Chicago’s chinatown

For my Senior Capstone project, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as a consultant for the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community: Chinatown Community Vision Plan. Though the Community Vision Plan is a long-term project, our objective was to incorporate short-term solutions to rejuvenate this unique neighborhood in the eyes of locals and spark increased interest in tourists. 

Inspiration:

As Chicago's Chinatown does not have a prominent brand identity, my team and I decided that a logo would help establish recognition of the area and create a visual experience for visitors and locals alike. This logo would be used on many mediums, including street signage, print materials, and social media to help promote the offerings this neighborhood can provide and improve the local economy within it. 

My team and I paid many visits to Chinatown to not only meet with the Coalition, but to better understand the dynamics of the neighborhood and study new and old areas of it. The pagoda pavilion in Ping Tom Memorial Park of Chinatown was our greatest inspiration for the logo. We noticed that it connects Chinatown with the rest of the bustling city, acting like a portal. Chicago and Chinatown share their first three letters, C-H-I, so we emphasized this unification in the logo to symbolize the important connection Chinatown serves to Chicago and its history. 

In addition to introducing a new brand identity, we also suggested ideas for numerous events the community can organize throughout the year, utilizing the support and talents of local businesses and organizations. 

Team Members:

Demetra Bairaktaris, Tania Chwala, Gonzalo De Las Casas, Kelsey Hershenhouse, Dylan Ravenscraft, Kerman Wang, Hanyu Zhang