C-U & Me is an initiative started by 24 young designers in the Graphic Design program at the University of Illinois under the direction of Assistant Professor Jimmy Luu.

 

Believing that design has the potential to impact the local community in significant and meaningful ways, these designers have spent a large portion of their semester interacting with local groups and researching issues in the community. From their broad research into all facets of life in Champaign-Urbana, the team narrowed down their focus to four issues they believed they could address with their expertise in planning, organizing, communicating, and creative problem solving.

Upon the identification of these four issues (the arts, the environment, the digital divide, and the park district) the team identified local organizations or individuals who could serve as partners for engaging the community to explore potential solutions. Along with these local partners, the team has further researched possibilities and specific constraints within the organizations that are affected by these issues.

 

From November 1st to November 10th, the team will present its findings to date in apublic forum at Figure One in order to invite a broader public to explore these four issues further. Upon the completion of this period of public dialogue, the team will work with its local partners to process the information and use the new input to help develop four specific projects that will be executed in the Spring of 2013.

 

Each of the four projects will be launched and funded by a Kickstarter campaign in partnership with local organizations or individuals.