Case Study: Inglewood Visual Identity Design

This identity must include a logo, colour palette, typefaces, motion, and supporting graphics, then be applied across mockups and a community newsletter to demonstrate its flexibility and authenticity. This project was done in collaboration with another designer

We researched Inglewood’s history, demographics, arts and culture, social media presence, and literature. We were able to delve deep into Inglewood’s identity and also understand how community members and visitors to Inglewood view Inglewood.

Photo Ethnography

Desk Research

Examining Literature

Examining Social Media Presence

Public Engagement

Interviews

To conduct public engagement, we put up a poster that invited passersby on the main street to describe Inglewood as a song. This was insightful, as we could infer how people viewed Inglewood and describe it through music. We were left with responses that evoked a sense of belonging, welcome and nostalgia. Upbeat and lively music was also prominent.

We were able to interview Alana Moore, a manager at Cold Garden restaurant, and Dylan Ames from the Inglewood Community Association. Both interviews were insightful there were similarities found in both interviews, as both interviews highlighted these three aspects of Inglewood’s Identity: historical significance, arts and cultural hub, and the importance of community.

These visuals highlight Inglewood’s unique blend of heritage architecture and contemporary artistic expression.

Historical archives and local articles emphasize Inglewood’s industrial beginnings, strong community ties, and cultural significance. These sources contextualize the area’s transformation into a modern hub while maintaining its historic character.

We wanted to encapsulate the three main aspects of Inglewood's identity: creativity, tradition and open-mindedness. Additionally, what makes Inglewood unique is the blend of both traditional and budding creative and cultural aspects. Inglewood takes pride in its history but keeps an open mind and welcomes creative and cultural endeavours that keep Inglewood relevant to this day.

To create our logo, we wanted to incorporate the name Inglewood and use it as a wordmark or potentially use the initials IW. We iterated through different fonts and different symbols, but eventually learned to move away from making the logo too literal, like using the IW in Inglewood to symbolize the historic Inglewood bridge (tradition).

The final logo design is the name Inglewood and a plant icon, but when deconstructed separates into the initials I + W. This way, we were still able to use the initials but also add more meaning by using it to symbolize the blooming of creativity that is prevalent in Inglewood.

Our community newsletter incorporates all our brand elements, such as our logo, colours, icons, and patterns, to maintain a cohesive visual identity. It features articles about Inglewood's art and history, a local business spotlight, a map highlighting notable areas, and a collection of upcoming events to encourage community engagement. The recommended events align with our brand's concept statement and cover music, art, comedy, and environmentalism, all of which are integral to our brand identity.