Inglewood's Pulse:
Rebranding Calgary's Oldest Neighbourhood
A research based study of Inglewood that guides the development of a full concept driven visual identity system.
PROJECT: Course work for Systems and Structures at Mount Royal University.
SKILLS: Research, Field Observation, Data Analysis, Synthesis Mapping, Concept Development, System Structures, Branding Strategy.
TOOLS: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Miro, Excel, Outlook, Linkedin, SimplyAnalytics (PRIZM Data).
YEAR: 2025
Background
Inglewood is defined by its long history, active arts presence, and strong community identity. As Calgary’s oldest neighbourhood, it reflects a mix of heritage architecture, independent businesses, cultural venues, and public gathering spaces. This project involved examining Inglewood through fieldwork, community engagement, and desk research to inform the development of a concept driven visual identity.
Field & Desk Research
Research included on site observations, photographic documentation, interviews, demographic data, and historical review. Fieldwork captured the neighbourhood’s murals, signage, storefronts, and public spaces. Interviews and public engagement provided insight into how residents and business owners describe Inglewood, with recurring themes of local character, historic presence, and strong artistic culture. Desk research added context about early settlement, industrial development, and contemporary community movements. Together, these findings shaped an understanding of the neighbourhood’s visual and cultural identity.
Research Map
The research map compiled field images, community responses, historic references, and demographic information into a single workspace. Organizing the research visually made it easier to identify recurring characteristics and connections across categories. The map also clarified which findings appeared consistently across different research methods, which helped validate the themes that emerged later in the process.
Field Research, Desk Research
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Synthesis
Three consistent themes emerged from the research.
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Local represents the neighbourhood’s support for independent businesses, community involvement, and the welcoming atmosphere noted by residents.
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Historic reflects the ongoing presence of preserved buildings, heritage structures, and strong community interest in maintaining Inglewood’s character.
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Art and Music capture the neighbourhood’s creative activity including murals, galleries, venues, and cultural events that shape its public identity.
These findings created a clear foundation for the ideation stage, guiding the direction of early concept exploration and helping determine which aspects of Inglewood were most important to represent.
Concept Exploration, Initial Brainstorming
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Concept Exploration and Development
The ideation stage began by turning the research findings into visual directions that could guide early concept development. Moodboards were created to organize the most relevant imagery, textures, and references from the research. These boards helped reveal visual patterns and clarified how the neighbourhood could be expressed through design. Together, they formed the starting point for the direction that followed.
Concept Direction
Drawing from all three themes, the chosen concept statement became “Where beats and brushstrokes collide.” This idea represented the intersection of artistic expression, musical energy, and Inglewood’s vibrant street identity. It created a clear direction for exploring movement, texture, and expressive forms within the visual identity.
Art and music became the visual heartbeat of this concept.
Sketching and Early Development
Sketching played a key role in translating the themes into early ideas. Initial drawings explored letterforms, textures, instrument inspired shapes, and imagery pulled directly from the neighbourhood. Some ideas were set aside when they did not scale well or felt too literal. Others showed stronger potential, especially those that blended artistic strokes with rhythmic curves. These explorations informed the first wordmark prototypes and supported the transition into digital development.
Concept Development & Iteration Process
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Revisions and Rework Process
Each stage of the project went through several rounds of revision, informed by critique sessions and a closer look at how effectively the work communicated the concept. Early versions of the brand kit, magazine, and community poster revealed issues with hierarchy, spacing, consistency, and overall clarity. Through reworking these pieces, the visual system became more structured, more intentional, and more aligned with the identity’s rhythm and expressive character. Refining the layouts, strengthening the grid, and applying the brand assets more cohesively helped the final deliverables function as a unified system rather than individual components.
Reflection
Revisiting and reworking the designs strengthened the project overall. Slowing down, reassessing decisions, and refining the system created outcomes that felt more resolved and more reflective of the identity I set out to build.
Revision and Rework Process
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Final Concept
The completed visual identity system translates Inglewood’s character into a set of cohesive brand elements.
Brand Kit
The final logo, mark, type, colours, and patterns work together to express movement, texture, and the neighbourhood’s creative energy.
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Brand in Use
These applications show how the identity lives throughout the community, from everyday touchpoints to larger branded moments.
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Brand Applications - Community Magazine
The community magazine applies the full identity system in an editorial format, combining typography, imagery, and rhythm-based layouts. It showcases local stories, artists, and neighbourhood culture while demonstrating how the visual language scales across multi-page communication.
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Brand Applications - Community Poster
he community poster distills key neighbourhood insights into a clear, data-driven layout. Using branded graphics, rhythm-inspired forms, and consistent typography, the poster communicates community identity in an accessible, visually engaging way.
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