We convened an advisory team for Create NED that included residents, longtime community organizers, project staff, and project partners. Using our people-centered approach, together we explored visions for the neighborhood through conversations, sketches, and collages.

Through a series of branding workshops with the advisory team, we identified words and phrases that captured Northeast Detroit’s past, present, and future. We collaborated with local artists to develop key visual themes. Building on the co-created language and imagery, we designed a logo and brand that was fun, welcoming, and inclusive of all ages and abilities. 

With these branding components, we created a communication toolkit that included postcards, flyers, surveys, wayfinding signage, and social media assets. We shared brand guidelines to help the Create NED community team easily access, implement, and generate new material while maintaining the brand’s look and feel across all applications.

We also designed a refreshed edition of Northeast Detroit’s community newspaper, Ned’s Notes, by taking inspiration from older editions and melding styles with the new identity. We used splashes of bright orange and hand-drawn iconography to create a friendly newspaper that captured the energy of the community. In addition, we designed and developed the Restore NED website, wherein the Create NED pages offer Detroiters and visitors ways to get engaged, informed, and involved. 

The tools we developed with Northeast Detroit residents have helped the previously under-resourced neighborhood enliven their public spaces, better share their story, and continue to access more resources.