(re) branding a neighborhood
Grant Park
to canvas a neighborhood and determine possible issues that could potentially be solved by graphic design.
My neighborhood was Grant Park.
The challenge
Prof. Melissa Kuperminc
SCAD Atlanta
Mentor
Winter 2023
Completed
logo design / identity design
Skills Used
is an iconic Atlanta neighborhood with a whole lotta park, a whole lotta history, and a whole lotta stories to share.
Grant park
(But that doesn't quite come across through the neighborhood's current identity.)
Get to Grant Park!
Atlanta's Grant Park is one of the oldest and largest parks in the city, with roots tracing back to the 19th century. Originally, it was just a sprawling forested area on the outskirts of town, but over the years, it's evolved into this gorgeous green space with all sorts of attractions. There's the Atlanta Zoo, which is a big draw for families and animal lovers, and there's historic Oakland Cemetery right next door, which adds a whole other layer of character to the area. Grant Park is known forits stunning Victorian homes and tree-lined streets, giving it this charming vibe that's hard to beat.
After visiting Grant Park several times (and loving it), and talking to its residents, I struggled initially to find an 'issue'. Grant park is a beautiful neighborhood with many of Atlanta's historic attractions. It's got a defined visual identity that is widely used throughout the neighborhood.
Then it hit me. To truly showcase the beauty and history associated with the neighborhood, a more rounded approach was needed—one that went beyond mere aesthetics, to capture the essence of Grant Park's roots.
Planting the seeds of Grant Park's new identity
meant I'd have to find a visual system to accurately reflect the neighborhood's historic background and classic roots.
Staying true to Grant Park's roots, with a leafy new twist
My first run of the logo imitated the sunburst logo that the original Grant Park still uses to this day, but with a leafy twist. I also flipped it around to give it more of an impression of a rising sun. I wanted to portray Grant Park as a community that's still rising, but also connected to its roots.
I selected my color palette directly from several Victorian-era houses of Grant Park, using muted shades as a call back to the neighborhood's history and classic roots.
The sunburst symbol seemed iconic to the park, and, as per the neighborhood association, “the sunburst is a symbol of restoration and cohesion of the neighborhood and takes its design from similar architectural decorative patterns found on many of the homes in Grant Park.”
Since it seemed to really hold meaning for the neighborhood, I didn't want to give up on it entirely.
Grant Park's turning a whole new leaf.
And it's for the better, I promise (and hope!)
These visuals are a real tree-t!
After testing a ton of typeface, one of them, Wainscoted, gave me an idea that ended up sticking.
The serifs of this font are leaflike, which is why I chose it to begin with, but it occurred to me that I could build my logo - and subsequent patterns - from this same shape. I created a single leaf from the serifs, and used it to create not just my logo, but also the same iconic sunburst that I'd wanted to recreate right from the start.
Grant Park's fresh look is unbeLEAFable.
Look. I'm biased, but I think
