The Syracuse University Design Students showed their final presentation for the Onondaga Creekwalk revitalization project Wednesday in the auditorium of The Warehouse.
Over the course of the semester, students in the design management class, which is taught by Rod Martinez and Bill Padgett, have been working on a way to re-vamp the Onondaga Creekwalk, a chunk of which runs directly through the city’s downtown area.
Through way finding, marketing, branding, event planning and digital media, the class has come up with a creative way to let people know just exactly what the Creekwalk is.
The class works directly with the city, namely Andrew Maxwell, the director of planning and sustainability, as a way for people to understand and embrace the rich history of the Creekwalk, which dates back to the 1800s.
The class broke down into groups, with each team trying to achieve a specific goal. In the end, what the class came up with was an awesome presentation, complete with the culmination of hours of hard work and research.
“It has been a pleasure to watch these students generate such dynamic and creative ideas for the Onondaga Creekwalk,” Maxwell said.
The class put on a stunning presentation of sound, visuals and acting, and it really gave an idea of what they have achieved. The general theme was the class wanted people to “explore their own path,” by using new signs, interactive technology and the simple beauty the Creekwalk provides.
The class came up with three unique logos, with each one bringing together the Creekwalk and the community.
The presentation, which featured students acting on a digital Creekwalk and various downtown locations, showed how four different people can experience the Creekwalk in different ways. On the new signs there will be QR codes, which allow smartphone users to snap a picture of the code and be brought to a site with more information.
There will be maps that highlight Armory Square, Franklin Square, Clinton Square, the Inner Harbor and other local landmarks that are by the Creekwalk. For instance, the Armory Square sign will feature the best shopping, bars and restaurants, while the one for Franklin Square will show many of the places where the community gathers.
Other signs will be focused on nature, art and history and the community itself, and each sign will be color coded.
The class has come up with a list of events designed to get the Creekwalk going again. Creektreat will feature some trick or treating and a costume contest; the Polar Bear Creek Run will have people disrobe and go for a brisk run. There is even going to be a day when pet owners can bring their pooches down for a dog costume contest. Creekreel is a day when boaters can dock their boats and watch a movie from the water on the ampitheater. Creekquest is a treasure hunt for kids.
On July 4, there will be a light and firework show that is aimed at being family-friendly, and that’s where the presentation concluded — with all four people sitting by the water, staring at the rainbow of lights flashing before them.
The class designed a brand-new website and cellphone app.
“This is the epitome of scholarship in action,” Maxwell said at the end of the presentation.
For more information, follow the class on Twitter @Branding_Creek or visit the Facebook page by searching “The Onondaga Creekwalk.”
Neil Benjamin Jr. can be reached at [email protected].
