DTW
D ETROI T The most populous city in Michigan, Detroit (also known as “The Motor City”) is famed for being the birthplace of Ford and Chrysler, rising quickly in popularity as the center of automotive production and innovation. With the jobs created by GM, Ford, and Chrysler, Detroit became the main source for jobs in the automotive industry in the 1930’s, bringing in thousands seeking jobs and adding to the population. The 1950’s and 60’s were ultimately the downfall of Detroit as a leader in the automotive manufacturing industry; the industrial union revolution, industry restructuring and racial tension caused the losses of around 130,000 jobs.
D E V E LO P M E N T Based on Platelet, a modern font that captures the classic look of license plates in California, the development of this project’s lettermark was about preserving the feel of the characters while also finding a way to arrange them in a compact and dynamic way. The result was a series of drafts that have the look of an old car emblem and the sleek edges of modern design.
DTW dtw
Platelet ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
LETTERMARK
Capturing the peak of Detroit’s automotive era, the final lettermark is a highly legible, compact design that gives a classic feel to a sleek sans serif typeface. It could easily fit in as the logo to one of Detroit’s famed car manufacterers from the past.
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ROCKWELL With its thick slab serifs and sharp corners, Rockwell both accents and contrasts the
“Moto
tor City rounded sans serif features of
the Platelet-based lettermark.
DETROIT, MI POP. 713,777
Mot or City
Brick C: 32 M: 95 Y: 77 K: 37
Antique Chrysler C: 4 M: 2 Y: 58 K: 0
C O LO R S True to the era of Detroit’s popularity, these classic colors represent the rise of the automotive industry and those who contributed to its success. The washed out, aged primary colors represent the bricks Detroit was built with, the classic yellow many of Chrysler’s cars were painted, and the standard grey-blue color of many working-class uniforms.
Blue Collar C: 73 M: 45 Y: 42 K: 12
M o t o r
r
C i t y
TO U C H P O I N T S
The versatility of Detroit’s lettermark means it has many classic and modern applications, from bus ads to phone cases.
This simple shirt displays both the characteristic lettermark and Detroit’s famed nickname, “Motor City.”
SA M R I T C H I E for visual communication 202 at the university of kansas. in the fall semester of 2015, with michael e kidwell, professor.