Designing Worker Owned Business Resources
WITH DETROIT COMMUNITY WEALTH FUND
Graphic design and copy editing to support business transitions to employee ownership.Detroit Community Wealth Fund (DCWF) provides education, funding, and technical assistance for cooperatively-owned businesses. In 2021, they launched Worker Owned Detroit, a technical assistance and financing program to help Southeast Michigan businesses transition to employee ownership. As part of this initiative, DCWF developed a succession planning toolkit and two white papers: “Worker Ownership Builds Wealth for Black Detroiters,” and “Employee Ownership is Key to Business Retention for Michigan and the Metro Detroit Region.”
The Work Department collaborated with DCWF to refine and design these critical resources. We developed a cohesive visual identity and provided editorial recommendations to ensure accessibility for the target audiences.
Our process began with a deep dive into industry reports and toolkits, drawing inspiration from similar and adjacent fields. This informed our key design principles—approachable, direct, modern, and process-oriented. Building upon the program’s emerging branding, we created two layout options that incorporated typography, color, and graphic elements to enhance readability and engagement. Simultaneously, we refined and copy edited the written content to improve clarity and impact.
Both the toolkit and white papers are structured for ease of use, with website and PDF versions allowing business owners and employees to navigate content relevant to them.
These resources are available for viewing and download at workerowneddetroit.com
