August 13, 2014
Designmatters Students Create Innovative Concept for Pasadena's Real Change Movement Social Impact Campaign
Art Center College of Design team conceived the original design for the citywide initiative to raise awareness and funds to help provide homes to homeless
(Pasadena, Calif.) August 13, 2014 — Art Center College of Design student work will gain valuable widespread exposure as the citywide Real Change Movement initiative rolls out with a comprehensive social innovation advertising and public relations campaign. Real Change is a strategic campaign aimed at diverse stakeholders to activate support for tangible, self-sustaining housing solutions to end homelessness and mitigate panhandling in Pasadena. The creative strategy and original designs for the project were created by Art Center students in a 14-week class led jointly by the Designmatters and Graphic Design departments.
The Designmatters department at Art Center puts knowledge into action by providing students with opportunities to apply their art and design education to real-world challenges. Students who pursue a Designmatters Concentration connect their educational studies to design explorations centered on critical issues affecting people all over the world. These students are prepared to become future creative leaders with commitment, aspiration and know-how to influence change.
“We’re pleased to see that the Real Change campaign is being implemented because it showcases the innovative thinking that can result from important partnerships like this one between local civic leaders and the design education community,” said Mariana Amatullo, vice president and co-founder of Designmatters.
“Our team researched the human experience around giving and explored how to influence behavior and move people who may be solely concerned with shopping to consider giving,” said Guillaume Wolf, who mentored the students. “This principle is really the ‘Big Idea’ at the core of the campaign, to inspire the community to think about giving and how it leads to happiness in a more active way, and to view the act of giving as an uplifting, positive experience.”
This approach to harness the power of the community is embodied by the tagline for the campaign: “Homes for the homeless. Powered by change.”
“The implementation of the campaign is a powerful endorsement of the quality talent among our students as designers in the social innovation space,” said Wolf.
Art Center is the only top-ranked art and design college that offers students such a robust social impact curriculum and the option to pursue specialized studies in the field through the Designmatters Concentration. Designmatters projects have tackled a diverse range of social issues including water poverty in South America, gun violence prevention, earthquake preparedness, low-income housing in India and health education campaigns for HIV-AIDS, cervical cancer and arthritis.
“This collaboration with our hometown is especially gratifying as we continue to expand our reach into the community with the growth of the South Campus and the recent acquisition of the Mullin Building at 1111 South Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena,” said Amatullo.
The Real Change Movement is the first initiative of its kind within Los Angeles County, to help provide homes for the homeless with funds generated by the coin and credit card donations made through uniquely designed meters. The goal is to install 11 bright orange meters throughout the city at heavily trafficked locations such as the convention center, shopping malls and parking structures. Campaign elements include a website, brochures, power bill stuffers, bus shelters, bumper stickers, elevator door signage, print ads, video and radio public service announcements. For more information, visit realchangemovement.org.
The primary focus of the efforts by the city leadership is to provide “housing first” to individuals and find permanent solutions to prevent homelessness. A key message within the campaign emphasizes compassion for members of the community who are homeless. The target audiences include business owners, residents and visitors to the city.
About Designmatters: Designmatters is Art Center College of Design’s social impact department with the mission to utilize art and design education as a catalyst for change, imagining and building a more humane future for all. Through Designmatters, students, faculty and alumni from across disciplines are engaged in an ongoing exploration of the role of art and design in effecting large-scale sustainable change through innovative partnerships locally and around the world. It is through the impressive outcomes generated by Designmatters that the College became the first design school to receive the United Nations' Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status. The award-winning and social innovation outcomes of Designmatters during the past decade are providing a key foundation for the framework of Media Design Practices: Field, a graduate track in the College’s Media Design Practices program which focuses on communication design at the intersection of new technology and social engagement. More information can be found at: designmattersatartcenter.org
About Art Center College of Design:Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, Art Center College of Design (artcenter.edu) is a global leader in art and design education. Art Center offers 11 undergraduate and six graduate degrees in a wide variety of visual and applied arts as well as industrial design disciplines. In addition to its top-ranked academic programs, the College also serves members of the Greater Los Angeles region through a highly regarded series of year-round educational programs for all ages and levels of experience. Renowned for both its ties to industry and its social impact initiatives, Art Center is the first design school to receive the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) status. Throughout the College's long and storied history, Art Center alumni have had a profound impact on popular culture, the way we live and important issues in our society.
Contact: Teri Bond, 310.738.2077, teri.bond@artcenter.edu