brief five
park visual identity + wayfinding
secret garden with mystery notes
In the autumn of 2019, I was selected to be an Upstart in the amazing program run by ICAD (Institute of Creative Advertising and Design). The program is a type of mentorship: each Upstart is given a mentor who is an established creative professional working in the industry, to guide them through six-weeks of workshops. 
The brief this week was set by fantastic Detail. It was to design an identity and wayfinding for a Dublin park. I researched into why people go to parks in general: but my research came from first hand visits. 
I chose The Basin: Blessington Street Park. This is a secret garden in the hustle and bustle of Dublin. It consists of a large amount of water in the middle of a very landlocked area. I only found out about in while I was in college, and purely by mistake, having fun with Google Maps. 
For this brief, I questioned things like what level of engagement should signage have with a park experience? What would my experience be like to visit? Where could I use an interface and where would signage hinder my experience?

photo above from Dublin City Council website. photos below taken by me.
If this magical hidden place is in Dublin, what other surprises are out there? What is the experience of going to a secret garden? How much visual interference do I want to have once I’m there?
Signage that was discreet outside of the park was tied with little plaques on the gates around the water. These would be filled with little insights for each space, so if a visitor looked down, they could learn something secret, or continue their visit without ever being disturbed.​​​​​​​
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