Taste Milwaukee

curiosity, discovery, and fun

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Table of Contents DESIGNERS CREATIVE BRIEF RESEARCH & HISTORY PROCESS & SKETCHES REFINED SKETCHES FINAL PRODUCT SOURCES

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who is taste milwaukee?

Taste Milwaukee is a non-profit organization ran by three females who thought they were going to be a writer, interior designer, and makeup artist. Instead, they turned out to be graphic designers in a team. That’s just how life work sometimes, doesn’t it?

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Since Yer was the only team member from the City of Milwaukee, they agreed to work on this project in the inner city of Milwaukee because it can bring awareness to the audience. She showed the team the north side of Milwaukee and let them experience the environment. The living, shopping, streets, people, and space. It was a way for her to show the team what it was like to be away from the attraction of Milwaukee and see why Milwaukee is more than just the lakefront. Yer wanted the team to see potential change in this part of the city because it can be improved among numerous ways. She was ultimately the tour guide in this part of the research process.

Yer mainly handled the branding aspect of this project. After going through numerous revisions, she had to find a way that represented the team’s objectives, themes, tones, and goals. During this branding process, color was an important factor because it creates personality and mood.

Finding a style that represented the organization’s objectives was something she considered deeply. She started off with a complex list of research while creating the organization’s logo, but with some help along the way, Yer was able to narrow it down without it being too complicated.

On a serious note, this is Yer’s life when she’s not working. Fun facts are no fun, let’s get personal.

DESIGNERS | 5

Xee Lee was raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. A city only an hour away but much smaller and less diverse than Milwaukee. She is definitely not a native to Milwaukee, but for the past 5 years she has resided on the East Side of Milwaukee to Brown Deer in order to attend at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee. She loves the diversity, rich culture, and activities the city has to offer. But creating Taste Milwaukee with Yer and Jessie has shown Xee Lee parts of Milwaukee she has heard of but not seen before; parts that not too many people focus on in Milwaukee. While people tend to stay and focus towards the east side of Milwaukee, Xee Lee and the girls chose to make a greater impact for the good on the inner parts of the city.

Xee Lee, like the other girls, was responsible for various of things in creating Taste Milwaukee.

She helped conceptualize the idea of Taste Milwaukee in its beginning stage and even gave 20th at Johnsons Park its name. Afterwards came promoting the event and mapping out the park layout. From it, Xee Lee created a street banner and wayfinding signage that incorporated the event’s branding best as possible. Like the bright and bold coloring of Taste Milwaukee’s brand, Xee Lee wanted something fresh and fun that would appeal to the masses yet still relate back to Taste Milwaukee. As time grew closer to the showcase, Xee Lee had a greater focus on the wall mock up of the presentation. It included sizing and piecing every parts and components onto the wall. Keeping track of what is new and what has changed and the sizes for her partners’ references. Making it to this point of Taste Milwaukee with the Awkward Turtles was a lot of work and reworking. But at the end, the girls made it.

Let’s take a look at Xee Lee’s life outside of work and school, shall we?

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With a perspective from a small town, exploring Milwaukee was definitely an experience. Having only explored the just the east side and third ward, Jessie was not aware of the inner city at all. Jessie handled taking a majority of the photos during the exploration.

Further into the project, Jessie took detailed notes after each critique to make sure Taste Milwaukee didn’t miss any opportunities. Jessie also looked further into the layout of the park, primarily the main food section.

With the help from an architect, she art directed the first round of renderings. The layout was first based off of a farmer’s market like layout. Eventually she learned enough basic Sketch Up skills that she was able to further adjust the layout and booths after exploring more options. Jessie also further enhanced the renderings by bringing each screenshot angle into Photoshop. There she added slivers of branding and banners, created by Yer, into the booths and performance stage. A diverse range of people, both vendors and audience, edited with a low opacity to help have a focus on the booths. Lastly, of course food was added on the shelves and booths to complete the vision.

Jessie also came up with how Taste Milwaukee could be set up for the show. It started out with the full booth but with input with teammates, eventually we simplified and kept main pieces of the booth for the final presentation. Renderings were created for a mockup of our presentation. Talking about how to we could set up was just too difficult as a visual learner, so it was easier to create a rendering to get a more accurate idea. This helped us figure out what materials we needed and what sizes we needed. These renderings were also put into Photoshop to add in banners created by Yer and the project information layout created by Xee Lee. If you want to know Jessie on a personal level, today is your lucky day.

DESIGNERS | 7

creative brief Taste Milwaukee (MKE) is a non-profit organization that brings Milwaukee’s diversity cultures together through an annual event of food, music, and cultural activities. In order to appreciate Milwaukee’s inner city, we chose to hold this annual event in some of Milwaukee’s largest inner city public parks. We work to bring Milwaukee’s finest local restaurants and artists. We want to add meaning to the locals of Milwaukee and explorers outside of Milwaukee by bringing them together. Activities and attractions in parks can lead to connections, understanding, and ultimately become a main location for community.

CORE MESSAGE • • • • • •

To promote diversity, inclusive community, and connection Closer relationships with neighborhoods and communities Youth involvement To showcase Milwaukee’s beautiful city Utilizing space for connection by interactive attraction Showcase Milwaukee’s talents

THEMES & TONES We want this space to be inviting and more than a land of grass. With the excitement of color, size, and interaction, we want the surrounding community of Johnsons Park to get involved with the events and activities.

We also want the communities outside of Johnsons Park to take a moment and appreciate this town of Milwaukee for its space and diversity.

The designs we’ve developed hope to bring all of Milwaukee’s diverse cultures together, whether it is through food, activities, networking, or interests. We hope that the viewers will want to learn more, come back to Johnsons Park, and connect with Milwaukee.

We want to focus on the theme of curiosity, discovery, and fun in the community. These themes can be shown through wayfinding, perspective, color palette, and built design, while keeping in mind how this can reflect the community of where the inner city parks are located. Colors should be bright and exciting. Deemphasizing identity and focusing on the basic human similarities can help create connections easier.

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AUDIENCE Martin & Gloria

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Middle-aged African-American couple from Milwaukee Tricia is a nurse assistant in Kenosha William is a Milwaukee City worker Large family of children and grandchildren, no pets Enjoys daily walks on the shoreline of the lakefront Lives in Arlington Heights

William & Tricia

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Early forties African-American couple from Milwaukee Restaurant owners of their local community Seven children, no pets Enjoys to host holiday and family events in their home Lives in Sherman Park

Caleb & Rachel

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Mid-20s interracial couple from Milwaukee Caleb is a Biochemist Rachel is a certified PT Parents to a Jack Russell Terrier and Border Collie, no children Enjoys friends’ company, walking dogs, and exercising Lives in Triangle

Chip & Mary

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Retired Caucasian couple from Milwaukee Parents to 3 cats and 2 dogs Likes to read, go on walks, and cook dinner Lives in Walnut Hill

CALL TO ACTION Take time to appreciate Milwaukee’s diversity and communities by exploring other cultures of different neighborhoods. We are bringing the city together through food, music, and cultural activities. When you find the place that feels right, it makes all the difference.

CREATIVE BRIEF | 9

research & HIstory

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BRAINSTORMING NOTES

RESEARCH & HISTORY | 11

Before we initiated our research to go out to MIlwaukee to look at its opportunities, we took note of Yer’s Facebook survey to further enhance the research process. We discussed the different options and opportunities that can be utilized. After referencing some answers from Yer’s Facebook survey, we concluded the following:

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Festival celebrating all ethnic background of MIlwaukee Outdoor gym near the lakefront Alleyway event near MIAD Utilizing Milwaukee’s inner city parks

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Here are some images of Milwaukee’s lakefront outdoor gym. Some of the questions and observations made during this exploration was the wear-down of these machines. These are supposed to be useful, but how can they be when they are rusted and practically falling apart? This area of lakefront is quite small, so to come up with a large scale outdoor gym for the summer was an option. This would bring people from MIlwaukee and outside of MIlwaukee together. It also motivates the city to stay in shape and be more active during the summer.

RESEARCH & HISTORY | 13

We discussed further on the topic of celebrating all of Milwaukee’s ethnic background through an annual event at Summerfest Grounds or Milwaukee’s inner city parks. This event will hold food vendors, sport demonstrations, music, and activities.

We photographed the interactive pieces that Summerfest owns and considered to add this innovation to the parks.

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At Johnsons Park, we discussed the amount of utilization of Milwaukee’s inner city parks. Even though it was winter, we found some tracks of movement. However, we noticed that the park lacked a lot of purposeful usages. There was a Helios machine, similar to the one at the lakefront, one shelter and a performance stage, which we didn’t photograph. What are some opportunities to use this park to bring in the community and neighborhoods?

In the next two pages, we want to showcase the environmental differences that MIlwaukee offers. Page 16 shows the inner city of Milwaukee and Page 17 shows the east side of Milwaukee, where most people use to be with friends or hang out occasionally. With this research, we wanted to solve the problem of experiencing Milwaukee’s northside because it can be very beautiful. We are looking to bring in tourists and neighborhoods together.

RESEARCH & HISTORY | 15

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RESEARCH & HISTORY | 17

process & sketches

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Improvements of Johnsons Park would include a basketball court, two shelters, concerete platform for the performance stage, and two typography sculptures on either locations of the park.

Performance Stage - Before & After We wanted to improve on the functionality of the performance stage. We agreed that adding proper seating and concrete floor will attract the community more. It was a simple way to enhance the performance stage as it was newly constructed.

PROCESS & SKETCHES | 19

Possible typography sculpture locations

We wanted this sculpture to be interactive and large enough for seating. This will also bring in attraction from the busy road, along with business across the street.

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BRANDING PROCESS

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COLOR PALETTE

TYPOGRAPHY Gotham

Phosphate Inline

Book, Bold

INITIAL LOGO Initial Goals

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Family and neighborhoods Diversity and culture Playfulness, but modern Community of Milwaukee Milwaukee’s founders Represents location of event

FINISHED LOGO Even though our initial goals wasn’t a success, we know that the use of typography as our logo was more successful in forms of placement, symmetry, geometry, and organization. It still lets the viewer know who we are based on the type choice and use of color(s).

By keeping it as a typography logo, we can easily place this logo without a problem on print production work, such as promotional posters and wayfinding materials.

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We continued with the branding process by starting on our posters. We went with an 80s theme to represent the playfulness that Taste Milwaukee is.

PROCESS & SKETCHES | 23

During the branding process, we switched gears a little bit. As far as location, we were still at the same location. Our ideas changed based on what we found on our sources.

We agreed that it was best to host an event to celebrate the different diversity cultures of Milwaukee, which is why we were initially called 20 at Johnsons, but now Taste Milwaukee (MKE).

By focusing food and cultural activities, it was a much more successful path, but not to say our first idea was a complete failure. We are still incorporating the typography sculptures and utilizing the performance stage as intended.

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DIGITAL RENDERINGS

We started off with the standard white-cone tents as part of our event. With feedback, we needed to create an area that was experimental and realistic.

This means we had to come up with a different approach on how to design these shelters and different areas of the park.

PROCESS & SKETCHES | 25

PROMOTIONAL RENDERINGS

We started off with 11x17 poster designs, but after going through some numbers for the presentation piece, we thought it would be a better idea to go with a large size.

Since we were promoting our event with three posters, we received feedback that it would be a good idea to incorporate the different themes that are happening music, food, and activites.

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DIGITAL RENDERINGS

PROCESS & SKETCHES | 27

refined sketches After going through some revisions of our plan, we decided that it was best to keep the performance stage free from a concrete platform to feel more intimate. We also removed the large amount of vendor to add more seating around that area. With that in mind, we decided to remove the rest of the tent plan on the south side of the park and kept it land. This area of the park will be utitlized as an activites section, along with the existing baseball field.

PROMOTIONAL RENDERINGS

As mentioned form the previous page, we are now designing our work on a 18x24 poster size for legibility and scale purposes.

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DIGITAL RENDERINGS

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INITIAL WALL MOCKUPS

We took note of how we want to showcase our event on the moving wall for the exhibition. With such a large canvas, we were able to activate it with our branding pattern and colors. We then laid out our information based on importance. Of course, we have to showcase the designers. Following that are the digital renderings. Below it will follow with our promotional posters.

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After multiple revisions, we wanted to give the viewer the experiment of actually being in the rendering, so we added a strip of vinyl contact paper on the right side for a better understanding and to make the connection with the digital renderings. Along with the vinyl contact paper is our wayfinding design that will be posted on street poles. Below that will be three shelves holding our items such as snacks and candies that represent each country in the world!

REFINED SKETCHES | 31

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Taste Milwaukee’s Facebook Page Banner

Taste Milwaukee’s Twitter Page Banner Design

REFINED SKETCHES | 33

final product

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Taste Milwaukee presents

20 AT JOHNSONS PARK TH

Taste Milwaukee presents

20TH AT JOHNSONS PARK

1919 W Fond Du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53205

10+ CHEFS, UNLIMITED FOOD, WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS

13TH JULY 10AM TO 9PM

Celebrating Milwaukee’s diversity, cultures, and activites • • • • •

Benefiting the North Side Milwaukee Community

Closer relationships with neighborhoods and communities Youth involvement To showcase Milwaukee’s beautiful city Utilizing space for connection Showcase Milwaukee’s talents

1919 W FOND DU LAC AVE MILWAUKEE, WI 53205

Tandem

Ono Kine Grindz

Celebrating Milwaukee’s diversity, cultures, and activites

Guadalajara

Kim’s Thai Restaurant

Centro Cafe

Kopp’s Custard

Polonez

Maxie’s

Alem Ethiopian Village

Peter Sciortino’s

Vendor Partners Include:

• Closer relationships with neighborhoods and communities • Youth involvement • To showcase Milwaukee’s beautiful city • Utilizing space for connection • Showcase Milwaukee’s talents

Benefiting the North Side Milwaukee Community

Casablanca India Garden

Rice N Roll Three Brothers

Purple Door Ice Cream

Coffee Makes You Black

Cafe Corazon

Amaranth Bakery & Cafe

Mo’s Irish Pub

JULY 13, 2019 JOHNSONS PARK 10+ CHEFS, UNLIMITED FOOD, WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS

10AM TO 9PM

Taste Milwaukee presents

20TH AT JOHNSONS PARK Celebrating Milwaukee’s diversity, cultures, and activites • Closer relationships with neighborhoods and communities • Youth involvement • To showcase Milwaukee’s beautiful city • Utilizing space for connection • Showcase Milwaukee’s talents

World Culture Games and Sport Demonstrations Mancala Game Kokeshi Doll Ink Art Spin Top Henna Tattoo Lantern African Collar Necklace Mexican Tin Mirror

Activites Include: Carnival Mask Making Secret Fortune Chinese Shadow Puppets Islamic Tile Art Washi Ningyo Origami Onion Dome Draw a Mandala

1919 W Fond Du Lac Ave Milwaukee, WI 53205

JULY 13, 2019 10AM TO 9PM

FINAL PRODUCT | 35

FINAL WALL MOCKUPS

With the final wall mockup in place, we made some changes along the way. To draw attention from different angles, we incorporated a vertical sign with our branding patterns and color. This will draw attention from a distance and from the side. We still kept the initial design from the previous mockup, but shifted everything two feet from the top of the wall for legibility purposes. Still, we are using vinyl stickers and stamps for our branding pattern to create interest and movement.

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FINAL PRODUCT | 37

sources “A Brief History of Milwaukee.” Wisconsin Historical Society, 24 July 2012, www.wisconsinhistory. org/Records/Article/CS1607.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Milwaukee.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 Apr. 2018, www.britannica.com/place/Milwaukee.

Bruce, William George. “A Short History of Milwaukee, by William George Bruce.” Handle Proxy, Universidade Da Coruña, 1936, hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89071670251.

“Diversity and Inclusion.” VISIT Milwaukee, www.visitmilwaukee.org/about-mke/diversity-and-inclusion/.

Dominic, Inouye. “8 Reasons to Visit Lindsay Heights.” Milwaukee Magazine, 17 Nov. 2017, www. milwaukeemag.com/milwaukee-neighborhood-guide-lindsay-heights/?fbclid=IwAR3rKmglzj7Kemy2DAdMYnZl6Hu79YdBWJZu93vU8lM_ipSbbja_qPCt4ak.

“History and Heritage.” VISIT Milwaukee, www.visitmilwaukee.org/about-mke/our-history-heritage/.

“Milwaukee Timeline.” Milwaukee County Historical Society, milwaukeehistory.net/education/milwaukee-timeline/.

O’Farrell, Sean. “Urban Renewal.” Encyclopedia of Milwaukee, emke.uwm.edu/entry/urban-renewal/.

“Old Milwaukee: The Bridge War of 1845, and How the Streets Got Their Names.” Milwaukee Record, 15 Dec. 2015, milwaukeerecord.com/city-life/old-milwaukee-the-bridge-war-of-1845-andhow-the-streets-got-their-names/.

Paul, Camille. “The Fall and Rise of Johnsons Park.” Urban Milwaukee, 28 Feb. 2017, urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/02/28/the-fall-and-rise-of-johnsons-park/.

Wexler, Evan. “Photos: Milwaukee’s Industrial Past.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 13 July 2013, www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/photos-milwaukees-industrial-past/.

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SOURCES | 39

When you find the place that feels right, it makes all the difference.

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