We had the pleasure of collaborating with with the National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-Catt) and their workshop facilitators Foursquare ITP on a recent in person workshop entitled Free GIS Tools for Transit Analysis and Map Making. (Try saying that three times fast!) After our initial consultation where we established the budget for the project, we schedule a creative brainstorming session. This is where we start to lay the foundation for the theme of the kits and what potential content could make sense. We make use of an online collaboration tool called Miro to facilitate these creative sessions in Zoom.
We then go back and do some more internal brainstorming and dig into the details around sourcing and costing out the potential items as well as production details that can impact cost and lead time. We also begin to ideate around the aesthetic design of the kits and how swag, workbooks, and other supporting content may look.
The next step is a follow-up meeting where we present our findings and ideas. We facilitate some collaborative brainstorming around what we bring to the table along with encouraging ideas from the client. The goal of this meeting is to walk away with a clear vision for branding and content and a more clarified budget based on real costs. At this step, we identify what makes the cut, what doesn’t, and what are the “need to haves” and “nice to haves”.
We identified a common barrier for their audience was the tech barrier. So we helped them develop an approach that started with the old analog methods for a more tactile and hands on introduction to the tech as well as a bit of a retro design feel to appeal to the demographics and psychographics of their community.
That through line led to content included:
- A welcome card (a must for every kit)
- “Field notes” style notebook with common terms for reference printed inside the cover.
- Stickers just for fun
- A key ring flash cards of industry jargon for the technology being taught
- A multipurpose rolling drafting ruler
- A dry erase (with marker) multi layered transparency map for a hands on activity.
- A mechanical pencil
- A squishy stress bus (Because pandemic life can be stressful amiright?)
We designed the branding for the event including a logo design, map graphics pulled from their workshop materials including the specific location of the map image we used. In our discovery sessions, the book Design with Nature came up as an important reference for the origins of map-making and designing in harmony with the natural landscape. So we used the illustrations in that book as our design reference for inspiration.
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Includes a 90 minute discovery and brainstorming session along with a personalized follow up proposal for your custom designed Connection Kit. Together we’ll design the perfect blend of swag and activities for your event and budget. Get back more time, money and freedom while we surprise and delight your community.