Exploration
The Savannahian Legacy
Story
The Ralph Mark Gilbert Museum chronicles the Civil Rights struggle of the oldest African American community in Georgia from slavery to present. Located in historical Savannah, Georgia, the museum is named after the late Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert, the father of Savannah’s Civil Rights Movement and the fearless NAACP leader. Despite their important contribution to the history of Savannah, the Black community does not have enough deserved recognition.
This collaboration with Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum aims to bring in the most meaningful visual experience that helps the Savannahians recognize and appreciate this community. This museum should be the rallying point for the community.
Approach:
By understanding the concept of sustainable education, the process pays attention to collecting insights, affinitizing data and how it can be further applied to elevate the existed experience at the Ralph Mark Gilbert (RMG) Civil Rights Museum in the deeply segregated city of Savannah.
Solution:
The concept of sustainable education became guideline to create a wholesome experience that empowers the community and tells a hopeful future—a story has yet to be done. This experience consists of:
- An re-imagined unique brand identity that is deeply rooted in the long history of Black community.
- An interactive and meaningful experience—a learning app that educates users on the history of Black community in Savannah.
Roles
Recognition
- SCAD Secession publication, Savannah College of Art and Design | 2020
Research
The Design Process
Read this document for a thorough process of contextual research and design proposals or scroll down for a brief synopsis.
Based on the extensive research on the RMG museum, their competitors, as well as the Savannah locals, an executive plan is proposed to:
- Empower the African American community in Savannah.
- Introduce to the visitors the side of history that is usually ignored.
The plan is divided into 2 phases:
- Phase 1: a renovated brand identity that well reflects the history of the Savannah black community. Once a solid visual identity is developed, phase 2 is ready to be executed:
- Phase 2: an interactive app that helps tourists learn about the black history of the city as they walk around the city using augmented reality.
The new story
Brand Identity
The Bogolanfini, or mud cloths, are some of the most impressive of the African textiles. They were originally used for hunters' shirts and women’s wraps. The cloth is hand woven and dyed by an age old process using local flora and mud. These textiles well represent the roots of the Black community in Savannah, which is from the Senegambian region to Sierra Leone.
The RMG App
RMG is an interactive app that offers users an outdoor learning experience on the history of Black community in Savannah.
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