certainly has it's beautiful qualities. In fact, it's hard to find another city with citizens filled with such a genuine sense of
pride in where they're from. Unfortunatley, Detroit needs a bit more than pride from it's citizens right now. This installation calls
on Detroiters to let go of the apathy many have towards the city's current condition. Vacant buildings have become as common in
Detroit as a 404 error is on the web. We are experiencing a 313 error. By providing hard hitting facts about the current state of
Detroit, we want to imbue the viewers with the sense of urgency we should all be sharing. It's time to stop watching, discussing,
and ignoring. It's time to act.
//Initial Concepting
Several potential themes were explored ranging from transportation, to places of consumerism, to places where people gather.
The theme of abandonment was chosen and from which 12 different types of locations were listed based on this theme.
//Chance Methodologies
Due to our non-specific knowledge of these types of locations, it was decided that starting points would be chosen and the first
abandoned location encountered near that spot wold be explored. So pins were tossed at a blank board, with one pin placed to
represent a major intersection, and then superimposed onto a map of Detroit.
Research Locations
Color Choices
a color palette was initially determined by overlaying the original image of the pins we threw oover the 313th frame of a
video from each of the 4 research locations. The colors that the pins were on top of were sampled and one color from each
video was chosen to make up a 4 color palette. It was eventually determined that we would need to be a bit more particular
about the colors we chose to make sure they would be clearly visible and have high enough contrast from one another once
the final video was projected.
Typeface Selection
The idea of merging the physical and digital worlds was once again referenced during typeface selesction. To choose the
typeface for the headers and larger copy that would be part of the project, we looked for fonts with that had a very
humanistic, handmade quality. We wanted something that could reference the incredibly abundant hand painted signage
that can so easily be found all over Detroit. After we selected 4 typefaces that worked conceptually as well as
aesthetically we placed them in a 2 x 2 grid on a pin board and threw another round of tacks at them.
This same process was used to select a font for the body copy of the projection, only the second time we chose 4
typefaces that are considered to be web safe and generally reside in a digitial medium.
Point Sizes and Leading
To come up with our point sizes and leading we went back to throwing pins at a wall. After throwing 4 pins, we measured
the distances between them to come up with a set of proportions that we would use throughout the projection to maintain
a consistent relationship between the body copy and headers.
//Chance Documentation
In documenting the various locations we not only took note of the area in question but also analyzed the adjacent buildings and
blocks. This came from sensitivity to the fact that none of these abandoned places are in the state they currently are because
of themselves, but rather because of the influence of their environment.
//Typographic and Language Exploration
Type explorations were done to explore bridging the concepts of physical and digital abandonment, as well as acting as the
beginnings of style boards for an end product. Here, we played with the idea of digital versus physical typography, as well
as exploring different ways the language could evolve through the breakdown of the typography.
//Motion Studies
These, like the type studies, are further explorations into how digital and physical abandonment could be shown over time. The explorations vary
from digital emulation of physical elements of abandonment (crumbling buildings, banners placed over vacant buildings) and others explore placing digital
abandon/404 reference into the physical space.
blocks falling from shaun on Vimeo.
clothtest from shaun on Vimeo.
clothtest 2 from shaun on Vimeo.
digital decay from shaun on Vimeo.
projector test from shaun on Vimeo.
//Prototypes
These prototypes were an amalgamation of our typography and motion studies. Here, we began to explore more specifically
the way our message would evolve over time. Continuing to work with the idea of bridging the physical and the digital world,
we worked both on the computer and in camera.
//Final Installation
The final projection was done on an abandon building on Cass, just south of Forest. We chose this building because it was an excellent example of how structures
that are located even in highly populated, more affluent areas of Detroit are still highly susceptible apathy and decay. This building is located in the middle of Wayne
State University's campus and only a few blocks away from the museum district.
//thank you.