Design for Civic Engagement

WITH DAMON J. KEITH CENTER

Branding, strategy, and engagement for Keith Center initiatives.

Housed within Wayne State University’s law school, the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights serves as a hub for civil rights teaching, research, and action. In addition to policy analysis, curriculum development, and teaching, the Center houses several distinct yet interconnected initiatives that advance racial justice and democracy. The Detroit Equity Action Lab is a fellowship program that convenes organizations and individuals working toward racial equity in Detroit. Voices from the Grassroots has created an archive of oral histories of activism and resistance in the city. Race and Justice Reporting supports independent journalists of color and amplifies community-driven narratives. The Detroit Democracy Project is a campaign for civic education and increased participation beyond electoral politics, creating pathways for long-term democratic engagement.

Visual Identity System and Websites

We collaborated with the Keith Center to develop a cohesive brand family, a system where each initiative has its own identity while visually and conceptually connecting with each other.

  • The Damon J. Keith Center aligns with Wayne State University’s branding, using black, green, and gold, with a logo referencing the Center’s existing exterior signage.

  • The Detroit Equity Action Lab serves as a central identity, sharing colors and typography with its affiliated initiatives.

  • Voices from the Grassroots uses staggered typography to reflect the layering of oral histories, with a serif font reinforcing its connection to traditional storytelling.

  • Race and Justice Reporting follows the same visual structure, but uses a heavier type to reinforce justice and a contrasting serif italic ampersand. The logo balances authority and accessibility.

  • The Detroit Democracy Project incorporates bold typography and layered color blocks to reflect civic engagement and decentralized participation.

This brand family maintains cohesion in typography, colors, and logo treatments while allowing flexibility for each program’s purpose and audience. To extend this consistency across digital platforms, we developed the visual identity for new Voices from the Grassroots and Race and Justice Reporting websites and oversaw the web development process in partnership with Featherstone, the project’s web developer. We focused on brand alignment and user experience design to shape a digital presence that reflects each initiative’s mission while reinforcing its connection to the Keith Center.

Developing the Detroit Democracy Project

In partnership with Mission Lift, we also facilitated a planning phase for the Detroit Democracy Project. Our work included planning and leading collaborative work sessions with community organizers, civic leaders, and legal experts to define the project’s priorities. These discussions focused on expanding civic engagement beyond voting, addressing barriers to participation, and fostering long-term community-led action. We synthesized work session outcomes into a project brief and implementation plan that outlined engagement strategies and timelines. The campaign is designed to be a long-term initiative, incorporating an ambassador program, public education series, and community research efforts to sustain participation.

The branding, websites, and engagement strategies developed through this collaboration establish a structured and accessible framework for the Keith Center’s programs. These tools support ongoing work in racial justice, civic education, and community storytelling.

Learn more about our work with Voices from the Grassroots and Detroit Equity Action Lab.