Branding @ Copenhagen KEA Charrette
Overview: This project was developed during the KEA Charrette in Copenhagen, an international branding intensive focused on "The Art of Keeping." In collaboration with Mamma Mia, a Copenhagen-based community space supporting individuals with mental disabilities, our team explored how sustainability is achieved not just through materials, but through the continuous act of care and maintenance. We translated these social values into tangible design interventions to bridge the gap between the local neighborhood and the Mamma Mia community.
Role: Graphic Designer
Concept: Moving beyond environmental sustainability, the concept focused on "Social Sustainability." I viewed the act of maintaining a community as an art form as a group. Our goal was to create "Maintenance Loops"—physical and visual cues that encourage residents to stop, interact, and care for their shared social environment, ensuring the longevity of the Mamma Mia community's integration into the city.
Problem / Challenge:
Abstract Translation: Finding a way to make the invisible concept of "social care" visible and interactive for a diverse public audience.
Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Operating within a multidisciplinary, international team required navigating language barriers and differing design methodologies. This pushed me to refine my communication skills, ensuring that our collective vision remained cohesive despite our diverse backgrounds in field and culture.
Solution: We developed the "Conversation Bench," a vibrant prototype that uses high-contrast colors and inviting patterns to signal inclusivity and trigger spontaneous social interaction. To ground the project in its location, I created a detailed Hand-Drawn Neighborhood Map. This visual tool served to organize the local landscape and help the community visualize their relationship with the space. The result was a design system that transformed a private support space into a welcoming public landmark.
Tools: Hand-drawn illustration, rapid prototyping (physical models), collaborative workshops
